OAKLAND, Calif. - The Alameda County District Attorney announced on Tuesday that a jury found a boyfriend guilty of second-degree murder, torture and corporal injury to his then-girlfriend, a ceramicist and poet in Oakland, two years ago.
Guilty of murder, torture
What we know:
Victor "Frito" Frieson
The East Bay Times reported it took a jury two weeks to convict Victor "Frito" Frieson, 30, of killing 25-year-old Zoe Nika Reidy Watts in Oakland on March 1, 2024.
In a statement, the DA said that the evidence presented at trial established that Reidy Watts and Frieson had been involved in an "on-again, off-again" dating relationship for less than one year. During that time, there were two reported domestic violence incidents—one in San Francisco and one in Oakland.
On March 1, 2024, Frieson assaulted Reidy Watts inside his Oakland apartment. Her injuries were so "catastrophic," the DA stated, that they resulted in her death.
An autopsy showed she suffered broken ribs, lacerations and bruises, both fresh and old.
What they're saying:
"Today’s verdict delivers justice for Zoe, whose life was taken in an act of extraordinary violence. She was a talented artist, a dedicated student, and a young woman whose future was filled with promise. While no verdict can restore what her family, friends, and the Bay Area artistic community have lost, we hope today’s decision provides a measure of accountability and peace," DA Ursula Jones Dickson said in a statement.
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The East Bay Times reported that Frieson testified in his own defense, where his lawyers conceded that he had committed domestic violence against her but denied he was guilty of murder or torture.
Oakland police say she had previously reported abuse by Frieson, who was also a registered sex offender.
Two years ago, KTVU interviewed Casey Schenck, a neighbor of Reidy Watts. She said she saw many warning signs.
"I gave her a long talk about life and how domestics is real and if a man shows that much anger toward you that young in a relationship, it's only going to get worse," Schenck told KTVU outside the apartment building they lived in near 15th and Jackson in downtown Oakland.
What's next:
Frieson will be sentenced on Sept. 17 in Department 10 of the Alameda County Superior Court at the Rene C. Davidson Courthouse.
The Source: Alameda County DA, prior KTVU reporting