Bolton to go to trial next year for murder of Wendy Pullins

Justin Bolton, the man charged with first degree murder in the killing of Wendy Pullins, will go on trial Feb. 23, 2027.

The trial is expected to last three weeks.

During a court appearance June 29, Bolton’s defense attorney Ric Squaglia and Mariposa County Assistant District Attorney Gerard Egan discussed scheduling and possible motions in a sidebar with Mariposa County Superior Court Judge Michael Fagalde.

Bolton previously waived a preliminary hearing, a not uncommon occurrence when defense attorneys don’t want to reveal their strategy.

Bolton spoke only once during the hearing last week when Judge Fagalde mentioned an Oct. 9 settlement conference.

“What’s that for?” Bolton asked.

Fagalde clarified that it is a standard and required conference between attorneys to see if a plea deal could be reached, but nothing would be decided without consulting him.

Squaglia mentioned difficulty getting evidence consisting of “audio and video from Mendocino County.” The DA’s office said it was willing to provide the material.

Bolton, 44, was arrested in Mendocino County on Nov. 13, 2023, nearly a year and a half after Wendy Pullins went missing on June 15, 2022.

The Mendocino County SWAT team captured Bolton in the town of Willits.

Bolton, who was a wanted fugitive at that point, was the passenger in a car driven by a relative. Despite orders from the SWAT team, Bolton refused to get out of the vehicle until a K-9 was deployed.

The case against Bolton began to come together on Sept. 8, 2022, when investigators discovered Pullins’ Jeep Cherokee down a steep embankment in the Midpines area. Forensic analysis matched the blood found inside the jeep to Pullins.

Pullins remains were recovered at a second location in the Sierra National Forest on Nov. 29, 2023, two weeks after Bolton’s arrest.

What led the Mariposa County Sheriff’s Office deputies to her remains, and many other details of the case, have not been publicly revealed.

Law enforcement previously said Bolton allegedly killed Pullins in the Stumpfield Mountain area because he mistakenly believed she may have played some kind of role in his brother’s death.

Investigators believe that after dumping her body, Bolton ditched her red Jeep in the Midpines area.

The case had an additional layer of confusion for detectives because the Jeep was subsequently stolen by other individuals who were apparently unaware it belonged to a missing women. They then painted the Jeep green.

Squaglia, the defense attorney, has a packed fall calendar. He is also the defense attorney for Edward Wackerman, who is charged with 17 counts of arson in the 2022 Oak Fire. That case, which will be held in Fresno, is expected to go to trial in the late fall.