After days of deliberations, a San Joaquin County jury unanimously found the Stockton man accused of fatally shooting six unhoused men and attempting to kill another is mentally competent to stand trial.
Wesley Brownlee, 47, was arrested four years ago for a series of homicides that spanned more than a year in what Stockton Police called the work of a serial killer. Five of the men lived in Stockton, while the sixth resided in Oakland. One woman, Natasha LaTour was identified by police as Brownlee’s only surviving victim after she was shot several times in April 2021.
Brownlee’s defense attorneys, Allison Nobert and John Philipsborn, questioned his mental state, filing a declaration of doubt about his ability to face trial in November 2025. In March, Nobert Norbert told the court Brownlee had stopped communicating with her, limiting her ability to represent him.
But prosecutors say Brownlee faked symptoms of a mental disorder, instead choosing not to cooperate with his attorneys.
Brownlee, wearing an orange jail jumpsuit, showed no reaction Wednesday as Judge Xapuri Villapudua asked each juror, one by one, whether the verdict was theirs. With his hands tucked inside his shirt, he bowed his head.
After the verdict, District Attorney Elton Grau shook hands with each juror as they stood and left the courtroom. Norbert stayed with Brownlee. She declined to comment as she exited when asked by Stocktonia.
Just an hour after, District Attorney Ron Freitas said his office is “ready” to move forward with the case against Brownlee.
“This verdict confirms what the evidence has shown all along: Wesley Brownlee is competent to stand trial,” said Freitas in a statement. “After years of delay, the victims’ families and this community deserve their day in court … These were horrific crimes that terrorized our community, and we will not rest until justice is served.”
Brownlee will next appear in court Monday afternoon.