The prosecution in the murder trial of a wealthy San Francisco Bay Area real estate scion has hit a major snag: A key witness has been arrested on suspicion that he tried to contact a witness for the defense.
Prosecutors now may not allow Olivier Adella to testify at the trial of Tiffany Li and her boyfriend Kaveh Bayat, the Mercury News in San Jose reported Friday.
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The prosecution in the murder trial of a wealthy San Francisco Bay Area real estate scion has hit a major snag: A key witness has been arrested on suspicion that he tried to contact a witness for the defense.
Adella was arrested Thursday, the day the trial was scheduled to begin. Opening statements are now set for Tuesday.
Adella is a former co-defendant who was expected to testify that the pair asked him to dispose of Green's body.
But Adella's attorney, Dek Ketchum, said the messages were the result of "bad judgment" and they never had a conversation about the case.
Geoffrey Carr, left, and May Mar attorney's for Tiffany Li, talks with reporters outside the courthouse after opening statements were delayed in Li's trial, Thursday, Sept. 12, 2019, in Redwood City, Calif. Li, a Chinese real estate scion, posted a $35 million bail after being charged with orchestrating the 2016 murder of her children's father. (AP PhotoTony Avelar)
The couple is charged with murder in the 2016 killing of Keith Green, the father of Li's children.
Tiffany Li, right, and her attorney Geoff Carr, left, arrive at the courthouse Thursday, Sept. 12, 2019, in Redwood City, Calif. The trial of Li, a Chinese real estate scion who posted a $35 million bail after being charged with orchestrating the 2016 murder of her children's father, is set to start Thursday.(AP PhotoTony Avelar)
Adella was arrested Thursday, the day the trial was scheduled to begin. Opening statements are now set for Tuesday.
Li has been free on bail since 2017 after her family, which made millions from Chinese construction projects, posted an astonishing $35 million bail that has allowed her to stay in her Hillsborough mansion pending trial. Bayat was never able to post his bail and remains in custody.
Green's body was found along a dirt road in Sonoma County nearly two weeks after he had been last seen meeting with Li to discuss custody of their children. Prosecutors say she feared losing custody to him.
Tiffany Li, foreground, arrives at the courthouse Thursday, Sept. 12, 2019, in Redwood City, Calif. The trial of Li, a Chinese real estate scion who posted a $35 million bail after being charged with orchestrating the 2016 murder of her children's father, is set to start Thursday.(AP PhotoTony Avelar)
Adella is a former co-defendant who was expected to testify that the pair asked him to dispose of Green's body.
Defense attorneys say Adella is an unreliable witness who reached a plea deal for a reduced charge. They say he reached out to his former girlfriend after not talking to her for years, saying he knew she was working with the defense.
"We were having difficulty convincing her to come because she was already afraid of him," said Geoffrey Carr, Li's attorney.
FILE - This undated booking photo provided by the San Mateo County, Calif., Sheriff's Office shows Tiffany Li. The trial of Li, a Chinese real estate scion who posted a $35 million bail after being charged with orchestrating the 2016 murder of her children's father, is set to start Thursday, Sept. 12, 2019, in Northern California. Tiffany Li's wealthy family, who made millions operating Chinese construction projects, helped her post the unprecedented bail, allowing her to remain under house arrest at her mansion. (San Mateo County Sheriff's Office via AP, File)
But Adella's attorney, Dek Ketchum, said the messages were the result of "bad judgment" and they never had a conversation about the case.
Green and Li met around 2009 when he was 21 and she was 23. He was a high school football star from a blue-collar neighborhood while Li was rich and educated.
Information from: San Jose (Calif.) Mercury News, http://www.mercurynews.com
Geoffrey Carr, left, and May Mar, attorney's for Tiffany Li, walk out of the courthouse after opening statements were delayed in Li's trial, Thursday, Sept. 12, 2019, in Redwood City, Calif. Li, a Chinese real estate scion, posted a $35 million bail after being charged with orchestrating the 2016 murder of her children's father. (AP PhotoTony Avelar)
Geoffrey Carr, left, and May Mar attorney's for Tiffany Li, talks with reporters outside the courthouse after opening statements were delayed in Li's trial, Thursday, Sept. 12, 2019, in Redwood City, Calif. Li, a Chinese real estate scion, posted a $35 million bail after being charged with orchestrating the 2016 murder of her children's father. (AP PhotoTony Avelar)
