- October 10, 2024
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The defense attorney for a man accused of shooting his girlfriend in 2021 says the shooting was accidental.
Opening arguments in the trial of defendant Brenan Hill, 34, began on Sept. 12 after jury selection on Sept. 11. Hill is facing three felony charges — including second-degree murder — for the 2021 shooting of his girlfriend, Savannah Gonzalez, who died of her injuries in late 2022. Hill has pleaded not guilty.
When he was first questioned by deputies, Hill had said that a black man approached the couple's car and shot Gonzalez in the parking lot at Graham Swamp. But he changed his story several times and tried to hide the gun in the woods, according to the prosecution.
Hill’s defense attorney, Gerald Bettman, said during opening statements that the shooting was an accident and would warrant a manslaughter charge, not a second-degree murder charge.
“It was purely accidental,” Bettman said. “As horrible as it was.”
Assistant State Attorney Melissa Clark said in her opening statement that not only did Hill lie multiple times to Flagler County Sheriff’s Office detectives during the investigation, but he had a history of a volatile temper and domestic violence. When arrested in 2021, Hill had an active warrant for a domestic violence case in Pennsylvania.
“You’re going to hear how he lies,” Clark said. “He was lying to the police over and over again … and he did all of that to try to hide what he had done.”
The Medical Examiner’s Office listed Gonzalez's cause of death as complications from a gunshot wound to the head, according to a January press release from the FCSO.
After opening arguments, the court heard from the first FCSO deputy to interview Hill, Sgt. Daniel Parthemore; as well as Dr. Maryan Rahman, one of Gonzalez’ doctors; and FCSO Detective Sarah Scalia.
Clark said the jury would hear and see video evidence of Hill's lies and his temper toward Gonzalez.
“You'll be able to see the short fuse that he has,” Clark said. “You'll be able to see how he acts with her when he's angry at her, and how he yells at her.”
Bettman in turn said that was not the case. Hill and Gonzalez loved and depended on each other, Bettman said.
“There was not an intentional shooting,” he said. “They were living together. They loved each other; they provided for each other.”
