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EXCLUSIVE: Woman details fatal Paso Robles shooting

March 17, 2015
Marshall Savoy and Ashley Moss

Marshall Savoy and Ashley Moss

By KAREN VELIE

A woman who lived at the Paso Robles home where a man was shot and killed Saturday morning said the alleged murderer smirked as he loaded a clip into his gun and called for his victim to turn around.

Ashley Moss, 25, had moved into a spare room at the home of Tom and Joyce Yanaga in early March. On Thursday night, Moss, several friends and Tom Yanaga were talking about a fictional killer who hunted people when Yanaga began making comments about killing that concerned Moss.

“Tom said, ‘I wanna really kill someone,’ ” Moss said.

On Friday night, Marshall Savoy, a 32-year-old Atascadero man Moss had known since she was 7, arrived at the Gahan Place home of Tom Yanaga, his wife and his 17-year-old son. Savoy had stopped using drugs some time before and was asking Moss to let him drive her to a sober living facility, Moss said.

Moss and Savoy left the Yanagas, who Moss said were frequent meth users, in the house and went to a trailer on the property to talk. After sounds of a violent fight began coming from the residence, Savoy ran to the house and Moss followed him.

Thomas Nolan Yanaga

Thomas Nolan Yanaga

Savoy went into the house through an open front door and began arguing with Yanaga while Moss waited in the yard, Moss said.

“Marshall was screaming, ‘you don’t treat women like that, don’t touch women like that,’ ” Moss said.

Moss said she watched Yanaga, through a kitchen window, put a clip in his gun and walk towards Marshall.

“He said, ‘Hey Marshall,’ and began shooting,” Moss said.

Moss saw multiple flashes and heard the shots, though she said she could not see Marshall from where she stood. Marshall then stumbled out the garage door and fell on the ground in front of her, Moss said. He had been shot multiple times in the chest and abdomen.

“Tom told Joyce to call 911 and to say that Marshall was an intruder,” Moss said.

Yanaga then headed towards the trailer Moss had been in earlier with Marshall, Moss said. Afraid for her life, Moss hid near a back door.

“The police arrived and said, ‘Get on the ground, freeze, and threw Tom to the ground,’ ” Moss said.

Moss, too frightened to move, remained hidden. At the time, officers did not know she allegedly witnessed the murder.

“I made a promise to Marshall to get clean, and I will,” Moss said. “Marshall may be dead, but he is not gone, he is still here. He will never die.”

San Luis Obispo County Sheriff detectives arrested Yanaga, 52, on murder charges and booked him into the San Luis Obispo County Jail where he is being held without bail.

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Hearsay.


Most likely may be not allowed in the Court.


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Witness. Very possible will be allowed.


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Witness. Will be allowed.


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jrey,


Having read some of your posts, it seems you know something about this story. My question to you is what do you know? Here’s what I take away from the article:


1. Moss moved into a spare room at the house.


2. Moss, Tom, and friends talk about a fictional killer.


3. Savoy had stopped using drugs sometime before.


4. Savoy asks Moss if he could drive her to a sober living facility.


5. Moss says the Yanuga’s were frequent meth users.


You get where I’m going. Are you Moss? Are you a frequent meth user?


Why were you living at the home? Why did you need to be taken to a sober living facility by Savoy?


Are you culpable in this matter? Are you a methhead yourself?


Hearsay.


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To Hell:


I’m not Moss LOLOL I am not culpable. Never used meth don’t even know what it looks like. All I know is that I can speak to Marshall’s character, having seen him grow up and witnessed many of the mistakes me made. He was truly a good guy, regardless of his troubled past. He has many friends who would agree. There are haters out there I’m sure, but as quoted by Robert Muller;


” To forgive is the highest, most beautiful form of love. In return, you will receive untold peace and happiness”.


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“Hearsay is the legal term for testimony in a court proceeding where the witness does not have direct knowledge of the fact asserted, but knows it only from being told by someone.”


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Hearsay is when you heard the story from someone else. This woman was a direct witness of these events. Her testimony is absolutely allowable. A defense attorney can challenge her credibility.


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See, that’s the problem with some of you people. You think that you somehow own the entire county and if anybody disagrees with what you think, then they will pay for it. NEWS FLASH: The bigger world does not work that way. Try doing that in New York. Maybe in a small Podunk arena like the Central Coast you can pretend to be a big fish, but if you walk into another mans house and start screaming at him, you bet there will be consequences. No matter what was happening, you don’t have the right to administer your version of vigilante justice in someone else’s home. This was Marshalls ignorant attitude and it got him killed. He was inside the house without invitation. Rushing through an open door sounds suspicious. Who knows if the door was open. No matter if he was “good” or “bad”, you don’t take the law into your own hands if you are not a trained officer (which Marshall was far from that). Especially if a guy you are yelling at is a known drug user, you don’t know what he could do, which is exactly what happened. Marshall should’ve been the real bigger man and thought of his daughters before getting into a risky situation. He had no right to think he was some kind of protector of all women. If he heard and saw something violent going down, he should have gotten to a safe distance and called the Police. Not do what he did and try to be some self appointed badass. A real man with two young daughters should be thinking at least a little before jumping into situations like that. All that said, Yanaga sounds like a real degenerate too. Charged with Murder sounds like they will be trying to prove pre-meditation, which looks to be a hard sell in this case. At any rate, Yanaga shouldn’t have gone vigilante either. But what can you expect when two unpredictable jokers come together?


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Marshalls “ignorant attitude”? Victim blame much? I bet your posts on rape victims that dressed provocatively or drank too much are just as good as UR post here on a murder VICTIM. Blame blame blame… Sad.


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Spoken like a true closed mind that can’t see the bigger picture. Of course rape is a different situation that is not being discussed here. Maybe you should try making a better argument that is relevant. I’m not blaming anyone. Pointing out a truism of human nature. Any idiot can see that.


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Better arguement? I wasn’t trying to argue. And in your post you said “this was Marshalls ignorant attitude and it got him killed”. And in the next post say “you’re not blaming anyone”. I take it reading comprehension is not your strong suit.


Maybe get off your soapbox and quit hiding behind your computer spewing your rhetoric. You are one second chastising ppl for thinking a certain way it will get em killed, but then go on to say “you people” need to see the big picture and think like “me”! Lol. Hypocrite much? Any how troll I’ve fed you which is what I’m sure you wanted by posting in the first place. Your posts reek of insecurity and it’s almost like your projecting your own inadequencies or own situation where someone like Marshall put you in your place and come here to vent. Have a wonderful day peach


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Sounds like you have a problem with people who have a different opinion than you do. Should the world just do as you dictate from now on? Maybe you know more than everyone else in your infinite wisdom. Oh, and by the way, it seems like you may be the one with a reading comprehension problem. I never said anyone should think my way.


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wow your some kind of stupid right? first off i moved to new jersey/new york for 13 years after high school from this podunk town your referring too and same things happen here as anywhere he was a guest in the home the home owner was commiting a crime known as domestic violence and if you witness a crime in the good ole state of california you can be sued or charged for negligence the assailant in this crime needed to be stopped just because you think this little town that has good people in it such as Marshall should act such as big city assholes and let people hurt other people as you walk by then im glad im not where your from and besides the whole reason he went there in the first place was to help someone in need with a desire to quit drugs so shut your fat mouth and go throw your big city bullshit talk elsewhere Marshall happens to be my friend and he did the right thing and paid for it with his life so show some respect asshole if no one else will say this i just did….


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New Jersey is not New York. Also, ever heard of a period? Kinda hard to take you seriously when you don’t even know basic punctuation.


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It’s funny how everyone just starts calling me names after I simply stated a different point of view about the actual case. I never said he deserved to die or that people should see it my way. But I guess the saying is true “Never argue with an idiot. They will drag you down to their level and beat you with experience”. Nonetheless, I stand by what I said. People have different minds and opinions and can voice them if they want to. This article seems highly biased also. I am very curious to see what comes of this in court. Would love to see this trial.


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Also I never said to do “nothing” and be charged with negligence. Get a clue dude.


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Marshall came to the aid of a woman in distress. He stood up for what is right. The same thing we teach kids about bullying. The same thing anyone with any inkling of courage would do.


You obviously don’t have the sack for it. You see a friend getting smacked around and your first thought is to run and hide. That’s fine, you’re not cut out for sticking up for the underdog. Go back to hiding under your bed and armchair quarterbacking.


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Sounds like you are in the group I mentioned earlier about thinking they own the world around them. Go ahead, do what you think is “right”. Get killed yourself.


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If standing up for the weak is the path to owning the world, I’ll travel that route every time.


“Cowards die many times before their deaths. The valiant never taste of death but once.” -Shakespeare


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The only joker in this situation is you. Obviously you don’t have what it takes, COURAGE to come to the aid of someone in distress. Marshall DID. The only ignorant attitude I see on this post is yours. Not trying to name call; it is what it is, you are what you are,


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Marshall was on his way out the door, only THEN does Yanaga fire his gun. Was Marshall even facing the guy? This last update it states Yanaga called out to Marshall then fired his gun. How THE HELL does that make it right for Yanaga to kill? Marshall was out the door, hello.


Marshall wasn’t trying to be badass. He was Badass AND a real man. What man abuses women, no less his own wife?


Shoulda woulda coulda. Is that the first thing you think when confronted with a potentially dangerous situation, run? It takes special people, people with COURAGE to attempt to diffuse a situation, not run away from it.


If you don’t get it guess there’s no point in arguing.


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Yeah, someone with two little girls being the big man by jumping into a dangerous situation. Sounds right. All I know is:


1. Two little girls don’t have a Dad

2. There is a dead man

3. There is a man going to prison

4. There is a heartbroken group of people on both sides


Sounds like everyone did the right thing here. Good job.


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Honk honk rattle rattle rattle crash tweek tweek?


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My above response what a reaction to reading “knowledge205”, assuming too he/she was actually defending the jerk tweeker perp for “protecting” his right to abuse his wife without intervention. just sounded like another Tweeker ideal. Sounds like he IS from the east coast. Having family there and visited, I acknowledge they are very different from Californians. I reacted emotionally to his/her post.


Anyway, this is a devastating scenario with Meth at the center. I can only imagine how traumatizing it was for Joyce and Ashley, Ashley literally hiding for her life! I pray for both of them!

My heart goes out to those who knew this young man. And prayers for his kids and loved ones.


I did not know Marshall , but I respect him! He overcame his own issues and turned to help others do the same? To me that is a REAL honorable person. God Bless his girls and tell them their Daddy was a Hero, died protecting others.


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Tommy treats his Mother the same way he treats his wife, his mom once owned the house next door to his and she fell to hard times and Tommy paid off the loan and kicked his mother out. he’s a real Man… I am done with the RANTS ….I was not surprised when I heard Tommy’s name connected to a murder… He’s not Man enough to stand up and fist fight….he’s a RAGING fruitcake who thought he couldn’t be touched.


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Tommy don’t waste your money on Funke-blu…..his last several cases has sent his client’s to PRISON…


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This is almost right. The last murder case in which he represented Phillip Thomas Hanes

of Templeton for stabbing and killing his girlfriend he did in fact lose and Mr. Hanes was found

guilty of 2nd degree murder. However, Mr. Hanes is NOT in prison. He continues to be in SLO

County jail. He has hired new attorneys from Santa Barbara and they are requesting

a new trial on the basis that Funke-Bilu screwed up his first trial. It’s amazing what money

can do from keeping you out of prison. In any case I agree with you. Funke Bilu would be

a waste of money.


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Wrong. Ilan is STILL the man! Why do Stanford and UCLA have much higher rates of complications from heart surgery than French? They handle the toughest of cases. So does Ilan.


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No, Mr. Funke-Bilu does not take the toughest cases. He takes the cases in which

the client can afford to pay him his very high fees. I do not fault him in this. He is a

criminal defense

attorney out to make the big bucks. If he were taking the TOUGHEST cases,

he would be defending pro bono clients who he actually thought were innocent.

Unfortunately those who cannot afford to pay the likes of Funke-Bilu get a

public defender who will talk them into a plea deal even if they are innocent. Such

is our justice system.


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Where did I say he was cheap? Not everybody can afford to go to Stanford or UCLA either.


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Oh please do waste your money on this guy if it means you go away to prison LOL


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The fact we talk about Ilan like this shows he’s the best there is here. I more hope this guy cant afford Ilan


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Marshall Savoy was a GOOD MAN. And he did what he always did; stand up for what he believed. In this case he believed a woman was being abused so he took the perp to task. Don’t hold it against Marshall for stepping up to the plate audidriver; Marshall didn’t think twice if the woman’s life was worth saving because she did drugs. He was a caring person through and through.


Anyone who knows Marshall would agree his life was cut way too short by this ASSh**e.


IF anyone who wants to help his family, please go to the website:


http://www.gofundme.com/otyhfw


God Bless


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I’ll bet Yanaga’s soon to be defense attorney is happy Moss is giving her version of events to a reporter. It will certainly provide information that will be used by a lawyer in testing her credibility on cross-examination. Sometimes people need to learn when not to talk.


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A “clip” is something a 10 year old girl puts in her hair. A “magazine” is what is loaded into a firearm


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Thank you. Clips also are used to collate sheets of paper.


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I also have a clip. I have a chip clip. It keeps a bag of chips crisp, and refreshing.


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st33L should look before shooting. A “clip” is used correctly. WIKIPEDIA: A ‘clip’ is a device that is used to store multiple rounds of ammunition together as a unit, ready for insertion into the magazine or cylinder of a firearm. This speeds up the process of loading and reloading the firearm as several rounds can be loaded at once, rather than one round being loaded at a time.


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You should look before shooting back. A clip does not contain a feeding device. That would be a magazine. (Though useful, Wikipedia is not a credible source.)


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Wrong on both counts, st33L. Wikipedia defines for you: A ‘clip’ is a device that is used to store multiple rounds of ammunition together as a unit, ready for insertion into the magazine or cylinder of a firearm. This speeds up the process of loading and reloading the firearm as several rounds can be loaded at once, rather than one round being loaded at a time.


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Haha Wikipedia? Really?


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So how were they loading a”clip” then was it a wwII era rifle? Or were they using a clip to load a magazine?


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So someone who was recounting a life changing event, used the wrong word.


Good job, finding something wrong on the internet, better instagram that win for posterity.


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kettle, meet pot?


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WRONG. (Incomplete facts are wrong facts.)


A semi-automatic handgun does not accept a ‘clip’, they use a ‘magazine’.


Indeed, a ‘clip’ — properly known as a ‘cartridge clip’ — holds multiple cartridges together as a unit. There are various types of cartridge clips, and most often ARE NOT USED TO RELOAD A FIREARM DIRECTLY.


‘Stripper clips’ hold cartridges together for reloading a MAGAZINE.


‘Moon clips’ and ‘half moon clips’ hold cartridges for insertion into the CYLINDER of a revolver.


Some rifles, such as the M1 Garand may be top-loaded from an ‘en bloc clip’ or a ‘stripper clip’. HOWEVER, while the cartridges are inserted THROUGH the rifle, they are still inserted into the MAGAZINE which is attached to the rifle.


A ‘MAGAZINE’ is a device that holds cartridges together—similar to a clip. However, a magazine includes a spring-loaded (or otherwise powered) feeding device which presents cartridges to be stripped and chambered by the action of a firearm.


CLIPS and MAGAZINES are distinctly different.


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Local politician debating semantics used by the grieving girlfriend of a murder victim, while offering absolutely no condolences. Great contribution to the situation. GTFOOH


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This isn’t a memorial page. This is a news page. The terminology used was not offered as a quote, therefore I have no idea what term was actually used or not used by the parties involved.


You can find other threads under this same story in which to engage condolences or other comments. This conversation thread is about ‘clips’ vs magazines.


Have a most pleasant day, Lou.


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Kevin Rice says:”The terminology used was not offered as a quote,”


FTA “Moss said she watched Yanaga, through a kitchen window, put a clip in his gun and walk towards Marshall.


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Prior sentence:

“Marshall was screaming, ‘you don’t treat women like that, don’t touch women like that,’ ” Moss said.


Sentence in question:

Moss said she watched Yanaga, through a kitchen window, put a clip in his gun and walk towards Marshall.


See any differences? (Hint: QUOTES)


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Best believe everything on the “Internets”…


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When you cut yourself do you use a band aid? Or do you use an adhesive bandage.

When you sneeze do you use a kleenex? Or do you use a facial tissue.

When you go up to the second floor did you use the escalator or the motorized stairs?

Magazine and clip when used in firearms terms are pretty much genericised.


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Wow really, genericised?


A clip holds rounds, (in my personal experience, 10 round m855) so that the ammunition can be loaded into a magazine faster. The magazine is then inserted into the weapon etc. So in this instance, if the shooter loaded a handgun with a clip, that would be inaccurate. If they loaded their M1 garand, that would be accurate


Apples are not oranges, right?


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When you cite Band-Aid(R) and Kleenex(R) and use the legal term “generic”, you are talking about trademarks. That has no bearing here.


While I agree the terms ‘magazine’ and ‘clip’ are often WRONGLY used interchangeably, that does not diminish nor alter the FACT they are distinctly different things.


‘Clips’ hold cartridges for reloading magazines. ‘Magazines’ have a spring-loaded feeding device and feed cartridges to the firearm.


We could hold a similar debate that ‘cartridges’ and ‘bullets’ are not the same. Because they aren’t.


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“Ran In The House, And Grabbed Ma Clip

Wit The Mack 10 On The Side Of Ma Hip”


Nah, “magazine” just doesn’t work.


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True. Nor, would I expect a low-life gang-banger to know the difference, or be able to spell “MAC-10”, “my”, “with”, or otherwise contribute anything worthwhile to society.


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You just hate us ‘cuz you ain’t us…


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“skeleton’s in there closet”, white-trash grammar is always perfect! N***ga puh-leese!


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A bigger man?? who is now a dead man because he protected a woman who was

probably at least half responsible for all the violence in her life.. and letting a man take

over and rule you is an excuse.. women aren’t children right??


I’ve done the same thing.. stopped fights between men and women only to see the female go back to the guy.. never again will I do that..


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Audidriver that’s the difference . People like Marshall have integrity and live by a set of principles. When you compromise your integrity (like you said never again will you step in) that says a lot. What Marshall did was exactly what anyone that knows him would have expected and nothing less. It’s what drew people to him and one of the best qualities you can ask for in a person. Integrity


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“at least half responsible for the violence against her”!!!? You should contact your local women’s shelter & learn the realities of why women stay with these kind of men. It is not that simple as walking away!!


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I Just read that the DA has filed MURDER charges, now Tommy’s wife can either tell the truth and save all the money that she would spend on an Attorney and live happily ever after or continue to lie and be broke as a joke in 6 months. I have faith THAT JUSTICE will be served this time..

What this young lady is saying sounds 100% of Tommy Yanaga, he is a real piece of work, he and his wife have the drug issues and a lot of skeleton’s in there closet, Tommy wasonce a semi wealthy business man until the strange dark lifestyle caught up with him, Joyce comes from a poor family and fears being poor again, so she has allowed Tommy to control and abuse her This was not a home invasion, this is a matter of a BIGGER man stepping up to protect a women and gave his life for her safety.


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