Mother testifies her son admitted to killing his roommate

October 5, 2016

The mother of 40 year-old Charles Giese of San Luis Obispo testified in a preliminary hearing Monday that her son admitted to killing his roommate. At the conclusion of the hearing, a judge ruled there is enough evidence for Giese to stand trial for murder. [KSBY]

Last November, Giese allegedly killed his roommate Walter Ernest Vallivero, 54, following an argument at their mobile home. Prosecutors have charged Giese with murder and an enhancement for using a baseball bat and a knife in the commission of the crime. Vallivero died of blunt force trauma, according to the county coroner.

Giese’s mother, Brenda Caves, testified that on Nov. 16, the morning after the murder, Giese called her and admitted to killing Vallivero. Caves said she was in a state of shock, and she asked her to son to come to her home and tell the entire story.

Caves said Giese told her Vallivero started drinking in the morning and was banging on walls and slamming doors. Giese and Vallivero got into a fight, which led to him hitting Vallivero with a baseball bat and then dragging his roommate’s body into the bathtub.

The defendant’s mother said Giese told her that he did not know if Vallivero was still alive, which prompted her to immediately call 911.

Sheriff’s deputies responded to the mobile home near the San Luis Obispo airport and found Vallivero’s body. Jeanine West, a sheriff’s forensic specialist who found the body, testified Monday.

West said, when she entered the mobile home, she found blood droplets in the kitchen near the trash can, blood drag marks on the floor and blood splatter on the television. She also found an aluminum baseball bat with blood splattered on it and a knife in the kitchen, West testified.

Upon finding Vallivero’s body in the bathtub, West saw the victim had suffered multiple injuries, West said.

Dr. Gary Walter, a pathologist who performed the autopsy, said Vallivero suffered five cuts to his head, including one large cut to the back of his head, where he was likely hit by the baseball bat. Walter also testified that Vallivero had three cuts on both arms, which appeared to have been caused by a knife.

A toxicology test revealed Vallivero had alcohol in his system. However, the alcohol did not factor in Vallivero’s cause of death, Walter said.

The manager of the mobile home park also testified in the preliminary hearing. Dennis Carrington said Giese and Vallivero had several conflicts and that he was assisted Vallivero with an eviction notice the victim was planning on serving to the defendant. Vallivero began preparations to evict Giese after Giese beat him so badly he ended up in the emergency room, Carrington said.