Jury breaks until April 17 in Tahoe City stabbing case

AUBURN - After a full day of deliberation Friday, jurors in the murder trial of Timothy Brooks called for a break until April 17. The 12 jurors - eight men and four women - will decide if Brooks is innocent or guilty of first- or second-degree murder or voluntary manslaughter for fatally stabbing Robert Ash last August in Tahoe City.

Lawyers on both sides closed their arguments Thursday, with the prosecution arguing Brooks should be convicted of first-degree murder while the defense tried to convince the jury that Brooks acted in self defense.

The defense said Ash passed Brooks and his wife, Susie, on Highway 89 before Squaw Valley and almost ran them off the road. Brooks said he went searching for Ash in Squaw Valley to find out his license plate number, but maintains that he continued on to Tahoe City to go shopping.

But Deputy District Attorney Christopher Cattran has questioned why the Brooks did not stop and call the police on the way to Squaw Valley or Tahoe City and why he would bring a knife to "slash a tire" on Ash's Aston Martin.

Brooks and Ash engaged in a fight outside of Syd's Bagelry that led to Brooks stabbing Ash in the abdomen. Ash died later that night at Washoe Medical Center in Reno.

Mimi Ash, wife of the victim, has said her husband was a "sweetheart" and was a very devoted husband and father.

Brooks is out on $250,000 bail and living with his parents in the Bay area.