Palo Alto: Zumot convicted again of murder and arson in 2009 killing of ex-girlfriend

Bulos Paul Zumot has been convicted again of murder and arson charges in the notorious killing of his ex-girlfriend in Palo Alto capping a second trial brought on when a federal judge overturned his original conviction after he claimed earlier courts and his trial attorney failed to act on faulty evidence Bulos Paul Zumot sits in a Santa Clara County courtroom in a file photo On Oct Zumot was convicted for a second time of murder and arson in the killing of his ex-girlfriend Jennifer Schipsi at their Palo Alto home This time around Santa Clara County prosecutor Michael Gadeberg presented a more expansive murder incident to jurors that he disclosed left no doubt that hookah lounge owner Zumot spent the entirety of his relationship with Jennifer Schipsi threatening her with explosive text messages and heated phone calls That culminated Wednesday with a jury after two days of deliberation finding Zumot guilty of strangling -year-old Schipsi on Oct and then setting fire to her and the Addison Avenue cottage they shared At the end of the day the truth is that no one but Zumot threatened to kill her for two years and he did exactly what mentioned he was going to do Gadeberg declared in an interview Zumot declined to be transported to the Morgan Hill courtroom of Judge Javier Alcala and so was not present for reading of the verdict Wednesday which marked the th anniversary of Schipsi s death and was one day after Zumot s nd birthday Gadeberg reported the District Attorney s Office is seeking the same -year prison term Zumot was given years ago his new sentencing is currently scheduled for Nov Justice for Jennifer took far too long District Attorney Jeff Rosen mentioned in a comment Her family the Palo Alto police officers my prosecutors and this society never forgot her Zumot s lead attorney did not instantly return messages seeking comment Thursday Officials contend that Zumot strangled Schipsi after she reported him she was ending their relationship and planned to statement his abuse to police About two months before she died Schipsi reportedly made a recording for her friends in which she recounted how Zumot convinced her to stay in their relationship and promised to change his tactics including attending therapy But in that same recording she commented she anticipated that by staying with Zumot something bad would happen to her prosecutors explained Multiple investigations pieced together a sequence on the day of the killing in which Zumot killed her then drove to a court-ordered domestic violence class in San Jose Afterward he reputedly returned to their home where he poured gasoline on Schipsi s body turned on a gas line in the kitchen and started a fire that was extinguished by neighbors before the house could explode Zumot appealed his conviction multiple times including with the state s th District Court of Appeal He claimed that a two-minute discrepancy on when he was recorded by surveillance video at the Palo Alto lounge he owned and a purported threatening phone call to Schipsi from a blocked number officials incorrectly linked to Zumot should have been sniffed out by appellate judges evaluating an ineffective counsel claim involving his original trial lawyer celebrity attorney Mark Geragos Related Articles Former Bay Area elementary school facilitator charged with child molestations to get new trial date Trial set to begin for Bay Area man accused of Valentine s Day killing of his wife Man sentenced to years to life for stabbing girlfriend during breakup Defamation affair against Los Gatos councilmembers dismissed in court Pleasanton worker fired for alleged foul mouth loses whistleblower suit The collective failure to scrutinize this evidence Zumot argued deprived a jury of the opportunity to fairly assess his credibility and the prosecution s matter against him Federal District Judge William Orrick sided with Zumot and in he granted a writ of habeas corpus that compelled a new trial Gadeberg disclosed he understood that Orrick was concerned a jury might have reached a different consequence had that evidence been presented accurately But he insisted that neither the surveillance video nor the phone call errors provided Zumot with a credible defense against a police scrutiny that contended he mistreated Schipsi for years resulting in him having to attend a domestic violence intervention class the day of the killing in a pattern that culminated with her murder Everybody got that wrong during the original trial Gadeberg announced but even with that information there was no alibi He added that his trial arguments painted an overwhelming picture of Zumot s repeated threats of violence against Schipsi to ensure Zumot s guilt did not rest on any individual claim This was not an isolated happening This was a drop in the ocean This is a growing story Check back for updates