O’Connell convicted Bierma in a bench trial that began Aug. 15 to two counts of murder, two counts of felonious assault and one count each of aggravated burglary, aggravated robbery and tampering with evidence.
Combs’ niece found her uncle dead on June 21 in the kitchen of his home in the 300 block of Wendell Lane after she became concerned about not being able to contact him.
“I just went to go check on my uncle and he’s dead,” she told a dispatcher. “He’s beyond help. There’s blood everyone.”
“Upon arrival, (Riverside police) located the victim, who appeared to have been stabbed with a pair of scissors,” the prosecutor’s office said.
The niece also reported her uncle’s cellphone missing. Police were able to “ping” the phone’s location to another part of Riverside, where they found it in Bierma’s possession.
“Further investigation determined the defendant had attacked and killed the victim,” prosecutors said.
A Riverside police report indicated the stabbing happened around 7 p.m. June 17.
Riverside police Maj. Matthew Sturgeon said previously that it didn’t appear Combs and Bierma had “any consistent connection.” Combs reportedly picked up Bierma on Xenia Avenue about five days before his death.
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