The weeklong trial in Neoklis Koumides’ November 2022 murder came to an end Friday afternoon when a Santa Cruz Superior Court jury found John Frederick Burke guilty of first-degree murder with an enhancement of the use of a deadly weapon. Burke’s sentencing date will be determined after a final hearing next Thursday.
Neoklis Koumides murder
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Koumides was ‘fighting for his life,’ witness testifies in downtown garage murder trial
The prosecution brought more witnesses to court Tuesday in John Frederick Burke’s murder trial for the November 2022 stabbing of Neoklis Koumides in a downtown Santa Cruz parking garage. Those testifying ranged from law enforcement personnel to eyewitnesses at the scene at the time of the stabbing.
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Trial begins in 2022 killing of Neoklis Koumides in downtown Santa Cruz parking garage
The trial for the murder of Neoklis Koumides — known by the nickname Nick the Greek — began Monday morning with the prosecution calling witnesses from law enforcement and unhoused individuals who were at the scene of the incident in the early morning hours of November 21, 2022.
Posted inPolitics & Policy
‘A bright soul’: Neoklis Koumides remembered by those who knew him
About 40 friends and homeless advocates gathered at the clock tower in downtown Santa Cruz to memorialize former Benchlands resident Neoklis Koumides, who was stabbed to death early Monday morning.
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Police arrest suspect in downtown Santa Cruz stabbing
Police arrested 64-year-old John Frederick Burke on Wednesday as a suspect in the murder of 36-year-old Neoklis Koumides, less than 48 hours after the incident.
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‘He was really gentle and loving’: Former Benchlands resident stabbed to death in downtown Santa Cruz
A man was stabbed and killed in downtown Santa Cruz in the early hours of Monday morning. Food Not Bombs co-founder Keith McHenry knew the man as Neoklis Koumides, or “Nick the Greek.” Police were searching for the suspect.