The man accused of beating former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s husband to death with a hammer was involved in conspiracies when he broke into her San Francisco home last year, his defense attorney said as his trial began Thursday began.
David DePape, a former nudist from British Columbia, entered the Pelosi House through a back door in the early hours of October 28, 2022 and attacked Paul Pelosi with a hammer. Nancy was not home at the time.
Paul Pelosi, then 82, had called the police and spoke carefully so as not to upset DePape, who was in the House. Police arrived in time and could see DePape driving a hammer into Pelosi’s head, fracturing his skull.
DePape pleaded not guilty to attempted kidnapping of a federal officer and assaulting the immediate family member of a federal officer with the intent to retaliate against the officer for the performance of his duties.
His lawyers argued Thursday that DePape — who struggled with drugs and posted crazy COVID conspiracy theories, anti-Semitic slurs, racial slurs and unhinged diatribes about religion online — did not try to stop Nancy Pelosi from doing her job.
David DePape, 43, went on trial Thursday accused of trying to kidnap Nancy Pelosi. He admitted breaking into the Pelosis’ San Francisco residence with the intent of forcing the senior Democrat to acknowledge her party’s “lies” under the threat of kneecap injury. She wasn’t home at the time
DePape is seen in court in San Francisco on Thursday
Former U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s husband Paul Pelosi, right, fights with his attacker David DePape for control of a gavel on October 28, 2022
Finding only her then 82-year-old husband at home, DePape engaged in what he told officers was a “pretty friendly” exchange during which Paul Pelosi (pictured) managed to call law enforcement for help
Defense attorney Jodi Linker said she would not deny that her client attacked Paul Pelosi, an encounter that was captured on police body camera video.
Instead, she will argue that he believed “with every ounce of his being” that he was taking action to stop government corruption and the abuse of children by politicians and actors.
“This is not a crime story,” she told the jury.
“But what the government doesn’t acknowledge is the ‘why,’ and the why is important in this case.”
The core of Linker’s argument is that DePape is not guilty of the charges because he did not go after Nancy Pelosi to prevent her from carrying out her official duties.
“These convictions are important because both counts require the government to prove that Mr. DePape acted in the performance of his official duties as a member of Congress,” Linker said.
She said DePape’s beliefs were “entirely independent of Nancy Pelosi’s official duties.”
Federal prosecutor Laura Vartain Horn told jurors that DePape began planning the attack in August and that the evidence and FBI statements show he researched his targets online, collected phone numbers and addresses and even paid for a public records service to find information about Nancy Pelosi and others Other.
During her opening statement, Vartain Horn showed a photo of Paul Pelosi lying in a pool of blood.
A screenshot of security footage shows DePape outside the Pelosi House at 5 a.m
Aerial footage showed broken windows and shattered glass at the back door of Pelosi’s home
The Pelosis own a four-bedroom home in San Francisco, right in the middle of their congressional district, that was purchased in 2007 for $2.2 million but is now estimated to be worth at least $6 million
San Francisco police body camera footage shows suspect DePape with Paul Pelosi at the Pelosi home in San Francisco
Paul Pelosi was struck multiple times with the gavel and remained unconscious as officers rushed in and arrested DePape
She also played a call from DePape to a television station in which he repeated conspiracy theories.
“The evidence in this case will show that when the defendant broke into the Pelosi House with that gavel, he intended to kidnap Nancy Pelosi,” Vartain Horn said, holding a gavel in a plastic bag of evidence.
Prosecutors showed body camera video in which DePape admits to committing the attack while speaking to police and paramedics outside the Pelosi home.
“There is no denying what I have done. “The police watched me do it,” he said.
Paul Pelosi is expected to testify next week.
DePape posted tirades about aliens, communists, religious minorities and global elites on a blog and an online forum.
He questioned the results of the 2020 election and reiterated the baseless, right-wing QAnon conspiracy theory, which claims the U.S. government is run by a cabal of devil-worshipping pedophiles. The websites were deleted shortly after his arrest.
If convicted, he could face life in prison.
He also pleaded not guilty in state court to attempted murder, assault with a deadly weapon, elder abuse, residential burglary and other crimes.
A state trial is not planned.
In the courtroom Thursday were Christine Pelosi, one of the Pelosis’ daughters, as well as Gypsy Taub, DePape’s ex-girlfriend, and Taub and DePape’s two sons.
Nebosvod “Sky” Gonzalez, David DePape’s son, speaks to reporters outside the Phillip Burton Federal Building on Thursday
Gypsy Taub, David DePape’s ex-girlfriend, is seen outside court on Thursday
Taub gently called DePape’s name and blew him a kiss, and he smiled and waved back.
DePape, a Canadian citizen, moved to the United States more than 20 years ago after falling in love with Taub, a well-known Bay Area nudity activist from Berkeley, said his stepfather Gene DePape.
In recent years, David DePape has been homeless and struggling with substance abuse and mental illness, Taub told local media.
After his arrest, DePape, 43, reportedly told a San Francisco detective that he wanted to take Nancy Pelosi hostage.
He said if she told him the truth, he would let her go and if she lied, he would “break her kneecaps” to show other members of Congress that there were “consequences for actions,” according to them Public prosecutor.
DePape, who lived in a garage in the Bay Area city of Richmond and did occasional carpentry work to support himself, allegedly told authorities he had other targets, including a women’s and queer studies professor, the California governor Gavin Newsom, and actor Tom Hanks and President Joe Biden’s son Hunter.
The professor, who is also expected to testify next week, was DePape’s main target and DePape went to the Pelosi home to be “lured out” by Nancy Pelosi, Linker said.
Acting Lt. O’Connor of the San Francisco Police Department, who helped clear the crime scene, testified that she took a sleeping bag and two backpacks from the Pelosis’ patio that DePape allegedly brought with him.
Items in the backpacks included a sledgehammer, zip ties, gloves, duct tape, cash, a Canadian passport, a Canadian birth certificate, men’s clothing, a video game console and two inflatable, multi-colored unicorn costumes.
“I’m a friend of theirs” – Paul Pelosi’s harrowing 911 call is released
The 911 call shows Paul Pelosi trying to alert the dispatcher to who he is and the danger he is in, saying, “There is a gentleman here just waiting for my wife to come back, Nancy Pelosi. “
David DePape’s voice can be heard several times during the harrowing call, as he once identifies himself as a friend of Pelosi.
The emergency call in full length:
Dispatcher: San Francisco Police 74.
Paul: Uh, I guess I called by mistake. Who is this?
Dispatcher: This is the San Francisco Police Department. Do you need help?
Paul: Well, here’s a gentleman just waiting for my wife to come back, Nancy Pelosi. He’s just waiting for her to come back, but she won’t be here for a day so I guess he’ll just have to wait.
Dispatcher: Okay, do you need police, fire or medical assistance for anything?
Paul: I don’t think so. I don’t think so… Are the Capitol Police around, you know? Normally they are here in the house protecting my wife.
Dispatcher: No, this is the San Francisco Police Department.
Paul: I know. I understand. Okay, what do you think?
David DePape: I think everything is good.
Paul: He thinks everything is fine, but I have a problem. He thinks everything is fine.
Dispatcher: Okay. Call us back if you change your mind.
Paul: No, no. This gentleman just came into the house and wants to wait here until my wife gets home… (inaudible)
Dispatcher: Do you know who this person is?
Paul: No, I don’t know who he is. He tells me not to do anything.
Dispatcher: What is your address, sir?
Paul: 2640 Broadway.
Dispatcher: What is your name?
Paul: My name is Paul Pelosi. Anyway, this gentleman is telling me… He’s telling me to put the phone down and I should do what he says. OK?
Dispatcher: What’s the gentleman’s name?
DePape: My name is David.
Paul: The name is David.
Dispatcher: Okay, so who is David?
Paul: I don’t know.
DePape: I’m a friend of theirs.
Paul: Yes, he says he’s a friend.
Dispatcher: But you don’t know who he is?
Paul: No, ma’am.
Dispatcher: Okay.
Paul: He tells me that I’m a big leader, so I have to stop talking to you, okay?
Dispatcher: Are you sure? I can stay on the phone with you just to make sure everything is okay?
Paul: No, he wants me to finally stop calling. OK?
Dispatcher: Okay.
Paul: Thank you.