Man convicted for 2012 ‘revenge’ murder at Arden Motel 6, years after trial dismissal
An alleged pimp was found guilty by jury this week for a 2012 murder described by prosecutors as a “revenge” slaying, more than six years after the defendant had an earlier conviction for the crime dismissed by a judge due to a jury issue.
Michael Dushawn Nunally, now 35, was convicted Thursday in Sacramento Superior Court for the first-degree murder of 29-year-old Kaster Tezino, who was shot dead Sept. 25, 2012, behind a Motel 6 in the 2000 block of Arden Way. The motel has since closed.
In February 2014, Judge Sharon Lueras overturned a murder conviction against Nunally on the basis of jury misconduct, after a defense attorney filed a motion claiming jury members improperly considered data from a cellphone that had been entered into evidence as belonging to Tezino, which turned out to be the product of inaccurate cataloging, as The Sacramento Bee reported at the time. Lueras granted Nunally a new trial.
Prosecutors said Nunally was a pimp who killed Tezino in an ambush-style murder as revenge for an incident involving one of his prostitutes. According to a Friday news release from the Sacramento County District Attorney’s Office, “Nunally was seeking revenge for an assault he believed the victim committed.” The Bee reported in 2014, based on the dismissed trial, that the murder was retaliation for Tezino allegedly pulling a gun on one of Nunally’s prostitutes.
The recent DA news release says Nunally “lured” Tezino to the Motel 6.
“Nunally engaged the victim in small talk and when the victim turned to walk away, Nunally shot the victim in the back, killing him,” the news release said.
Nunally faces a maximum of 50 years to life in prison at his sentencing, scheduled for April 10.
The case was prosecuted by Deputy District Attorney Satnam Rattu, of the agency’s homicide unit.
