Florida brothers flew to California and were found shot to death; 3 Oroville men held

Three Oroville men under arrest are facing homicide charges following last week’s deaths of two Florida men, whose bodies were discovered in Butte County.

The Butte County Sheriff’s Office was contacted Wednesday by family members of Jerry Bonds, 39, and Randy Bonds, 33, after losing contact with the men.

The Florida brothers had flown to Los Angeles, before renting a car and driving to Butte County, officials said.

Authorities, including FBI agents from the Chico field office, determined that the men had last been in the area of Ponderosa Way in Forbestown, a few miles east of Oroville, according to a news release from the Sheriff’s Office.

Deputies found both men’s bodies with gunshot wounds in a wooded area where authorities had gone to search for them on Wednesday.

The Sheriff’s Office worked with the Reno Police Department to locate their rental car in Boomtown, Nevada. Detectives also executed a search warrant that day at a Reno residence, locating evidence related to the killed Florida men.

Based on their investigation, deputies identified three suspects — Michael Griff, 21; Austin Hogan, 21; and Kyle Smith, 24 — on suspicion of killing the travelers and were determined to be living in a residence on Coho Court in Oroville.

During a traffic stop Thursday, the Sheriff’s Offiice arrested Hogan and Smith. The Sheriff’s Office SWAT team then executed a search warrant at their residence, arresting Griff and collecting further evidence, the Sheriff’s Office said.

Griff, Hogan and Smith were booked in the Butte County Jail in Oroville and each charged with two counts of first-degree murder. The suspects will be formally arraigned Monday at the Butte County Superior Court.

Detectives are continuing to investigate the deaths, as the motive remains unknown. The Butte County Sheriff’s Office is asking anyone with information to contact the detectives by calling (530) 538-7671.

This story was originally published October 25, 2020 at 5:00 AM.