The man arrested and charged with murder for the sledgehammer attack of a woman on the El Camino College campus stood before a judge for the fourth time on Wednesday, May 15, at the Torrance Courthouse for a preliminary hearing setting.
The preliminary hearing setting for Jeffery Davis, 40, who is charged with the murder of 65-year-old Junko Hanafusa, lasted about two minutes with Davis’ attorney doing most of the speaking on behalf of his client.
Judge Thomas Sokolov set the next preliminary hearing setting for July 25. When Sokolov asked if Davis understood waiving his right to a speedy trial, Davis only replied with a “yes” in a gruff voice.
Davis, clad in a blue prison jumpsuit and handcuffs, appeared to have a slim physique. He was seen smirking as he walked into the courtroom for his preliminary hearing setting.
Letitia Hines, a coworker and friend of Hanafusa, talked to The Union after the preliminary hearing setting.
“It’s an eerie feeling, it doesn’t feel well, it’s still very upsetting due to the situation,” Hines said about seeing Davis in court.
The original prosecutor for Davis’ case, Walter Quinteros, called out sick the day of the preliminary hearing setting so Deputy District Attorney Stephanie Miyata, representing “the people” during the hearing, took his place.
“It looks like nothing is happening,… but it’s happening behind the scenes,” Miyata said. She said murder cases like Davis’ generally take at least a year to be resolved.
Davis pleaded not guilty to the murder charges against him during his arraignment on Jan. 17. Davis was identified by security camera footage from the Gymnasium, close to where Hanafusa was attacked on Dec. 24, 2023, which officers used to arrest Davis at nearby Alondra Park.
Editor’s Note: A correction from “preliminary hearing” to “preliminary hearing setting” was made on Thursday, May 16 at 11:49 a.m.