Hearing on Alleged Hit List Postponed

A hearing to determine how a defendant in a murder case obtained confidential information about witnesses was postponed Tuesday to give attorneys additional time to prepare.

The matter is now set for Monday, which also coincides with a previously set court hearing in the case, attorneys said.

Last Friday, Municipal Judge Roland Purnell issued a temporary order prohibiting inmate Spencer Rawlin Brasure from writing letters or making phone calls from the Ventura County Jail.

According to prosecutors, Brasure was caught sending letters to friends asking them to kill witnesses expected to testify against him at an upcoming preliminary hearing.

At the urging of prosecutors, Purnell temporarily stripped Brasure of his telephone and mail privileges, although he is allowed to talk with his attorneys.

A permanent order is expected to be discussed at next week’s hearing, and the question of how Brasure got information, such as addresses and telephone numbers of witnesses, will also be addressed.

Prosecutors have suggested in court papers that Brasure’s defense team provided him with the information, an allegation his attorneys deny.

Brasure, a 27-year-old Hawthorne resident, is facing charges of murder, torture, kidnapping and conspiracy for allegedly slaying a Redondo Beach man last year in northern Ventura County.

Brasure is one of three defendants charged in the potentially capital murder case, and their preliminary hearing is set for June 16.