The alleged robber of a Chula Vista bank has been ordered to stand trial for murder in which he allegedly strangled his cellmate.
A Jan. 19 trial was set Dec. 1 for Clinton Forbel Thinn, 30, who is accused of killing Lyle Woodward, who was attacked on Dec. 3, 2016, in jail and never regained consciousness. Woodward was declared brain dead after loss of oxygen during the attack, according to his mother’s Go FundMe page. He died a week later after being taken off life support systems.
Thinn, from New Zealand, will stand trial separately on Jan. 8 for the June 24, 2016 incident at 5 p.m. at the Bank of America branch E Street in Chula Vista. He is charged with five counts of attempted robbery, assault with a knife, making a criminal threat, two counts of false imprisonment, and burglary.
His murder preliminary hearing in San Diego Superior Court lasted three days and Judge Laura Halgren ordered him to stand trial on Nov. 16. Sheriff’s deputies testified about finding the victim and interviewing other inmates in the module where Thinn was housed in the central jail downtown.
Deputy District Attorney Karra Reedy said the victim died from ligature strangulation. “Whoever strangled the victim did it from behind (him),” said Reedy.
Thinn’s attorney argued unsuccessfully to dismiss the murder charge, saying the case was “manslaughter at best.”
Thinn did not get any money from the bank in which he fired an orange flare gun which struck a wall. The tellers locked themselves away from him as it was almost closing time.
Thinn has pleaded not guilty to all charges in both cases. The trials will be separate from each other because the bank incident is unrelated the murder six months later. Thinn has been moved to the George Bailey Detention Facility without bail.
