Trial date set for man accused of killing Atascadero resident Todd Pinion
Tyler Stevens, 21, of Paso Robles.
Trial expected to last about four weeks
– A jury trial is set to begin April 12 for Tyler Grant Stevens, the Paso Robles man accused of killing Atascadero resident Todd Joseph Pinion, according to reports.
San Luis Obispo County Superior Court Judge Crystal Seiler set the trial date Monday. A pretrial conference is scheduled for Dec. 7, and a readiness conference is set for April 9. The trial is expected to run half days in the afternoons and last about four weeks, not including jury selection, The Tribune reported.
Stevens, 23, is charged with murder and animal cruelty in Pinion’s death. The San Luis Obispo County District Attorney’s Office has alleged that the killing was committed with a knife and was a hate crime motivated by Pinion’s actual or perceived sexual orientation. Stevens has pleaded not guilty.
Pinion, 34, was reported missing in late October 2024. Atascadero Police detectives later found his body in a remote area near Tassajara Creek and arrested Stevens. Pinion’s dog, Spock, was found dead at the base of the Cuesta Grade.
If convicted of first-degree murder with the hate crime special allegation, Stevens faces life in prison without the possibility of parole.
