New delay in trial for Forestville triple homicide suspects

A judge Tuesday agreed to postpone the trial of three men accused in a triple homicide near Forestville after the alleged shooter switched lawyers.

It was the second major delay this year for the trial, which had been scheduled to begin Sept. 19. The first came in May after prosecutors announced they would seek the death penalty against one of the men, Mark Cappello, 47, of Central City, Colo.

The other two suspects, Odin Dwyer, 39, also of Colorado, and his father, Francis Dwyer, 66, of New Mexico, face life in prison in the Feb. 5, 2013, slayings.

Prosecutors said Cappello wielded the gun that killed Todd Klarkowski, 43, of Boulder, Colo.; Richard Lewin, 46, of Huntington, N.Y.; and Raleigh Butler, 24, formerly of Sebastopol, during a botched marijuana deal.

Earlier this month, Cappello’s lawyer, Michael Meehan of San Francisco, announced he was unqualified to handle a death penalty case. Judge Robert LaForge appointed longtime Santa Rosa attorney Joe Stogner to replace him.

LaForge ordered all sides to return Oct. 1 to set a new trial date.

Stogner on Tuesday said he would need up to five months to prepare for trial. Among the tasks to be completed are interviews of character witnesses in several states and Brazil, where Stogner said Cappello performed missionary work. He said he would present his findings to prosecutors in a bid to get them to take the death penalty off the table.

Cappello is accused of shooting the three men execution-style at a house on Ross Station Road.

You can reach Staff Writer Paul Payne at 568-5312 or paul.payne@pressdemocrat.com. On Twitter @ppayne.