(Woodland, CA) – On May 11, 2022, a Yolo County jury returned guilty verdicts in the case of People v. Chandale Shannon (age 25), of Winters, and Jesus Campos (age 22), of Woodland, bringing a conclusion to six years of investigation and litigation. The jury convicted Shannon of two counts of first-degree murder for victims Enrique Rios and Elijah Moore, and also kidnapping, and special circumstances of multiple murders and kidnapping during the course of a murder. Campos was convicted of second-degree murder of Enrique Rios, first degree murder of Elijah Moore, kidnapping, and special circumstances of multiple murders and kidnapping during the course of a murder. Both men face a potential sentence of up to life without the possibility of parole.
The jury heard evidence that on October 17, 2016, 16-year-old Elijah Moore robbed David Froste, Chandale Shannon, and Jesus Campos of three ounces of marijuana. David Froste contacted his brother, Jonathan Froste, telling him about the robbery and indicated that he was going to get his gun from their mutual home in Knights Landing. Chandale Shannon and Jesus Campos heard the phone call, which was recorded on Jonathan Froste’s cell phone, and later obtained by investigators.
After getting his gun, David Froste, Shannon, and Campos returned to Woodland and met with Jonathan Froste. David Froste informed the others he wanted to find Moore and exact revenge. Mr. Shannon suggested they reach out to Enrique Rios, age 16, who was a friend of Moore’s. Knowing David Froste wanted to kill Moore, Shannon communicated with Rios, who, unaware of what Moore had done, provided an address in Esparto.
Cell phone tower and location data showed David Froste, Shannon, and Campos traveled to Esparto and a witness saw Rios being picked up in a car matching the description of a vehicle owned by Shannon. Rios was friends with both Shannon and Campos but not David Froste. A short time later, David Froste, Shannon, and Campos turned off their phones. The following day, David Froste and Shannon told Jonathan Froste that Rios was taken to a secluded area near Knights Landing. Rios refused to call or provide a location for his friend Moore. David Froste shot and murdered Rios.
Several weeks later on November 4, 2016, Campos, in a vehicle with David and Jonathan Froste, pointed out Moore who was leaving a barber shop near Main Street in Woodland. Moore was forced into the trunk of the vehicle. The three then traveled to pick up Shannon, who had the gun used to kill Rios. The four defendants traveled again to Knights Landing. Moore was forced out of the vehicle at gun point. Shannon initially had the firearm and held Moore at gunpoint. Moore was forced to the ground and his hands were zip tied behind his back. The four defendants marched Moore to a more secluded area. Moore’s ankles were also bound at this point and David Froste and Campos left the group to obtain shovels, a pickaxe, gasoline, and bleach. Moore was told he was going to die.
Jonathan Froste and Shannon took turns holding the gun while Moore begged to call his mother and to let him go. Both requests were denied. When David Froste and Campos returned an hour later with the tools, David Froste selected a baseball bat sized branch and violently struck Moore in the head. Jonathan Froste, Shannon, and Campos each took turns striking Moore in the head. David Froste then selected a large log and dropped it on Moore’s head, crushing his skull. All four defendants then proceeded to dig a hole to bury Moore’s body. Moore’s body was placed in the hole and lit Moore’s body on fire. The flames were too high and the four defendants doused the flames with dirt. Bleach was also poured on Moore’s body.
After covering Moore’s body with dirt and vegetation, the four defendants left, burned their own blood covered clothing, and threw the tools used to clean up into the river at the drawbridge in Knights Landing.
Shortly after each Rios and Moore went missing, their parents contacted law enforcement. This proved to be the beginning of massive investigation. The Yolo County Sherriff’s Department and Woodland Police Department began a comprehensive investigation that lasted until June of 2018. Numerous other agencies also assisted. Multiple search warrants obtaining cell tower records, Facebook records, and Google location data obtained thousands of pages of records. Detective Mat Jameson of the Woodland Police Department and Sgt. Lech Garcia of the Yolo County Sheriff’s Office coordinated and led the investigation which involved numerous detectives, officers, and crime scene analysts from both the Woodland Police Department and the Yolo County Sheriff’s Office.
Coordinated through the leadership of the Yolo County District Attorney’s Office, numerous other agencies, both law enforcement and civilian, assisted in providing thousands of hours to completing the investigation and preparing a compelling case against the perpetrators of these horrendous crimes. This process also included monumental efforts attempting to find the location of Moore and Rios’ bodies. Those who provided assistance included the FBI, archeologists and anthropologists from Chico State University, Sutter County Sheriff’s Office, numerous search and rescue volunteers, cadaver dogs, PG&E, the GIS office of Yolo County, and experts in ground radar and missing body location. All four murderers, David Froste, Jonathan Froste, Chandale Shannon, and Jesus Campos were arrested in June of 2018 after an extensive investigation.
Jonathan Froste elected to cooperate with the Yolo County District Attorney’s Office. He attempted to locate Moore and Rios’ bodies. While ultimately unsuccessful, Jonathan Froste agreed to provide truthful information regarding the two murders and pled to second degree murder. He testified against his brother David Froste and against Shannon and Campos. Jonathan Froste’s sentencing is currently pending. He will be sentenced to 15-years-to-life in state prison.
Deputy District Attorneys Jay Linden and Kyle Hasapes organized the massive amount of evidence and records to prepare for the trial of David Froste, which took place in the Fall of 2018. David Froste was convicted and sentenced to Life without the Possibility of Parole. His conviction was recently affirmed by the California Third District Court of Appeals.
With both Mr. Hasapes and Mr. Linden leaving the office, Deputy District Attorney David Wilson was assigned to prosecute and try Shannon and Campos. With the assistance of Det. Mat Jameson and Sgt. Lech Garcia, numerous witnesses and complex legal theories were presented during the trial. This included cell phone tower data, Google location data, Facebook records, and numerous witnesses in order to provide as much information as possible to the jury. The evidence presented clearly demonstrated that Shannon and Campos conspired with and aided David Froste in committing horrible crimes. After four weeks of trial, the jury returned the guilty verdicts.
District Attorney Jeff Reisig noted the massive investigation involving multiple agencies that resulted in these concluding verdicts. “We thank all those who assisted in bringing a measure of justice to the families of Enrique Rios and Elijah Moore. On behalf of the Yolo County District Attorney’s Office, we recognize the despair of the families that we still haven’t located the bodies. We join with both families in continuing to hold out hope that one day their sons’ bodies will be located.”
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