Presidio murder accused shot victim in the head, prosecutors say
An individual accused of shooting a man in the head at a San Francisco beauty spot, just as the APEC conference began in the city, appeared in federal court today charged with murder.
Prosecutors say Leion Butler, whom they describe as “identified alternatively as a black male or female,” shot dead a 32-year old man at Crissy Field in the Presidio in the early morning of November 12. They allege she then worked with a relative to sanitize a car covered in blood that she drove from the crime scene.
An attorney for Butler advised U.S. Magistrate Judge Sallie Kim this morning that he was investigating candidates to act as a surety for a potential bid for pretrial release, including her family members. The judge ordered Butler to return to court on November 28.
This was Butler’s second court appearance, her initial appearance being yesterday.
The criminal complaint details that the victim’s body was discovered by dog walkers at around 6:25am on November 12 in a parking lot at Crissy Field. The victim was found lying on his back “with a significant amount of blood pooled under his head” and “another large pool of blood” under his left leg.
“A bloody tire track was observed leading away from the pool of blood underneath the Victim’s left leg.”
It appears that the body was discovered around 15 minutes after the suspect drove away from the scene.
The medical examiner determined that the victim – named as San Francisco resident Hamza Walupupu – had received a single gunshot wound to the head.
The FBI, leading the investigation as the murder was committed on federal property, identified a vehicle of interest filmed leaving the Presidio.
Three days later this car, a gray 2014 Hyundai Accent that the victim was driving before his murder, was found in San Francisco’s Hunters Point neighborhood, having been reported to police for being illegally parked. There was dried blood on the car.
FBI agents recovered footage from surveillance cameras near the location where the car was abandoned. This showed the Hyundai arrive on Kiska Road at around 6:43am on the day of the murder driven by a “heavy set adult black female” who appeared to be speaking on a cellphone and who then tossed an unknown item away.
In short order, another vehicle – a black Jeep Commander – arrived and the female spoke to the driver through the window. Using materials given to her by the driver, and taken from the Jeep directly, the female suspect proceeded to wipe down the Hyundai.
By 6:57am, prosecutors say, Butler got into the Jeep and was driven away.
A records search undertaken by law enforcement revealed that the Jeep Commander was owned by one of Butler’s parents who lives on Lisbon Street in San Francisco. The complaint is silent as to the identity of the driver of the Jeep on the day in question.
Prosecutors say that an analysis of the defendant’s cellphone records shows that she was both near the scene of the murder and Hunters Point on November 12.
Butler – referred to as “Ms” by her attorney and presenting as a female – appeared this morning before U.S. Magistrate Judge Sallie Kim for a short status hearing.
“I’m still trying to locate potential sureties, and someone in Ms Butler’s family for further status regarding detention,” said her public defender who noted that he had been provided with some but “not very much” discovery by the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
Judge Kim ordered Butler to appear in court on November 28 at 10:30am for further proceedings. Butler remains in custody although the location of detention is unknown.
Note: The sex of the suspect is not yet entirely clear, with the criminal complaint describing an identification of Butler as “alternatively a black male or female.”
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