Joshua Graham Packer

VENTURA, CA - District Attorney Gregory D. Totten announced today that Joshua Graham Packer (DOB 9-21-89), of Ventura, was sentenced today for the brutal triple murders he committed on May 20, 2009, in the Faria Beach community. Davina Husted was 24 weeks pregnant with Grant Husted when they and her husband, Brock Husted, were murdered. Packer pled guilty on December 18, 2014, to three counts of murder, two counts of robbery, one count of burglary, one count of forced oral copulation, eight special circumstances and seven special allegations relative to his use of a gun in the robberies and burglary, and use of a knife in the murders. Each special circumstance conviction made Packer eligible to be sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole. Packer gave up all rights to appeal when he pled guilty.

Superior Court Judge Patricia Murphy sentenced Packer to 30 years 4 months for his robberies, burglary, forced oral copulation of Davina Husted, the use of a gun in the robberies and burglary, and the use of a knife in the murders. Following service of the 30-year 4-month sentence, Packer will begin serving the first of his three life sentences without the possibility of parole for the murders.

Packer invaded the home of the Husteds at approximately 10:00 p.m. on May 20, 2009. He used a gun to rob them of cash and jewelry. The Husted’s then nine-year-old son observed the robberies. Packer then killed Brock Husted and used a knife to force Davina Husted into an act of oral copulation before killing her and her unborn son. Packer’s identity as the murderer remained unknown for the next 10 months, until DNA that he had left at the scene of the murders was matched to a DNA sample taken from him by law enforcement when he was arrested for a robbery in Santa Barbara County.

Packer was subsequently arrested for the murders on April 11, 2010. He was indicted on July 23, 2010, for the murders, robbery and burglary. On May 4, 2012, Packer was indicted on the additional charge of forced oral copulation with the use of a knife.