‘This has been devastating.’ Fresno man who murdered beloved Fig Garden teen sentenced
The convicted killer of 17-year-old Nicholas Kauls was sentenced Thursday to life in prison without the possibility of parole.
Kauls, a San Joaquin Memorial student, was shot outside a home in the Fig Garden neighborhood on June 24, 2018. A bullet struck Kauls in the head and he died four days later in the hospital.
A Fresno County jury found Joseph Espinoza, 26, guilty of murder on Nov. 22 last year along with other charges, including attempted murder, assault with a semi-automatic weapon and attempted second-degree robbery.
During Ezpinoza’s sentencing hearing, Kaul’s mother Lisa Kauls said the murder of her son has left a huge hole in her heart and in her life.
Nicholas was her only child. Together they weren’t just mother and son, they were also best friends. He was wise beyond his years, she said, and he always gave good advice.
“Nick loved life, he always saw the glass as half full,” she said. “I don’t think I have a picture of him not smiling.”
The night he was killed, Nicholas was hanging out with his friends, much like he did many times before.
Family friend, Frances Morrison, said the death of Nicholas has had a profound effect on many in the stately Fig Garden neighborhood.
“On June 24, 2018, a cold-blooded killer came into our neighborhood and cowardly shot Nick Kauls in the back of the head.”
Senior Deputy District Attorney Deborah Miller urged Judge Jonathan Conklin for the maximum punishment, saying Espinoza took a stranger’s life away because he was on a quest to raise bail money for a friend.
“He shot and killed a teenager for no reason,” Miller said.
Conklin agreed with the prosecution and handed down the maximum prison sentence of life without the possibility of parole. The judge even became slightly emotional while describing the callousness of the crime.
“There were certain comments made during portions of the evidence where Nick Kauls was analogized to a video game,” Conklin said. “Nick Kauls was not a video game, he was a human life.
Espinoza’s attorney Ralph Torres said he plans to file an appeal.
This story was originally published March 10, 2022 at 10:56 AM.
