Murder suspect’s arraignment delayed as Fresno police mourn one of their own
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- Freeman Hunter III, 21, is charged with murder with a special knife-use enhancement.
- Hunter made his first court appearance and his arraignment was continued to June 17.
- Freeman Hunter Jr., 79, a retired Fresno sergeant hired in 1973, died from a stabbing.
A Fresno man charged with killing his father, a retired Fresno police department sergeant, was expected to be arraigned Wednesday, but his case has been continued.
Freeman Hunter III, 21, made his first court appearance after being arrested in connection with the stabbing death of his 79-year-old father Freeman Hunter Jr., a former Fresno police officer.
The younger Hunter is charged with murder with a special enhancement for using a knife. His lawyer Jose Salazar asked Judge Stephanie Negin for a continuation to check for any conflicts of interest.
The case is being prosecuted by Senior Deputy District Attorney Elana Smith.
Hunter returns to court June 17 for his arraignment. He remains in the Fresno County Jail on a $1 million bond.
Deputies responded shortly before midnight Saturday to a report of a stabbing at a home near Shaw and Grantland avenues. They found the victim and performed CPR, but he did not survive.
Deputies found Hunter III a short time later and he was arrested.
News of Hunter Jr.’s death shocked the Fresno Police Department community, and some officers called him a mentor. Hunter Jr. was hired by the Fresno Police Department July 1, 1973, and retired July 8, 2005.
Fresno Police Chief Mindy Casto said the department was “heartbroken to hear about Sergeant Freeman Hunter’s tragic death, especially those of us who knew him and worked alongside him over the years.”
“He was a well-respected member of the Fresno Police Department and a mentor to both Mayor (and former Police Chief) Jerry Dyer and I early in our careers. He could always be relied on to provide common-sense, well-thought-out advice, particularly to younger officers and sergeants. Our prayers are with his family at this difficult time,” Casto said in a statement.
It is unclear what happened before the stabbing.
This story was originally published June 10, 2026 at 4:00 PM.
