A California man is expected to spend the rest of his life in prison after being convicted in the brutal killing of his girlfriend, an artist who prosecutors say tried to escape their Oakland apartment before he dragged her back inside.
Victor “Frito” Frieson III, 30, was found guilty Monday of murder and torture in the death of ceramic artist and poet Zoe Reidy Watts, following a two-week trial in Alameda County, according to the Mercury News.
Prosecutors said the violence began after the couple returned to Frieson’s apartment in Oakland following a March 1, 2024, date night at Johnny Foley’s Irish House in San Francisco.
Earlier that evening, the couple had shared videos from their outing on an Instagram account where they sometimes posted restaurant reviews and other lifestyle content.
Investigators later relied on those posts to help piece together the timeline of the night, noting that Reidy Watts did not appear to have visible bruises or cuts before they left the restaurant.
The two then took Bay Area Rapid Transit, or BART, back to Frieson’s residence at 185 15th St. in Oakland, arriving at about 10:45 p.m.
Surveillance video captured Reidy Watts struggling as she walked, at one point losing her balance and falling sideways into the street, according to court filings.
Prosecutors said Frieson attacked her around midnight on March 1, or shortly before midnight the following night, leaving her with extensive bruising, multiple cuts and a deep wound to her neck.
During the assault, Reidy Watts tried to escape the apartment, but surveillance video captured her final moments as she staggered outside naked and badly injured before collapsing just beyond the doorway, according to court records.
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The footage then showed Frieson dragging her back inside by the arm and shutting the door.
At his trial, Frieson testified in his own defense. His lawyers admitted he committed domestic violence against Reidy Watts but argued he was not guilty of murder or torture.
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After the attack, prosecutors said Frieson went to a neighbor’s apartment, said he needed help and led the neighbor to Reidy Watts’ body while implying he did not know how she had died. Prosecutors also argued he cleaned the apartment before seeking help, calling it another sign of guilt.
Jurors also heard that Frieson had assaulted previous romantic partners and that Reidy Watts had tried to get protection from him just months before her death.
The couple met in 2023 while Reidy Watts was a student at San Francisco State University and living in her grandparents’ apartment on Turk Street in San Francisco.
At the time, she was building a name for herself as a visual and performing artist, working as a ceramicist, clothing designer and arts instructor.
Deputy District Attorney Nick Homer wrote in court filings that friends and family started noticing injuries on Reidy Watts soon after she began dating Frieson.
Just six weeks before the killing, she filed a domestic violence report with Oakland police. Homer wrote officers documented “two black eyes, and her legs were covered in deep bruises.”
Frieson’s sentencing is tentatively set for mid-September.
