Jake Combs News Today

Trevor Earley’s family members and loved ones, who filled every seat in the courtroom with many also watching proceedings over Zoom, spoke at length about their loss.

A man who said he shot a drinking buddy to protect his dog was sentenced to 100 years to life in prison.

A man who said he shot a drinking buddy to protect his dog was sentenced to 100 years to life in prison.

Trevor Earley’s family members and loved ones, who filled every seat in the courtroom with many also watching proceedings over Zoom, spoke at length about their loss.

During closing arguments, one of Combs' attorneys, Deputy Public Defender Emery Welton, explained why he believed the jury should find his client was acting in self-defense when he fatally shot 25-year-old Trevor Earley in the small hours of Jan. 6, 2022, but if they disagreed, they should find him guilty of manslaughter, a lesser offense. The jury, which took roughly a day to deliberate after over a week of witness testimony – including from Combs himself – was clearly unconvinced, fin...

Nicolas Umbrello, an Alderpoint handyman, testified that he was hanging out with the defendant, Jake Combs, and the victim, Trevor Earley, in late December weeks before the early morning hours on Jan. 6, 2022 when Combs allegedly killed Earley. Umbrello said that they were all in a living room at the property where Earley would die weeks later when Combs’ large Cane Corso dog escaped from the room he was locked in and bit Earley on the arm, only releasing when Combs pulled him off.

Zeb Humphrey described the day on Jan. 5, 2022 drinking and partying with his best friend Trevor Earley – the victim – and two other men when early the next morning, he discovered Earley on the ground facing upwards, a bullet wound in his temple. Humphrey was not present for the shooting, allegedly committed by Jake Combs after Earley was bitten by his large Cane Corso dog and threatened to kill it.

Elias Antunez told the jury that he spent most of the day on Jan. 5, 2022 celebrating. Recently out of work, Antunez would soon leave Alderpoint and return to Riverside, where his family lives. His friend Trevor Earley – who would die of a gunshot wound the next morning – stopped by Antunez’s home with beer to see him off. Earley, Antunez and two other men drank up until the next morning when Jake Combs – the defendant – allegedly shot Earley. 

Deputy District Attorney Whitney Timm told the jury that they must convict Jake Combs of killing 25-year-old Trevor Earley, whose family and loved ones filled every available seat in the courtroom’s public gallery. Combs is accused of walking up to Earley and shooting him at point blank range in the temple with a semiautomatic handgun after allegedly hearing Earley say he was going to shoot his dog after being bitten in the nose.