Sean Donohoe found guilty of the murder of South Lake Tahoe gas station attendant

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - A South Lake Tahoe jury has found Sean Donohoe guilty of murdering Manpreet Singh in 2013. The jury of seven men and five women found Donohoe guilty of murder in the first degree and answered "true" to all three special allegations that he intentionally used a .45 caliber semi-automatic weapon in killing Singh.

Singh, 27, was at work at the US Gasoline Station at the corner of Lake Tahoe Blvd. and Lodi Avenue on August 5, 2013, when a lone gunman opened the door, stepped in a couple of feet, and shot once and killed Singh. The video of the shooting showed what turned out to be Donohoe stopped on the corner behind the station, looking around, then slowly walking into the store, then walking away out the front door and disappearing into the night. A customer later entered the station and found Singh.

"He did nothing wrong, he was doing his job," said Assistant DA Kassie Cardullo of Singh during her closing statement on February 24. The video showed the murderer was out of the station before Singh even hit the floor.

The case became a cold case when leads failed to identify a suspect until a video was created in 2017 by the El Dorado County District Attorney's Office. The video gained attention and a witness told investigators that 34-year-old Donohoe was responsible for the murder of Manpreet Singh. Sean Donohoe, a Las Vegas resident at the time of his arrest, lived in South Lake Tahoe in 2013. Another person with information on the murder contacted South Tahoe Now in 2019 and was put in contact with the South Lake Tahoe Police Department.

Donohoe's ex-girlfriend testified during the trial that she saw the video and called the DA's office after watching it over and over again. Donohoe had a distinct gait that she picked up on right away.

Another witness was Donahoe's former roommate Jason Robertson who said he and Donohoe had been drinking a lot, not only the day of the murder but often. Robertson said he went to the gas station to buy vodka on August 2, 2013 but Singh turned him down to his intoxication level. He left after buying cigarettes (as shown on the station's video). Eleven minutes later Donahoe enters, shoots, and kills Singh. Video also had picked up a white Ford Explorer passing behind the station at the time, one that matched Donohoe's vehicle.

The mask the gunman wore was found a few blocks away and turned over to the South Lake Tahoe Police Department once the resident who found it heard about the murder by a masked gunman. Donahoe's DNA was found on the mask.

The jury heard that Robertson confessed to the murder at one time, but also told his father Donohoe did it. Robertson's physical appearance and being right-handed when the shooter was left-handed didn't match up, nor did his manner of walking.

In the time after the shooting, Donohoe returned to the scene and talked to police officers who said he was coherent at the time.

El Dorado County DA Vern Pierson gave the opening statements at the trial and was involved in the two weeks of testimony that followed one week of jury selection.

"First, I would like to thank the jury for taking time out of their busy schedules to help bring some measure of justice to the family of Manpreet Singh," said Pierson. "Second, I would like to thank the South Lake Tahoe Police Department, Cold Case Task Force Investigator Joe Ramsey, SLTPD Detective Herminghouse, and Deputy DA Kassie Cardullo for all their tireless efforts in this senseless murder."

He also wanted to thank Criminologist Deanna Haydon for her DNA work and El Dorado County Victim Witness Advocate Shannon Simmons for their work.

Donohoe was defended by Steve Whitworth and his team of criminal defense attorneys. During the closing arguments last week, Whitworth called for a mistrial over the prosecution's use of speculation that other charges could be filed in the case over Robertson's comments. Judge Suzanne Kingsbury denied that motion.

Whitworth brought into question the credibility of Robertson and the circumstantial evidence in the case including the found mask, and the lack of fingerprints on the bullet and gun.

Donohoe will be sentenced on April 13 at 10:00 a.m. He is facing 50-years-to-life in prison.