Judge suspends Norman Vulich murder case over competency concerns

A Fresno County judge has suspended the murder case against Norman Vulich, stopping a trial that was set to begin April 27 after defense lawyers said he was not cooperating in preparing his defense and raised doubts about his mental competency.

The pause leaves a Fresno County homicide case in limbo nearly six years after detectives said Norman Vulich shot and killed his 68-year-old brother, Jerry Vulich, on Oct. 23, 2020. The Fresno County Sheriff’s Office said deputies found Jerry Vulich dead behind a barn on the family property near West Manning Avenue and South West Avenue near Easton. Norman Vulich, then 57, was booked into the Fresno County Jail on a murder charge and a charge of committing a felony while armed, with bail set at $1.5 million. The sheriff’s office said the killing was the county’s 19th homicide investigation of 2020, one more than the 18 investigated in 2019.

California law does not allow a defendant to stand trial if he cannot understand the proceedings or assist in his own defense. Once that issue is raised, the court must stop and determine whether a formal competency evaluation is needed, a move that can push a trial back by weeks or months. For Jerry Vulich’s family, that means another delay before jurors can hear the evidence in open court and decide the murder charges that have been pending since 2020.

The criminal case has been shadowed by a separate civil fight over the family ranch. In March 2024, a Fresno County jury awarded Jerry Vulich’s widow, Sharon Vulich, and their two adult daughters $2.77 million in a wrongful death case. Trial evidence showed Jerry Vulich had inherited the family farm and childhood home and planned to replace the vineyard with almond trees. Norman Vulich lived in an old chicken barn on the property and objected to pulling out the vines. Testimony also said Norman Vulich was worried about the “significant number of cats” on the ranch if the vineyard was removed.

The competency ruling adds another turn to a case that has already moved through both civil and criminal court for more than five years. What was once a dispute over a family vineyard in rural Fresno County is now stalled again, with the next step depending on whether the court decides Norman Vulich is fit to face trial.