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The courtroom drama surrounding the tragic murder of a Santa Cruz tech CEO has reached a significant milestone, as three individuals have now been convicted of his killing.
On November 21, Kaleb Charters was found guilty by a jury in the Santa Cruz County Superior Court. The charges against him included home invasion robbery, kidnapping, and murder in connection to the death of Tushar Atre, a prominent entrepreneur.
Kaleb Charters is the third person to face conviction in this case. Earlier this year, his brother Kurtis Charters and Stephen Lindsay were also found guilty in separate trials for their roles in the crime.
In the summer of 2019, Kaleb and his brother-in-law Stephen Lindsay were employed at Atre’s cannabis farm. Prosecutors argued during the trial that dissatisfaction with Atre’s managerial style led to a plan for a robbery that took a deadly turn, as reported by KRON-4.
The plot also involved Kaleb’s brother, Kurtis Charters, and Joshua Camps. Camps is accused of fatally shooting Atre with an AR-15 rifle during an attempted escape. Atre’s body was discovered the following morning at one of his properties nestled in the Santa Cruz Mountains, marking a grim end to the robbery scheme.
“He lived a few years in San Francisco and Los Gatos, but felt most at home in Santa Cruz,” Atre’s obituary read in part. “As he once put it, ‘I moved to Santa Cruz for the mountain biking but stayed for the surfing.’”
In a jail letter obtained by KRON-4, Camps allegedly described how he murdered Atre.
“The guy took off running, Nick chased then tackled. I stabbed him. We got him in the car and took off. We got to the spot. The guy was messed up and bleeding out. I knew if we dumped him there he would bleed out,” Camps allegedly wrote to Stephens while behind bars. “So I decided to show mercy and just end it fast. I told him I was sorry and that none of this was supposed to happen and then I ended it.”
In March, Lindsay was convicted of murder and later sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole. Kurtis was given the same sentence following his conviction in September.
Camps is slated to have his court proceedings continue in January.