A jury trial at Whatcom Superior Court began Monday for Rigoberto Galvan, who is charged with the premeditated first-degree murder of his girlfriend in August 2019.
Galvan, 25, allegedly shot Stephanie Brenner-Cresswell, a 22-year-old Western Washington University student, in an apartment on the 900 block of 20th Street. A witness initially called 911 to report that Galvan had entered the apartment, possibly from a second-story balcony. Galvan allegedly pulled out a handgun and told the witness “Run because she is going to die.” The witness, while running away, heard gunshots and yelling.
Brenner-Cresswell was found dead at the scene. Galvan was arrested on Aug. 14, 2019, and in addition to first-degree murder, charged with first-degree burglary.
Brenner-Cresswell was a senior studying anthropology at Western, according to a Western Today article. Her death was “a result of intimate partner violence,” the article states.
Cascadia Daily News will continue to follow Galvan’s jury trial.
