Party Guest, Not Intruders, Blamed in Slaying : Murder trial: Lawyer contends New Year’s Eve killing was not caused by the two men who are accused of breaking into the Ojai celebration.

A fatal shooting during a melee at a New Year’s Eve party was caused by a “drug-crazed” party guest and not the men who allegedly stormed the Ojai celebration during an armed robbery, a defense attorney said Thursday.

During the first day of a joint murder trial in Ventura County Superior Court, attorney Steven D. Powell of Ventura argued that Frank Stoddard should not be held responsible for the death of his alleged accomplice, Ron Brown, 22.

Stoddard, 28, and co-defendant Timothy Antonelli, 24, are not accused of firing the shots that killed Brown during the early morning hours of Jan. 1.

The two men, however, are charged with murder because their actions during the robbery drove party guest Billie Joe Gregory to kill Brown out of fear for his life and the lives of his friends, prosecutors said.

“Stoddard provoked Gregory’s shooting,” Deputy Dist. Atty. Don Glynn said outside court. “He . . . pistol-whipped at least three people, and there were several threats as to killing people.” Antonelli is liable as a co-conspirator for Stoddard’s crimes, prosecutors said.

But Powell argued that Gregory reacted with a “violent, drug-crazed maniac’s license to kill,” shooting Brown first in the back and again after he was on the ground.

Gregory is a man “whose motivation is to come into the courtroom and point an accusatory finger at these gentlemen so as to insulate himself from charges that should properly be lodged against him,” Powell said.

Glynn said outside the courtroom that Gregory took LSD 10 hours before the shooting.

Stoddard and Antonelli each are charged with one count of murder and other charges that include attempted robbery, robbery, assault with a deadly weapon, burglary and conspiracy to commit a felony. Stoddard was charged with two enhancements for prior felony convictions for burglary and grand theft, prosecutors said.

In the early morning hours of Jan. 1, Melody Hatcher and Scott Blair invited a number of people to their house for an impromptu party, Glynn said.

One of their guests, John Shine, later telephoned a friend in Ventura to invite her to the party and asked if she had any marijuana, Glynn said.

The woman declined the invitation but told her housemate, Antonelli, about the call. Antonelli called Shine and told him he could get some marijuana and would be there later, Glynn said. Stoddard was visiting Antonelli at the time, Glynn said.

About 5 a.m., Melody Hatcher testified, she answered a knock on her front door and greeted Antonelli with a hug. Almost immediately, she and Antonelli were pushed to the ground by masked men, identified by prosecutors as Brown and Stoddard.

“They demanded everybody to lay down on the floor and they demanded money, drugs and jewelry,” Hatcher said.

When guest John Schommer pulled out his pockets to show he had no money, he was pistol-whipped, Glynn said in his opening argument. Two other guests were struck, including Gregory, who lost consciousness, Glynn said.

Then, Glynn said, one of the robbers said: “Since none of you have any money, all of you are going to die.”

A robber ordered Shine out of the bathroom, where he and two others had gone to snort methamphetamine, Glynn said. The gunmen were unaware of the other guests in the bathroom, who later called 911.

Stoddard then said he was going to take Hatcher and “blow her brains out,” Glynn said. He dragged her by the hair to the kitchen, Glynn said.

Shine jumped Stoddard, who had the pistol, and began wrestling. Two of the guests suffered gunshot wounds in the struggle.

About the same time, Blair and another guest began struggling with Brown.

Regaining consciousness, Gregory got the rifle Brown had been carrying and fired twice at Brown, who died at the scene, Glynn said.

He then shot Stoddard, who was still struggling with the pistol.

Meanwhile, Antonelli disappeared. He was found 11 days later in his girlfriend’s residence, authorities said.

Authorities believe that a fourth suspect, possibly driving the getaway car, has not been caught, Glynn said later.