Monterey County District Attorney's Office
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Speakers Bureau The Speakers Bureau is a community outreach and education program that matches qualified members of the District Attorney’s staff with community groups and organizations wishing to learn more about various aspects of the criminal justice system. The program is free and available to the public. Entities such as neighborhood organizations, educational institutions, faith-based groups, and clubs or organizations should feel free to request a speaker for meeting or gathering. |
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| Multi-Cultural Community Council | |||
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Community Events
25th Annual Victims' Dedication Ceremony
Annual Police Memorial National Night Out - To be announced Public Safety Night - To be announced |
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The Monterey County District Attorney’s Office will serve as a strong voice for the community on important public safety issues. With a focus on legislative issues, the government relations team will take a proactive role in shaping laws that impact public safety. |
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Legislative Issues Assembly Bill 109 Realignment, which shifted thousands of state prison inmates to local jurisdictions. Proposition 47, which dramatically reduced the crime and consequences for drug users and thieves. Proposition 57, which eliminated prosecutors’ ability to directly send a juvenile accused of a serious or violent offense to adult court and created a new criteria for early release of prisoners from state prison. |
Bills Supported |
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Programs and Services A Victim Assistance Advocate will speak with you and determine how we can assist you. Program services are provided free of charge and there is no legal citizenship requirement to receive assistance. |
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Facility Dogs
Family Justice Center
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Upon the request of the jurisdictional law enforcement agency the
Monterey County District Attorney’s Office will investigate and
independently review an officer-involved shooting incident resulting
in injury or death, as well as all other uses of force resulting in
the death of individuals while in custody or under the control of
law enforcement officers. This review addresses whether the
officers involved committed any violation of criminal law. It
does not consider issues of civil liability, police tactics, or
department policies and procedures.
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Our Mission |
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Policies
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Frequently Asked Questions |
| Forms | Brochures | Career Opportunities Public Records Act Requests | Local Agencies/Resources |
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The Monterey County District Attorney’s Office Bureau of
Investigation consists of 32 full time employees and multiple
volunteer interns. The Bureau of Investigation is managed by
Chief Investigator Ryan McGuirk who reports directly to District
Attorney Jeannine M. Pacioni and has overall responsibility for
Bureau operations and resource allocation. Chief McGuirk manages the
Bureau of Investigation with the assistance of two (2) District
Attorney Captains. In addition to these command staff, the
Bureau of Investigation has twenty-four (24) Investigators, six (6)
Investigative Aides and several volunteer investigative interns.
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| Collaborative Courts | Criminal Prosecutions | Specialty Units | Fraud |
|
Speakers Bureau The Speakers Bureau is a community outreach and education program that matches qualified members of the District Attorney’s staff with community groups and organizations wishing to learn more about various aspects of the criminal justice system. The program is free and available to the public. Entities such as neighborhood organizations, educational institutions, faith-based groups, and clubs or organizations should feel free to request a speaker for meeting or gathering. |
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| Suggested Topics | |||
|
|
|
|
| Speaker Request Form | |||
| Multi-Cultural Community Council | |||
|
Programs and Services A Victim Assistance Advocate will speak with you and determine how we can assist you. Program services are provided free of charge and there is no legal citizenship requirement to receive assistance. |
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|
|
|
Facility Dogs |
|
Upon the request of the jurisdictional law enforcement
agency the Monterey County District Attorney’s Office will
investigate and independently review an officer-involved
shooting incident resulting in injury or death, as well as
all other uses of force resulting in the death of
individuals while in custody or under the control of law
enforcement officers. This review addresses whether
the officers involved committed any violation of criminal
law. It does not consider issues of civil liability,
police tactics, or department policies and procedures.
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| Press Releases |
| Press Release Archives |
| Social Media Links |
| Press Conference Videos |
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Our Mission |
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Policies | Frequently Asked Questions |
| Forms | Brochures | Career Opportunities Public Records Act Requests | Local Agencies/Resources |
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The Monterey County District Attorney’s Office Bureau of
Investigation consists of 32 full time employees and
multiple volunteer interns. The Bureau of
Investigation is managed by Chief Investigator Ryan McGuirk
who reports directly to District Attorney Jeannine M.
Pacioni and has overall responsibility for Bureau operations
and resource allocation. Chief McGuirk manages the Bureau of
Investigation with the assistance of two (2) District
Attorney Captains. In addition to these command staff,
the Bureau of Investigation has twenty-four (24)
Investigators, six (6) Investigative Aides and several
volunteer investigative interns.
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Meet the District Attorney
Ms. Pacioni received her Bachelor of Science degree from Northern Arizona University. After receiving her Juris Doctorate Degree from the University of San Diego, School of Law in 1990, she became licensed to practice law in the states of California and Arizona. In 1990, she worked as a Deputy District Attorney for the Kern County District Attorney’s Office and in 1992 she joined the Monterey County District Attorney’s Office.
In 2001, she left to raise her family, returning after an 8-year sabbatical during which time she also served as a Grand Juror of the Monterey County Civil Grand Jury, and as President of the Junior League of Monterey County. In 2012, she joined the National Charity League of Monterey Bay, of which she has served as a member of their Board of Directors. Ms. Pacioni was formerly a Board Member of the Monterey Rape Crisis Center, and is currently a member of the Monterey County Children’s Council and the Child Abuse Prevention Council. She is also a member of the Monterey County Bar Association and the California District Attorneys Association and the Monterey County Chief Law Enforcement Officers Association.
Ms. Pacioni has devoted her entire legal career to the pursuit of justice while handling virtually every type of criminal case prosecuted in Monterey County. For 20 years as a prosecutor, she has tenaciously represented victims of crime in numerous high-profile cases involving murder, gang crimes, vehicular manslaughter, assault, robbery, child molestation, adult sexual assault, and elder abuse. On November 21, 2019, Ms. Pacioni was recognized by the Monterey County Women's Lawyers Association as the 2019 recipient of the Lady Justice Lifetime Achievement Award for Legal Advocacy and Community Service.
In 2018, she was elected and became the first female District Attorney in Monterey County.
JOB OPPORTUNITIES
Press Releases
CHARGES BROUGHT IN 1991 COLD CASE MURDERS FOR STABBINGS AT SMITH’S RESTAURANT IN PRUNEDALE
Monterey County District Attorney Jeannine M. Pacioni announced today that Ira Ulyesses Bastian, age 85 and a current resident of Fresno, has been charged with the cold-case murders of 67-year-old George Smith and his 79-year-old mother-in-law, Eva Thompson.
In 1991, Mr. Smith and his wife Anna owned and lived at Smith’s Restaurant, which was located on El Camino Real in Prunedale. Victim Mrs. Thompson was Anna Smith’s mother who lived with the couple.
On November 11, 1991, Anna Smith returned home from running errands and discovered that her husband and mother had been brutally stabbed to death. Mrs. Thompson, who was unable to walk, was found slain in her hospital-style bed.
Bastian, then age 52, was a former employee of Smith’s Restaurant. He was considered a suspect in the initial investigation, though no arrests were made at the time. The Monterey County Sheriff’s Office diligently pursued the case for decades and continued to submit and re-submit items of evidence in the case for newer and more sophisticated DNA testing. In 2024, an additional round of DNA testing yielded sufficient evidence to support the arrest and filing of criminal charges. Bastian was arrested without incident on July 15.
Bastian is charged with two counts of first-degree murder, with special circumstance allegations that he murdered the victims during the commission of a burglary and that he committed multiple murders. It is also alleged that he personally used a knife in the commission of the killings. If one or more of the special circumstances is found true by a jury, Bastian could potentially face the death penalty or life in prison without the possibility of parole. He is expected to be arraigned on the charges on July 16.
In July 2020, District Attorney Jeannine M. Pacioni created the Monterey County District Attorney’s Office Cold Case Task Force, which represents the largest and most comprehensive county-wide effort to investigate, solve and prosecute cold-case homicides in Monterey County. Since the creation of the Cold Case Task Force, four defendants have been convicted of cold-case murders at jury trial, three additional defendants are awaiting trial for murder, and one suspect is pending trial for a cold-case sexual assault. Three other homicides were closed due to the death or mental incompetency of the identified suspect. Four previously unidentified decedents have also been identified through DNA testing.
In January 2022, the Monterey County District Attorney’s Office Cold Case Task Force received a $535,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Justice Programs, Bureau of Justice Assistance. The grant, titled “FY 2021 Prosecuting Cold Cases Using DNA,” provides funding to support forensic testing and investigative activities in the prosecution of cold cases where DNA from a suspect has been identified. Funding from the U.S. Department of Justice grant enabled the Cold Case Task Force to seek justice in this case.
Anyone who has information about Ira Bastian or the murders of George Smith and Eva Thompson is encouraged to contact District Attorney Investigator Oliver Minnig.
Contact Us
Main Office
142 W. Alisal Street, Suite A, Salinas, California 93901
Monterey Office
1200 Aguajito Rd. Room 301, Monterey, California 93940
King City Office
250 Franciscan Way, King City, California 93960
Phone: (831) 755-5070
Fax: (831) 755-5068
Email: publicinformation@co.monterey.ca.us