Life Sentence For Cold Blooded Killer Of Fast Food Worker

The killer of a man working a fast food job in downtown Redding will spend the rest of his life in prison. 57-year-old Brent Ray Close avoided a capital sentence by pleading no contest in March to first degree murder with a prior strike conviction. He’ll serve 50-years-to-life. On March 28th of last year 29-year-old Kevin Wrenne was outside on a 10 minute break from his job at the Taco Bell on Market Street when he was stabbed multiple times by Close. The motive has never been clear. Close, a local homeless man known well by police from his lengthy prior criminal record, was found a few days after the murder in his tent on the cliff near the north end of Continental Street. Last year the defense attorney for close claimed he was not fit to be tried and a judge ordered a psych evaluation. Close was determined to be mentally competent and then arrived at the plea deal. The victim’s parents, Linda and Craig Wrenne, provided powerful impact statements in court Wednesday prior to the formal sentencing.