Bay Area man accused of killing his missing wife faces preliminary hearing
Investigators believe Hobson killed Anu Anand Hobson, 53, of Fairfield, on or around Feb. 14, Valentine's Day, but her burned remains were discovered March 3 in rural Fresno County.
A 61-year-old Fairfield man accused of the mid-February death of his wife may learn of his preliminary hearing date when he returns in the coming months to Solano County Superior Court.
Gregory Grant Hobson, who has pleaded not guilty to a murder charge, appeared in Department 23 on April 13 for a previously scheduled hearing setting, but Judge John B. Ellis rescheduled it for 8:30 a.m. June 12 in the Justice Center in Fairfield, official court records show.
During the morning proceeding, Hobson was represented by Chief Deputy Public Defender Oscar J. Bobrow. Chief Deputy District Attorney Bruce Flynn, who is prosecuting the case, represented the people.
Flynn’s criminal complaint, filed Feb. 21, indicated investigators believe Hobson killed Anu Anand Hobson, 53, of Fairfield, on or around Feb. 14, Valentine’s Day.
Hobson’s latest court proceeding came more than a month after Fairfield police confirmed Anu’s death and more than eight weeks after he was arrested on suspicion of her death.
As previously reported, DNA testing revealed that burned remains discovered in rural Fresno County on March 3 were Anu’s. The remains, found with the aid of the Fresno County Sheriff’s Office, were in the custody of the Fresno County Coroner’s Office at that time but were to be transferred to the Solano County Coroner’s Office.
The Hobsons were last seen Feb. 13, their silver-colored 2021 Toyota Tacoma spotted on roadway surveillance cameras a day later near Elk Grove Boulevard in Sacramento. The couple was reported missing Feb. 15, and Gregory Hobson was arrested the next day near the intersection of Walters Road and East Tabor Avenue in Fairfield.
Though Anu was not found at the time, Fairfield investigators said that “based on evidence collected thus far, police believe she has been killed.”
After his arrest, Hobson was booked into Solano County Jail, and he is being held without bail in the Stanton Correctional Facility.
During previous court proceedings, Judge William J. Pendergast granted him time to hire an attorney, use the services of a public defender temporarily or, if unable to pay for a private lawyer, maintain the Public Defender’s services. (Hobson retains the right to hire an attorney of his choice at any time during the course of his legal proceedings.)
The judge also heard a request from the District Attorney’s Office for a protective order against Hobson regarding the safety of his children.