Brothers' Bid To Undo Brutal Napa Valley Attack Prison Term

Two brothers sentenced in a 1995 Yountville stabbing of tourists try to shorten their prison terms.

By Angela Woodall, Patch Staff

May 5, 2026 3:41 pm PDT

NAPA VALLEY, CA — A Napa County judge rejected a bid by two brothers to shorten their prison terms, siding with prosecutors who argued the men intended to kill three vacationers in a 1995 attack that still echoes through the valley.

The judge denied resentencing for Johnny Barra Jr., 50, and Josiah Cheston Barra, 48, both convicted of attempted first-degree murder and robbery stemming from a violent assault in downtown Yountville.

Napa Deputy District Attorney Agnes Dziadur argued that the brothers acted with clear intent to kill — a key threshold under California law for blocking resentencing. Judge Scott R.L. Young ruled that the evidence showed deliberate violence, not a crime that escalated unpredictably.

The ruling leaves intact the brothers’ original sentences: 14 years to life plus 23 years for Johnny Barra Jr., and 14 years to life plus 14 years for Josiah Barra.

The case traces back to December 30, 1995, when the brothers approached three men walking along Washington Street after dinner with family members in Yountville.

Prosecutors said the brothers demanded money, then, after the men complied with the demand, stabbed all three.

The brothers fled to Fresno, where they were arrested. Authorities returned them to Napa County for trial.

A jury convicted the brothers of attempted first-degree murder and robbery, along with enhancements for causing great bodily injury, using a knife, and prior serious felony conviction.

Their latest challenge hinged on changes introduced by California’s 2019 Senate Bill 1437, created a path to resentencing by raising the bar on who can be convicted of murder. But the law draws a hard line: those who intended to kill or directly carried out the attack remain ineligible.

“These men didn’t just participate in a crime where violence occurred by happenstance — they deliberately set out to kill,” Dziadur said after the decision. “The court’s ruling ensures their convictions remain exactly where they belong.”