A widower of one of the two sisters killed in Santa Margarita on Christmas Day 2010 took the stand during the fourth day of the sanity trial for Andrew Downs.

Downs had plead guilty by reas… Click to Read More and see additional updates

A widower of one of the two sisters killed in Santa Margarita on Christmas Day 2010 took the stand during the fourth day of the sanity trial for Andrew Downs.

Downs had plead guilty by reason of insanity to shooting and killing Kathy Yeager, 61, and her sister Beverly Reilly, 64. The trial will determine whether Downs was sane at the time of the murders.

It's tough to imagine, but Dennis Reilly did his best to paint a picture. He gave incredibly vivid and chilling testimony as he described the sights and sounds all around him on that fateful Christmas Day.

"When the rifle went off in the hallway, I can't describe how loud it was," Reilly said.

Speaking in a San Luis Obispo Courtroom, Reilly recalled his close encounter with his wife's killer.

"He was in such rage. His skin was dark."

Reilly arrived at the house just as his wife, Beverly, and her sister, Kathy were shot to death.

"Before I could move, Kathy's body fell to the floor and so I ran across the kitchen to see what had happened," Reilly said.

He saw Downs, 20, grasping a rifle.

"I saw he didn't know how to hold a rifle properly, and I said that I've got one chance to get out of here."

So, Reilly did just that. Using an aerial photo of the property, he described his escape route. He ran as fast as he could, trying to get away while Downs pursued him in a truck.

"I had to climb through the barb wired fence and I ran out about roughly 30, 40 yards," Reilly explained.

He used the thick brush in the area to hide from Downs.

"He was still banging around and crashing and I lay there for a few minutes in the cow trail, watching."

Reilly eventually flagged down some people driving by and they contacted police.

"I saw the pretty sirens and lights coming and I jumped out in the middle of the road, and I held up my hands," he said.

Now, Downs' mental state lies in the hands of the court.

More witnesses will take the stand Friday, including a psychiatrist. Testimony and closing arguments are expected to wrap up on Monday.

The two women killed were from out of town and house-sitting at a family member's ranch on Pozo Road.

A pre-trial is scheduled Tuesday for the man accused of a double murder in Santa Margarita last Christmas.

Andrew Downs has pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity to the murder charges. Doctors have been appointed to the case to evaluate Downs' mental health. Downs is charged with shooting and killing Beverly Reilly and Kathy Yeager.

Two doctors have been appointed to the Andrew Downs case. He's the Atascadero man accused in the Christmas Day murders of Beverly Reilly and Kathy Yeager last year in Santa Margarita.

Last month, Downs changed his plea to not guilty by reason of insanity. The two doctors appointed to the case Tuesday will evaluate Downs' mental health.

Earlier this year, Downs' attorney had questioned his mental competency. But after three doctors released their reports on Downs' mental health, a judge ruled he was mentally fit for trial.

These latest developments push back Downs' trial to January 10, 2012.

An update on the suspect of the Christmas day double-homicides in Santa Margarita.

Andrew Downs Tuesday pleaded not guilty, by reason of insanity.

Downs is accused in the Christmas Day murders of Beverly Reilly and Kathy Yeager. Back in March, a judge declared Downs mentally competent to stand trial in the case.

Downs had told police he suffers from schizophrenia. Three doctors assessed his mental health, and two found him fit for trial.

Court officials say Downs' trial should begin sometime in October.

A judge is scheduled to decide Tuesday morning whether the case against an Atascadero man accused of killing two people is ready for trial.

Andrew Downs is charged in the shooting deaths of Kathy Yeager and Beverly Reilly. He is accused of shooting the sisters on Christmas Day last year at a home in Santa Margarita.

The two women were from out of town and house-sitting a family member's ranch on Pozo Road.

The man accused of killing two women on Christmas day in Santa Margarita, has another date in court.

Andrew Downs is scheduled for a setting conference Tuesday. That means a judge will decide if the double murder case is ready to go to trial. Defendants are not always required to attend these hearings.

Downs is charged with shooting Kathy Yeager and Beverly Reilly at a home on Christmas Day in Santa Margarita.

Andrew Downs is scheduled to make an appearance in a San Luis Obispo County courtroom on Tuesday morning.

The Atascadero man agreed last month with his lawyer's to waive his right to a preliminary hearing. This means prosecutors do not have to show the court what evidence they have against Downs.

Downs is accused in the Christmas day shooting deaths of Kathy Yeager and Beverly Reilly at a home in Santa Margarita.

Defense attorneys representing the Atascadero man accused in a Christmas Day double murder waive his right to a preliminary hearing.

Andrew Downs appeared in a San Luis Obispo courtroom Tuesday morning and agreed with his lawyer's decision to waive the hearing. That means prosecutors did not have to show the court what evidence they have against Downs.

Downs' attorney would not comment why Tuesday's decision was made.

Downs is accused in the Christmas Day shooting deaths of Kathy Yeager and Beverly Reilly at a home in Santa Margarita.

Downs is due back in court on May 31st.

A San Luis Obispo County judge decides on Tuesday that the man accused of killing two women on Christmas Day is fit to stand trial. Andrew Downs is accused of shooting and killing 61-year-old Kathy Yeager and her sister, 64-year-old Beverly Reilly Christmas night. The two were from out-of-town and house sitting in Santa Margarita.

Downs reportedly suffers from schizophrenia. Two doctors were brought in to evaluate his mental state, but came back with mixed findings. A third doctor was then appointed to the case.

Meanwhile, the prosecution also says it will not be seeking the death penalty against the Atascadero man.

Downs was also there for Tuesday's court proceeding. The 20-year-old looked down most of the time and when he did look up Downs seemed to have a blank stare on his face. Earlier this month, the attorney for Downs requested more time to review a third doctor's report on his mental health.

Judge John Trice, San Luis Obispo County, said, "I find at this time, Mr. Downs is presently able to understand the nature and purpose of the proceedings against him."

Judge Trice says Downs is mentally fit to stand trial but made clear he must have an attorney representing him. As for the prosecution's decision to not seek the death penalty, KSBY News spoke with Prosecutor Dave Pomeroy. He says he won't comment as to why and the reason is he does not want to influence any potential jurors.

As for what's next for Downs, he will head back to court on April 26th for another hearing.

After being evaluated by three different doctors, the man charged with murdering two women in Santa Margarita on Christmas hears what a judge has to say about his mental competency.

Andrew Downs is mentally fit to stand trial, that decision was made on Tuesday by a San Luis Obispo County Superior Court Judge.

Downs is accused of shooting and killing 61-year-old Kathy Yeager and her sister, 64-year-old Beverly Reilly on Christmas night. The two were from out-of-town and house sitting at a Santa Margarita ranch on Pozo Road.

Downs reportedly suffers from schizophrenia, so three doctors assessed his mental competency.

KSBY News Reporter Monica Quintero will have more on what went on in court on KSBY News at 5 and 6.

We now know what's next for the man accused on killing two women in Santa Margarita on Christmas Day.

Three doctors evaluated Andrew Downs and now a decision has been made on whether he's competent to stand trial.

Judge John Trice says Downs is competent to stand trial with an attorney.

Watch KSBY News at 5 and 6 for more on this story.

Based on documents provided by doctors, a San Luis Obispo Superior Court judge has determined Andrew Downs mentally competent to stand trial in the Christmas Day murders of two women.

Judge John Trice made the ruling in court Tuesday morning.

Downs is accused of murdering Kathy Yeager and Beverly Reilly in Santa Margarita on Christmas Day 2010. Downs has pleaded not guilty to the murder charges stemming from those alleged crimes.

Originally two doctors had been appointed to evaluate the 20-year-old's mental health. Those doctors came back with mixed findings back in January, and a third doctor was appointed to the case. On March 3rd, Downs's attorney requested more time to review the third doctor's report, but the findings were never released to the public. Then Tuesday, a judge issued his ruling that Downs is mentally competent to stand trial.

At the time of his arrest, officers say Downs told them he suffers from schizophrenia.

The prosecution also announced Tuesday it will not seek the death penalty against Downs.

Downs is due in court again for a pre-preliminary hearing on April 26th. His preliminary hearing is then set for April 29th.

Stick with KSBY News at 5 and 6 for more on this story.

After weeks of delays, a report may be released Tuesday on whether Andrew Downs is fit to stand trial.

Downs is accused of killing two women in Santa Margarita on Christmas day 2010. Earlier this month, Downs' attorney requested more time to review a third doctor's report on the 20-year-old's mental health.

Back in January, two doctors came back with mixed findings on Downs' mental state, so a third doctor was appointed to the case. Downs reportedly suffers from Schizophrenia.

The attorney defending the local man accused in a Christmas Day double homicide says he needs more time to review doctor's reports related to his client's mental competency.

Thursday morning, 20-year-old Andrew Downs was due in a San Luis Obispo courtroom for a hearing related to the release of a third doctor's reports on his mental status. The hearing is postponed until Tuesday, March 22nd.

Downs is accused in the Christmas Day killings of Kathy Yeager and Brooke Reilly in Santa Margarita.

Back in December, Downs' attorney asked that doctors evaluate his client's mental status to determine whether he is mentally fit to stand trial on the charges. Two doctors came back to court in January with mixed findings and a third doctor was appointed to the case.

According to police reports from the night of the alleged murders, Downs had told officers he suffers from schizophrenia.

The release of a third doctor's reports on the mental health of an Atascadero man accused in a double murder is delayed.

20-year-old Andrew Downs was expected in a San Luis Obispo court Thursday morning, to find out a third doctor's take on his mental status. Two doctors were appointed at the end of December to determine whether Downs is mentally fit to stand trial for the alleged murders, but the doctors split on their findings. A third doctor was then appointed.

Downs is accused in the killings of Kathy Yeager and Beverly Reilly in Santa Margarita on Christmas Day 2010.

According to police reports, Downs told officers that he suffers from schizophrenia.

We'll have an update to this story in just a bit here on KSBY.com.

Andrew Downs appeared in court Thursday morning with a shaved head and an orange jumpsuit. He also seemed much more alert during the proceedings than usual.

In previous court appearancex Downs had long hair and wore a black and white striped jumpsuit. He would also often sit with his head down, and appeared lethargic.

Thursday morning, the release of a third doctor's reports on Andrew Downs' mental competency was delayed until next week.

The 20-year-old is the only suspect in a double homicide that happened back on Christmas Day in Santa Margarita.

Two doctors came back with mixed findings on whether he is competent to stand trial. Downs reportedly suffers from schizoprenia.

Thursday's court hearing has been delayed until the morning of Thursday, March 3rd.

The release of a third doctor's reports on Andrew Downs' mental competency is delayed until next week.

Thursday morning, a third doctor was expected to release his or her findings on the mental competency of Andrew Downs. He is the only suspect in a double homicide that happened back on Christmas Day in Santa Margarita.

Two doctors came back with mixed findings on whether the 20-year-old is competent to stand trial. Downs reportedly suffers from schizoprenia.

Thursday's court hearing has been delayed until the morning of Thursday, March 3rd.

A third doctor will evaluate the mental health of the man accused in that Christmas Day double murder that happened in Santa Margarita.

20-year-old Andrew Downs is charged with killing two women that day. Last week, two doctors couldn't agree on whether Downs was mentally competent to stand trial. A third was appointed Tuesday.

When Downs was arrested, he told police officers he suffers from schizophrenia.

This third doctor will evaluate Downs and give his findings in court on February 24th.

The two doctors appointed to evaluate the mental competency of an Atascadero man accused in a Christmas Day double homicide are split on the suspect's mental state.

Our KSBY News crew was in the courtroom Thursday morning for the mental competency hearing for 20-year-old Andrew Downs. Two doctors were appointed to evaluate Downs' competency to see if he's fit to stand trial. However, the doctors were split. One believed Downs is competent, while the other thought he wasn't.

Downs is accused of shooting and killing Kathy Yeager and Beverly Reilly this past Christmas Day. He has pleaded not guilty to all charges. According to police reports from the day of the alleged murders, Downs told officers he suffered from schizophrenia.

Downs' attorney will meet with prosecutors in court again next Tuesday, February 1st. Then, it's expected the attorneys will decide whether they should appoint another doctor to evaluate Downs' mental state, or if the court should appoint a third doctor.

It was standing room only Saturday at the celebration of life for Beverly Reilly and Kathy Yeager, the sisters who were killed on Christmas Day in Santa Margarita.

Friends and family gathered at the Santa Margarita Ranch to say their final farewells. Reilly and Yeager were found shot to death on Christmas Night. Atascadero resident Andrew Downs, 20, has been charged in their murders.

One speaker said the sisters would have been happy with Saturday's rainy weather. He said nothing made Reilly happier than hearing rain on a tin roof.

The sisters were from out of town. They were house-sitting when they were killed. Deputies believe the murder was random and have not yet named a motive.

KSBY News has obtained police reports from the night investigators say an Atascadero man murdered two women in Santa Margarita. They shed new light on his mental state that weekend.

20-year-old Andrew Downs has pleaded not guilty to two murder charges and one charge of attempted murder. Deputies say he shot and killed Kathy Yeager and Beverly Reilly on Christmas Day. In court Wednesday, Downs' public defender said his client may not be mentally competent to stand trial.

Police reports show that after the alleged murders on Christmas afternoon, Downs' parents told officers their son suffered from schizophrenia. Later, when officers arrested Downs at a home on Del Rio Road in Atascadero, officers say they asked Downs if he knew what they were there for. They say Downs replied something like, "Ready to go... Ready to go... to mental hospital." According to the report, "Downs kept saying that he wanted to go to a mental hospital, and that he ran out of his medication." Later, another officer's report says, "At no time while waiting with Downs on the floor did he make any attempt to get up or ask to leave the location. He only asked that he be taken to a hospital so he could get his medication because he had run out three days earlier."

Two doctors will soon be appointed to Downs' court case. They are expected to evaluate his mental state separately, and present their findings to the court on January 27th.

A local man with schizophrenia says he thought people in the television were talking to him personally and giving him commands before he started taking his medication.

Friends say Santa Margarita double homicide defendant Andrew Downs was diagnosed with the illness in high school.

John Barrett says he was diagnosed with the disease about 15 years ago.

He says he takes three medications every day, and that before he was on those prescriptions, he lived in an alternate reality.

"I started getting messages and information from my radio in the car and different things like that," Barrett said. "And I was acting on what the messages I thought they were telling me to do."

Barrett says he was homeless for a while because of his illness but that he now lives happily with his wife of 25 years in Shandon.

He also says routine is very important to those who suffer from schizophrenia.

Questions are being formally raised about the mental competency of the man charged with killing two women Christmas Day.

20-year-old Andrew Downs pled not guilty today to the charges against him, which include two counts of pre-meditated murder.

He's accused of killing Kathy Yeager and her sister, Beverly Reilly, on Christmas Day in Santa Margarita.

Downs will now be tested for mental competency.

He looked heavily subdued in court for his arraignment, with his striped jumpsuit marking him as a high-risk inmate.

A relative says Yeager and Reilly were shot that night and that the killer, wearing only a shirt, then chased Dennis Reilly, Beverly's husband.

If Downs is declared mentally incompetent, that means he doesn't understand his situation enough to defend himself.

"We have concern as to his competency and his ability to go forward understanding the proceedings against him and assist counsel," said Matthew Guerrero, the public defender of Downs.

In a February trespassing case, the same question of his mental competency was raised.

A judge ultimately ruled him competent.

Downs also denied violating his probation for that trespassing case from February today.

Friends say Downs was diagnosed with schizophrenia in high school.

"He was always talking about apocalypse happening sometime," said Zachary Zabala, a friend of Downs. "He was always talking about Mother Nature and about trees and how trees can talk to you and the wind is whispering."

Downs is now being held at the San Luis Obispo County Jail without bail.

The question of his mental competency basically pauses his court proceedings until the results come in.

Two psychologists will now independently assess it; the results will then be presented in court January 27th.

Investigators looking into the murders of two sisters in Santa Margarita Christmas day are trying to piece together what happened in the hours beforehand, and afterwards.
Here's what we have learned so far:
It started with a holiday visit to the Santa Margarita ranch so the McKees, the people who lived in the home where the murders went down, could make a quick visit to the valley.
Beverly Reilly, her husband Dennis, and her sister Kathy Yaeger came from Lone Pine and Independence to help with ranch chores while the McKees were away. "So Dennis and Beverly, and Kathy, Beverly's sister, came down to spend Christmas and to take care of the animals until Alie and Jeff could get back from his parents in Visalia," says John Evans, Dennis Reilly's brother-in-law.

Sources close to the investigation tell us the suspect, Andrew Downs, took his fathers car without permission and they believe he crashed it around 3:30 Christmas morning. But, when CHP officers responded to a call about the wreckage, he was nowhere to be found.

Friends close to Downs say he suffers from schizophrenia, and it's not odd to see him acting strangely. "He'd get into this stare. He'd start to kind of like yell to himself. Just his whole face...the attitude in his face would change. Like he was never really loud," says Zachary Zabala.

In the days leading up to the murders, Zabala says Downs was acting odd, but not any more than usual. "He said hi, and we just visited just to see how he was. And he seemed like he was doing perfectly fine."

Investigators won't say where they think Downs was between the car crash and the murders, but sources tell us he was likely in the wet fields surrounding the ranch until he shot and killed Bev Reilly at close range around 6:30 or 7:00 Christmas night. Relatives tell us Bev's sister Kathy Yeiger was shot when she came in with Bev's husband Dennis after finishing up chores. "There was a tremendous explosion and there was Kathy on the floor, shot in the head," Evans told KSBY. "Let's call him the perpetrator. He came out of the back bedroom, wearing only a shirt, with his pistol in one hand and Dennis told the fellow to get the f*** out of there."

Reilly, knowing his wife and sister in law had just been shot, was desperate to get away to safety and to the road to warn the McKees. "Alie and Jeff were on their way back from Visalia, so his primary concern was to warn them not to go near the house because he was worried they'd be murdered." Evans explains. "So he succeeded in dodging the perpetrator for some time. After three attempts at stealing cars, this fellow was able to take off and Dennis was able to flag down a good samaritan. The husband and wife didn't know quite what to make of the situation, but they said if Dennis would give them his wallet they'd take him to town to call 911 which they did."

Memorial plans have been set for the two women killed in what local deputies call a double murder.

That murder happened on Christmas Day on the Santa Margarita Ranch. Investigators say Kathy Yeager and Beverly Reilly were shot and killed. 20-year-old Andrew Downs has been arrested in connection with the alleged murders.

Memorial services for both Yeager and Reilly happen Saturday, January 1st at the Santa Margarita Ranch. It begins at 1:00p.m. and is open to the public.

There is also a fund set up to help pay for funeral costs of the victims. Click here for that information.

A friend of the man charged with the murder of two women in Santa Margarita Christmas Day says he didn't act particularly unusual earlier that day.

Zachary Zabala, 20 years old, says he's known 20-year-old Andrew Downs since second grade and visited him at Downs's home that morning.

Downs faced a judge today this afternoon in a San Luis Obispo County courtroom for his video arraignment; he faces multiple charges, including two counts of pre-meditated murder.

He's accused of killing Kathy Yeager and her sister, Beverly Reilly, on Christmas Day in Santa Margarita.

Downs is also charged with one count of attempted pre-meditated murder for attacking another victim afterwards.

"He was a happy, happy person," Zabala said. "He never really made a whole bunch of sense just because of his mental problems, but he was a nice kid."

Almost every day, Downs would invite Zabala over to the Atascadero home he shared with his parents and sister.

Zabala says the last time he visited down was for Christmas, 0the same day Downs would later be accused of killing two women.

"He said hi," Zabala said. "And we just visited just to see how he was, and he seemed like he was doing perfectly fine."

Zabala says Downs had been acting strangely in the two weeks up to Christmas but that his conversations didn't seem all that unusual for downs.

"You could tell he wasn't fully there," he said. "He would talk about Mother Nature a lot as if she was a person."

Zabala never saw Downs act violently but says he was often in his own world.

"He'd get into this stare," he said. "He'd start to kind of like yell to himself. Just his whole face--the attitude in his face would change."

Zabala says it was a world consumed with many voices.

"He was always talking about apocalypse happening sometime," he said. "He was always talking about Mother Nature and about trees and how trees can talk to you and the wind is whispering."

He says the three people attacked that night were not the only victims.

"How do you think his father feels and his parents feel?" he asked. "Basically, like he's--basically, he got killed too. He's going to be in a mental institute for a while. He doesn't know anything happened."

Zabala also says he doesn't know where Downs would get a gun to shoot the two women and that he was often scared of people.

Still, he was kind and called everyone "brother" or "sister."

"It's hard for me to think about him killing anyone or anything being hurt at all just because he was so into Mother Nature and into life," he said.

Zabala also says he didn't think Downs knew he had a mental illness and that he didn't like taking his medications.

This wasn't Downs's first run-in with the law; according to court records, he had been arrested earlier this year after stealing a car and trespassing on a Cambria property in February.

He was declared mentally competent to stand trial after someone contested his mental status on his behalf.

The felony charge was eventually dismissed.

Downs was on probation at the time of the homicides; he will face a judge again tomorrow morning in court.

The man accused of killing two women on Christmas faced a judge Tuesday afternoon.

A video arraignment was held in a San Luis Obispo County Courtroom for Andrew Downs.

He faces multiple charges, including two counts of pre-meditated murder. He is accused of killing Kathy Yeager and her sister, Beverly Reilly, on Christmas day in Santa Margarita.

Downs is also charged with one count of attempted pre-meditated murder for attacking another victim afterwards. Downs will face a judge again Wednesday morning in court.

San Luis Obispo County Sheriff's Department spokesperson Rob Bryn says the reverse 9-1-1 call sent out by the department Christmas night was a success and informed people about possible danger. The call was made to people with land lines in the Santa Margarita area after two people were shot and Sheriff's Deputies were looking for 20-year old Andrew Downs who they believed was armed. "It was the first live deployment of our 9-1-1 system that we have been working with since November. The field commander and the Sheriff made a determination that we needed to warn the people in Santa Margarita because we did have an active suspect we believed was still armed" said Bryn.

The call warned people that an armed man was on the loose and that they should stay in their homes and lock their doors. Hours after Downs was apprehended and the Sheriff's Department was confident he was acting alone, an all clear call went out.

The Sheriff's Department made 1,903 calls on Saturday night after the murders. 44% went to the answering machine, 21% were successfully answered. You can register your cell phone for future reverse 9-1-1 calls by going to www.slosheriff.org and clicking on the reverse 9-1-1 icon.

A friend says the man arrested for killing two women in Santa Margarita on Christmas was not behaving out of the ordinary earlier that day.

Zachary Zabala, 20, says he's known Andrew Downs, also 20, since they were in second grade; Downs is accused of shooting Kathy Yeager and Beverly Reilly on the Santa Margarita Ranch Saturday night.

Zabala says he visited Downs earlier that day at Downs's family home in Atascadero and that he didn't have any indication he would do anything violent.

He says Downs seemed different in the two weeks before the homicides but that he didn't say anything particularly unusual he wouldn't say at other times.

He says Downs was diagnosed with Schizophrenia and often talked about Mother Nature and trees.

"It's hard for me to think about him killing anyone or anything being hurt at all just because he was so into Mother Nature and into life," Zabala said.

He also says Downs would say that trees could talk to him and that he could hear the wind whispering.

Two weeks before the homicides, Downs also said the apocalypse was coming soon and that the world was going to start rotating differently.

Watch KSBY News at 8 p.m. for more on this exclusive story.

The San Luis Obispo County Sheriff's Department released the mug shot of Andrew Downs, 20, the suspect in the Santa Margarita double homicide.

Downs is accused of shooting and killing Kathy Yeager, 61, and her sister, Beverly Reilly, 64, while they were visiting the Santa Margarita Ranch on Christmas Day.

Law enforcement officials said when another relative entered the home and saw what happened, he took off running. Downs allegedly got in a truck and started chasing him. After getting the truck stuck in the mud, Downs took another vehicle, approached at least two other homes, attacked another person and was eventually subdued by a victim and his son until Sheriff's Deputies arrived on scene.

San Luis Obispo County issued a reverse 911 call, warning people in the area to stay locked inside their homes.

Christmas night, a person shot two people on the Santa Margarita Ranch. Multiple law enforcement sources and others close to the case tell KSBY, 20-year-old Andrew Downs shot 61-year old Kathy Yeager at a home she was house sitting on the ranch. When her sister, 64-year old Beverly Reilly came in later, he shot her too.
When another relative entered the home and saw what had happened, he took off running. Downs then got in a truck and started chasing after him. After getting the truck stuck in the mud, Downs took another vehicle, approached at least two other homes, attacked another person, and was eventually subdued by a victim and his son until police got there.
In the meantime the county issued a reverse 9-1-1, warning people in the area to stay locked inside their homes.

One of the men who subdued Downs says he's known Downs since pre-school. He says Downs was diagnosed with schizophrenia in high school. Downs' Facebook page says he graduated from Atascadero High School in 2009.

The two women murdered on Christmas Day in Santa Margarita were sisters thrilled to be spending the holidays on the Central Coast.

San Luis Obispo County Sheriff's Deputies arrested 20-year-old Andrew Wesley Downs of Atascadero for their homicides yesterday.

They say he shot and killed sisters Kathy Yeager and Beverly Reilly on West Pozo Road around 6:30 p.m. Saturday.

They also say he then tried to attack a third person in Atascadero before being subdued and then arrested.

Investigators say 61-year-old Yeager and her sister, 64-year-old Reilly, were spending their Christmas Day house-sitting at the Santa Margarita ranch on West Pozo.

Reilly had posted on her Facebook just two days before her death that her daughter Alie McKee lives and works at the ranch with her husband Jeff.

Reilly also wrote that she lived in Lone Pine, near Bishop.

The Sheriff's Department says 20-year-old Downs didn't seem to know the two women he shot and killed.

"We have autopsies scheduled for tomorrow," said Rob Bryn, a spokesman for the Sheriff's Department. "We have released the identities of the two homicide victims, and we continue to do work, not only at the scene but on evidence recovered."

Deputies say that after the homicides, Downs went on to steal two cars that got stuck in the mud.

That's when he stole a third pickup truck from a neighbor down the street.

Deputies say Downs then tried to attack a third person with a pipe wrench at a home on Del Rio Road in Atascadero.

The family at that third home says they did know Downs; a man there said he had been friends with Downs since pre-school and that Downs had been diagnosed with schizophrenia in their sophomore year of high school.

Downs wrote on his MySpace page that he graduated from Atascadero High School in 2009.

That's where he wrote he was in the band and on the cross-country team; friends of the victims have set up a bank account to help pay for their funeral expenses.

It is the under the Jeff & Alie McKee Family Memorial; McKee is Reily's daughter.

Contributions can be made at Santa Lucia Bank branches in Paso Robles, Atascadero, San Luis Obispo and Arroyo Grande.

You can also find information in the 'News Links' section.

A fund has been established to help with funeral costs for the two sisters killed in the double homicide in Santa Margarita on Christmas day.

The name is under "Jeff and Alie McKee Family Memorial," and donations can be sent to any Santa Lucia Bank locations. There are branches in Paso Robles, Atascadero, San Luis Obispo and Arroyo Grande.

The San Luis Obispo County Sheriff-Coroner has identified the two victims in the double homicide in Santa Margarita as Kathy Yeager, 61, and her sister, Beverly J. Reilly, 64.

They were house sitting when they were shot and killed on Christmas day.

A department spokesperson says at this point, the crime appears to be random, but an investigation is underway.

Stay with ksby.com for more information. Also, tune into KSBY News at 5:00 and 6:00.

The San Luis Obispo County Sheriff's Department says the victims in the double homicide Saturday in Santa Margarita were from out of town. They were house sitting when they were shot and killed.

A department spokesperson says at this point, the crime appears to be random, but an investigation is underway. The victims are not being identified by name, pending notification of next of kin.

It is possible the suspect, Andrew Downs, had some sort of connection with the residents in the second home. He entered the home on Del Rio Road in Atascadero around 3:00a.m. Sunday. Downs tried to attack the two people inside with a pipe wrench but one of the residents was able to subdue him and call police.

Be sure to watch KSBY News at 6 for the latest on this story.

The San Luis Obispo County Sheriff's Department has identified the suspect in the double homicide in Santa Margarita as Andrew Wesley Downs, a 20-year-old Atascadero resident.

Sheriff's department spokesman Rob Bryn says the CHP, Atascadero Police Department and county deputies assisted in tracking the suspect down. They were working on a lead in Atascadero overnight when Downs allegedly tried to assault a second set of victims. Bryn says a person in the home was able to subdue Downs until law enforcement arrived.

His first victims were shot and killed in the 5900 block of Santa Margarita around 6:30p.m. Saturday. Downs stole two vehicles, both of which got stuck in the mud, before stealing a third pickup truck from a resident down the street from the crime scene.

He was picked up somewhere in Atascadero early Sunday morning, after deputies issued a reverse 911 telling people to stay inside and lock their doors.

Be sure to watch KSBY News at 6 for the latest on this story.

The San Luis Obispo County Sheriff's Department says the stolen vehicle connected to a double homicide in Santa Margarita has left side body damage.

Deputies believe the suspect is traveling in a truck stolen from a resident who lives down the road from the crime scene. It's a charcoal grey 2005 GMC pickup, with license plate number 7T09865.

The truck is the third of three vehicles deputies say the suspect stole, after leaving the scene of a double homicide at a ranch house in the 5900 block of West Pozo Rd. around 6:30p.m. Saturday.

The first vehicle got stuck in mud. A second vehicle was abandoned.

Deputies are not identifying the victims at this time. They are still working to notify next of kin.

The suspect is described as a white man, possibly 28 years old, who was last seen wearing a red hooded sweatshirt.

Anyone who sees the truck or suspect should call 911 immediately. Do not attempt to make contact with the suspect.

The sheriff's department does not expect to have another statement until sometime after 12:00p.m. Sunday. CSI crews will be on scene through the night and are utilizing K9's from other agencies in their search.

The San Luis Obispo Sheriff's Department says two people are dead after an apparent homicide in Santa Margarita.

It happened sometime this evening on Santa Margarita Road. Deputies say a suspect stole three cars. One was found sunk in mud, a second was abandoned and a third is still at large.

The third car is being described as a Charcoal grey GMC pickup truck with a license plate number of 7T09865.

The victims were shot, but deputies are not releasing any more information at this time.

The suspect is described as a while male, approx. 28 years old, wearing a red hoodie.

Anyone with information is asked to call police or the sheriff's department.