Kidnapped CEO Was Found Slain in the Mountains. His Ex-Employee on Trial Claims He Made Them Do 500 Pushups for Paychecks

Four people were quickly arrested in connection with the killing: 23-year-old Joshua Camps, 22-year-old Kurtis Charters, 22-year-old Stephen Lindsay, and 19-year-old Kaleb Charters. Lindsay and Kurtis Charters have been convicted of first-degree murder in separate trials earlier this year. The trial of Kaleb Charters is still ongoing.

During testimony at Kaleb Charters’ trial this month, he described the harsh conditions he and Lindsay endured while working for Atre at his cannabis farm in August 2019. The two reportedly worked from dawn to dusk for 10 days, earning $200 a day.

Charters told the jury that Atre humiliated him and Lindsay after they briefly misplaced the keys to one of the farm’s trucks. According to court reports, Atre reprimanded them for “wasting his time” and demanded they perform 500 push-ups in exchange for $1,400—a payment $600 short of what they expected for their 10 days of labor. Other witnesses confirmed the push-up incident.

Another witness described Atre’s workplace as toxic, with employees even joking about being “robbed” by him. Atre’s assistant, Sam Borghese, also testified that while he maintained a close relationship with Atre, the CEO ran a strict and sometimes hostile work environment, occasionally withholding paychecks from staff.

A New York native, Atre founded the web-design company Atrenet and survived a severe accident earlier in his life when he was run over by a bus. According to his obituary, he supported local artists, renovated homes, and was remembered by his family as a “free spirit.”