Closing arguments set in penalty phase of Calif. trial for man convicted of killing 5 in 1970s
By APTuesday, March 9, 2010
Penalty phase ending in Calif. serial killer trial
SANTA ANA, Calif. — A man convicted of killing four California women and a 12-year-old girl in the late 1970s will get a chance to plead for his life as closing arguments are held in the penalty phase of his murder trial.
Jurors can recommend death or life without parole for the 66-year-old Rodney Alcala, who is representing himself.
The amateur photographer was convicted of the murders last month. He had been sentenced to death twice before for the slaying of 12-year-old Robin Samsoe, but the convictions were overturned on appeal.
In the latest trial, an Orange County jury found special circumstances that Alcala raped and tortured his victims. That makes him eligible for the death penalty.
Closing arguments begin Tuesday morning in Santa Ana.
