Jeffrey Aguilar – Latino, age 22
Sentenced to death in Ventura County, California
By: a jury
Date of crime: 8/16/08
Prosecution’s case/defense response: Aguilar was the mastermind behind a plan to rob Gurmohinder Singh, owner of a small convenience store. As the victim was leaving a bank carrying over $100,000 for his business, Aguilar killed him. The prosecution also presented evidence of other incidents of violent behavior including a shootout with Oxnard police days after the robbery. The defense presented expert witnesses to show how gang exposure contributed to Aguilar’s actions.
Sources: Ventura County Star (Cal.) 9/25/13.
Emilio Manuel Avalos – Latino, age 23
Sentenced to death in Riverside County, California
By: a jury
Date of Crime: December 21, 1994 & December 19, 2001
Prosecution’s Case/Defense Response: Avalos was convicted of killing Jahi Collins (age 17) in 1994 and Marine Cpl. Henry Vellore Lozano (age 20) in 2001. Collins was found shot to death in Wardman Park in Desert Hot Springs. Lozano was found dead outside of his girlfriend’s home (ex-girlfriend of Avalos). The two murder charges were consolidated together into one trial. The prosecution was prohibited from seeking death in the Collins case because Avalos was only 17 at the time of the crime.
Sources: Desert Sun (Palm Springs, CA) 11/29/12, 2/23/13.
Ronald Brim – black, age 43
Sentenced to death in Los Angeles County, California
By: a jury
Date of crime: 9/08
Prosecution’s case/defense response: Brim and a codefendant intentionally killed two men, Debruce Smith and Terry Dozier, and wounded three bystanders after spraying bullets into a crowd at a Compton Metro station. Prosecutors stated the shooting was gang-related. Brim’s past crimes consisted of selling drugs, kidnapping, and torture and killing of a man. No one spoke on Brim’s behalf.
Sources: L.A. Times 10/4/13.
Nathan Burris – black, age 45
Sentenced to death in Contra Costa County, California
By: a jury
Date of Crime: August 11, 2009
Prosecution’s Case/Defense Response: Burris was convicted of killing his ex-girlfriend, Deborah Ross (age 51) and Ersie Everette (age 58). Burris murdered them because he suspected they had become romantically involved after Ross broke up with him. He killed them both at the Richmond-San Rafael Bridge Toll Plaza. Burris said that he was prepared to kill police officers and citizens had there been an attempt to stop him. During the trial Burris represented himself. He also continually mocked the proceeding, witnesses, and victims’ families.
Sources: Contra Costa Times (Walnut Creek, CA) 11/20/12, 1/18/2013.
Osman Canales – Latino, age 25
Sentenced to death in Los Angeles County, California
By: a jury
Date of Crime: September 26, 2007
Prosecution’s Case/Defense Response: Canales killed Lorena Rodriguez (age 48) and Joel Perez (age 51). The murders were part of a robbery, burglary, and kidnapping. Their throats were slit with a kitchen knife. It is believed that the crimes were motivated by Canales being upset over a business transaction with Rodriguez. Canales showed no remorse during his trial prompting the judge to call him a monster.
Sources: Keith City News Service 1/3/2013 9:00 PM
Daniel Cervantes – Latino, age 29 (see also Carlos Contreras)
Sentenced to death in Riverside County, California
By: a jury
Date of crime: 5/7/08
Prosecution’s case/defense response: Cervantes and Contreras carjacked, kidnapped, robbed and murdered 55-year-old Daniel Kuzawa. Cervantes held the victim at gunpoint while Contreras tied up his wrists and neck with electrical cable as he pleaded for his life. He was shot in the head and chest. Weeks before, Contreras robbed and shot Walter Garrett, as well as robbed, kidnapped and carjacked Sandra Jaramillo. Cervantes was also convicted of having a La Quinta man’s stolen property.
Sources: Various on-line sources.
Carlos Contreras – Latino, age 30 (see also Daniel Cervantes)
Sentenced to death in Riverside County, California
By: a jury
Date of crime: 5/7/08
Prosecution’s case/defense response: See summary of accomplice Daniel Cervantes, above.
Sources: Various on-line sources.
Rickie Lee Fowler – white, age 21
Sentenced to death in San Bernardino, California
By: a jury
Date of Crime: October 2003
Prosecution’s Case/Defense Response: Fowler lit a fire outdoors because he was angry after being thrown out of a house where his family was staying. The fire scorched 142 square miles and destroyed about 1,000 buildings. Fowler was convicted of 5 counts of first-degree murder for men who died after their homes burned or as they tried to evacuate. The defense argued that there was doubt about whether Fowler was responsible for the fire, and he had never acknowledged starting it. The defense also argued that Fowler suffered a horrific childhood full of methamphetamine and molestation.
Sources: AP Alert 1/29/13; LA Times 1/29/2013.
Travis Frazier – white, age 26 (see also Kenneth Nowlin)
Sentenced to death in Kern County, California
By: a jury
Date of crime: 5/11/09
Prosecution’s case/defense response: While serving a life sentence for murder, Frazier and Kenneth Nowlin stabbed fellow inmate Evan Broderick to death at the California Correctional Institute at Tehachapi. Frazier entered the exercise yard with a 7-inch knife concealed up his rectum and the two self-described “skinheads” had the intention of making a name for themselves. While Nowlin held the victim, Frazier stabbed him 24 times in 18 seconds, then stood over him and laughed.
Sources: AP Alert – CA 5/12/09; Bakersfield Californian 9/11/13.
Robert Galvan – Latino, age 34
Sentenced to death in Kings County, California
By: a jury
Date of crime: 2010
Prosecution’s case/defense response: While serving 4 consecutive life sentences at Corcoran State Prison for robbery, kidnapping, and assault with a deadly weapon, Galvan killed his cellmate Robert Johnson. While the case was pending, Galvan got out of his handcuffs, assaulted his counsel, and stabbed a correctional officer so severely that the officer had to retire.
Sources: Hanford Sentinel (Cal.) online.
Richard Joseph Hirschfield – white, age 34
Sentenced to death in Sacramento County, California
By: a jury
Date of Crime: December 20, 1980
Prosecution’s Case/Defense Response: Hirschfield was convicted kidnapping and murdering John Riggins (age 18) and Sabrina Gonsalves (age 18). The two were students at UC Davis. Hirschfield abducted Riggins and Gonsalves, bound them, and slit their throats before dumping their bodies in a remote location. The bodies were located 2 days after they were dumped. DNA evidence eventually led the police to Hirschfield to solve this cold case.
Sources: Davis Enterprise (Davis, CA) 1/27/2013; Sacramento Bee 1/26/2013.
Emrys John – black, age 18 (see also Tyrone Miller)
Sentenced to death in Riverside County, California
By: a jury
Date of crime: 10/15/08
Prosecution’s case/defense response: John was one of four Marines who burglarized the home of fellow Marine Jan Pietrzak, bound him and his wife Quiana Jenkins-Pietrzak, robbed them, shot each in the head, and tried to set the house on fire. Co-defendant Tyrone Miller also sexually assaulted Quiana with a foreign object. At his trial Miller said the group had gone to the home to confront Pietrzak because he had said he would block Miller’s promotion to corporal.
Sources: San Diego Union-Trib. 6/21/13, 7/20/13.
Waymon Livingston – black, age 23
Sentenced to death in Orange County, California
By: a jury
Date of crime: 9/9/07
Prosecution’s case/defense response: As part of a string of sexual assaults on six women, Livingston strangled a woman in a motel room. He was also linked to the slaying of another woman.
Sources: Orange County (Cal.) Reg. 2/14/13; Daily Pilot, Costa Mesa, Calif. 4/27/13.
Jesse Manzo – Latino, age 20
Sentenced to death in Riverside County, California
By: a jury
Date of crime: 5/2/08
Prosecution’s case/defense response: Manzo shot and killed Raymond Franklin outside Franklin’s home because Franklin was black, and had possibly made critical remarks about the Hispanic gang of which Manzo was a member.
Sources: Desert Sun (Palm Springs, Cal.) 1/8/09; various on-line sources.
Desi Marentes – Latino, age 27
Sentenced to death in Los Angeles County, California
By: a jury
Date of Crime: 2006
Prosecution’s Case/Defense Response: Marentes was convicted of killing Eric Buckley. Marentes shot Buckley 10 times as he walked to a bus stop after work. The killing was found to be gang related and was also a “hate crime.”
Sources: AP Alert- CA 1/25/2013.
Tyrone Miller – black, age 20 (see also Emrys John)
Sentenced to death in Riverside County, California
By: a jury
Date of crime: 10/15/08
Prosecution’s case/defense response: See Emrys John, above.
Sources: AP Alert – CA 6/21/13; 7/20/13 San Diego Union-Trib. 7/20/13.
Joseph Naso – white, age 44 (at the time of the earliest murder of which he was convicted)
Sentenced to death in Marin County, California
By: a jury
Date of crime: 1977-78, 1993-94
Prosecution’s case/defense response: Naso was convicted of strangling four women with matching initials—Roxene Roggasch, Carmen Colton, Pamela Parsons, and Tracy Tafoya—decades earlier. These became known as the “Alphabet Killings.” Evidence was also introduced that he had killed two other women, along with a journal describing numerous sexual assaults dating back to the 1950’s. At the time of his sentencing Naso was 79 years old. The evidence that led to the solving of these cold cases was found when probation officers in Reno conducted a routine firearms search of Naso’s home and instead discovered a cache of photos of the victims either dead or unconscious, along with the journal describing Naso’s life of crime.
Sources: Daily Item (Lynn, Mass.) 11/23/13; AP Nat’l News 9/18/13.
Kenneth Nowlin – white, age 20 (see also Travis Frazier)
Sentenced to death in Riverside County, California
By: a jury
Date of crime: 5/11/09
Prosecution’s case/defense response: See Travis Frazier, above. Nowlin was serving at least a 40-year sentence for robbery and murder.
Sources: 5/12/09 AP Alert – CA; 9/11/13 Bakersfield Californian (CA) 9/11/13.
Kevin Pearson—black, age 21 (re-sentence after appellate reversal)
Sentenced to death in Los Angeles County, California
By: a jury
Date of crime: 12/29/98
Prosecution’s case/defense response: Pearson and two accomplices kidnapped, robbed and sexually assaulted Penny Sigher Keprta. They inflicted 114 wounds and 25 fractures on her and left her body along a freeway. Pearson’s first death sentence was reversed because a juror had been improperly dismissed.
Sources: Long Beach Telegraph 6/27/13.
Christian Perez – Latino, age 18
Sentenced to death in Los Angeles County, California
By: a jury
Date of crime: 11/16/05
Prosecution’s case/defense response: Perez and Heriberto Rodrigues were inmates in the Los Angeles County jail when they beat and stomped to death fellow inmate Chadwick Cochran in the mistaken belief that he was an informant. The killing took place over at least a 30-minute time span, and the assailants took a break to eat dinner while the victim lay on the floor. Numerous inmates watched the killing, and some acted as lookouts.
Sources: L.A.Times 8/2/13.
John Perez – Latino, age 43 (see also Rudy Ruiz)
Sentenced to death in Los Angeles County, California
By: a jury
Date of crime: 6/27/09
Prosecution’s case/defense response: While members of a motorcycle club were gathered in a pizzeria for a fundraiser to benefit two children whose parents had died in a house fire, Ruiz sprayed the inside of the restaurant with gunfire, killing Garret Dandini and Tony Dandini and wounding 7 other people. Perez was the getaway driver. The motive for the shooting was the mistaken belief that the people gathered in the restaurant were members of a rival gang.
Sources: L.A. Times 7/13/13.
Rudy Ruiz – Latino, age 30 (see also John Perez)
Sentenced to death in Los Angeles County, California
By: a jury
Date of crime: 6/27/09
Prosecution’s case/defense response: See John Perez, above.
Sources: L.A. Times 7/13/13
Charles Smith – black, age 37
Sentenced to death in Los Angeles County, California
By: a jury
Date of crime: 6/30/06
Prosecution’s case/defense response: Smith and a cohort opened fire on people enjoying a Friday afternoon on a quiet street, killing 4 and wounding others—the event came to be known as the “49th Street Massacre.” Evidence was also presented that Smith killed another man in a separate incident. The defense presented evidence in mitigation that Smith suffered from a variety of disorders brought on by his upbringing, including post-traumatic stress disorder; and that he was a loving father who encouraged his children to do well in school. The case was replete with jury deadlocks and retrials: in his first trial the jury deadlocked as to guilt; at the second trial the jury convicted but deadlocked as to sentence; at the sentencing retrial the jury deadlocked; and finally at this second sentencing retrial the jury voted for death.
Sources: L.A. Times 6/6/13.
Anthony Wade – black, age 24
Sentenced to death in Orange County, California
By: a jury
Date of crime: 1/10/10
Prosecution’s case/defense response: Wade burglarized the home of 84-year-old Bessie Whyman, raped her, tied her up, and tortured her by repeatedly stabbing her with a kitchen knife. He then stole her purse and her car.
Sources: Orange County (Cal.) Reg. 4/24/10; Crime & Consequence 11/13/13.
Michael Walters – Latino, age 30
Sentenced to death in Kings County, California
By: a jury
Date of crime: 2010
Prosecution’s case/defense response: While serving a life sentence for murder at Corcoran State Prison, Walters murdered his cellmate Arturo Avila by stabbing him 170 times. Walters spoke at the sentencing and said he had no remorse for the slaying. Walters had an extensive history of violence while incarcerated, much of it directed at prison medical staff who he thought were depriving him of painkillers. Walters represented himself during the trial and told jurors he wanted to kill the prison investigators who had handled the case.
Sources: Hanford Sentinel on-line; Fresno Bee 6/27/13.