Rockefeller impostor dismisses lawyers ahead of sentencing

1/9

Christian Karl Gerhartsreiter was sentenced to 27 years to life in prison for the murder of his former landlady’s adult son, John Sohus, who vanished from San Marino in February 1985. (Irfan Khan / Los Angeles Times)

2/9

Christian Karl Gerhartsreiter talks with his attorneys before his guilty verdict in the murder case is read in a Los Angeles County Superior Court room. (Al Seib / Los Angeles Times)

3/9

Ellen Sohus, sister of victim John Sohus, appears at a news conference after the jury finds Christian Karl Gerhartsreiter guilty of first-degree murder. (Al Seib / Los Angeles Times)

4/9

Christian Karl Gerhartsreiter, right, sits with one of his attorneys, Brad Bailey, after the guilty verdict is read. (Al Seib / Los Angeles Times)

5/9

Prosecutor Habib Balian answers questions from the media after Christian Karl Gerhartsreiter’s guilty verdict. (Al Seib / Los Angeles Times)

6/9

Christian Karl Gerhartsreiter is shown just before he is led away by a Los Angeles County sheriff’s deputy after the guilty verdict. (Al Seib / Los Angeles Times)

7/9

Christian Karl Gerhartsreiter sits with attorney Bradford Bailey, left, as prosecutors began their opening statements in Gerhartsreiter’s murder trial in Los Angeles. (Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)

8/9

Los Angeles County sheriff’s deputies searched the backyard and pool of a San Marino home in 2008. Bones found in 1994 were later identified as the skeletal remains of Jonathan Sohus. His wife, Linda, has not been found. (Al Seib / Los Angeles Times)

9/9

Ray Cornwall, outside his San Marino home, speaks about a man known as Christopher Chichester. Cornwall’s former neighbors, Jonathan and Linda Sohus, vanished without a trace in 1985. Chichester lived in a guest house on their property. (Nick Ut / Associated Press)

By Hailey Branson-Potts

June 20, 2013 12:11 PM PT

A convicted killer who once masqueraded as a member of the Rockefeller family dismissed his team of Boston attorneys Thursday and will represent himself before his sentencing.

Asked by a judge his reasons for representing himself, Christian Karl Gerhartsreiter replied: “New information we found about the victim’s wife.”

A Los Angeles jury in April found Gerhartsreiter guilty of murdering his landlady’s adult son, John Sohus, who vanished from San Marino in February 1985, as did his wife, Linda. Gerhartsreiter left San Marino soon afterward, resurfacing on the East Coast under a series of new names, including Clark Rockefeller.

FULL COVERAGE: Rockefeller imposter on trial

Gerhartsreiter, 52, was accused of bludgeoning John Sohus, 27, in the head with a blunt object. The body was buried behind a guest house where Gerhartsreiter had been living with Sohus’ mother in the main house. Linda Sohus has never been found, and Gerhartsreiter’s attorneys argued that she could have been the killer — a notion several jurors said they quickly dismissed.

Gerhartsreiter appeared in court Thursday wearing a blue jumpsuit and a smile, crossing his legs at the defense table.

Los Angeles Superior Court Judge George G. Lomeli warned Gerhartsreiter that representing himself would be difficult and said he did not recommend dismissing his lawyers, who were on speakerphone, calling from Boston.

“It is not advised to do that,” Lomeli said. “You will go up against an experienced district attorney.… You’re not going to get any kind of a break.”

Lomeli told Gerhartsreiter he could not use the dismissal of his attorneys as a “delay tactic” to put off sentencing for an unreasonable amount of time. Gerhartsreiter’s sentencing hearing, initially set for next week, was rescheduled for August. He faces 27 years to life in prison.

Gerhartsreiter told the judge he will file a motion for a new trial, saying he thought Deputy Dist. Atty. Habib Balian improperly argued that Gerhartsreiter also killed Linda Sohus. Gerhartsreiter was not charged with her murder.

“New information has come forward concerning the possible whereabouts of the victim’s wife, and I need to understand where she might have been,” Gerhartsreiter said.

The judge said he did not think Balian made that argument but that Gerhartsreiter will be able to review transcripts of the case.

ALSO:

‘Landlords from hell’ accept prison terms for terrorizing tenants

Eric Garcetti wants state lawmakers to reverse course on records law

Gov. Jerry Brown poised to OK temporary limits on public records law

hailey.branson@latimes.com

Twitter: @haileybranson