4th Trial in 2 Murders Ends in Deadlock

A Mt. Washington man’s fourth trial in the 1980 murders of two men, one of whom was his lover, ended Friday after jurors announced that they were hopelessly deadlocked.

The jurors told Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Everett E. Ricks Jr. that they were split 8 to 4 for the acquittal of Peter Krizek, 27, who had been found guilty of the murders and a related arson charge during his third trial in 1981. Two earlier trials ended with hung juries.

Krizek’s conviction was overturned in 1983 by the state Court of Appeal, which ruled that the trial judge had made an improper reference to a videotape that purported to show Krizek having sex with one of the murder victims.

Ricks ordered Krizek, his attorney and Deputy Dist. Atty. James W. Grodin to return to court May 8, when the district attorney’s office must announce whether it intends to dismiss the charges or put Krizek on trial a fifth time.

Final Decision

“I’d try this case ‘til the cows come home,” said Grodin, who added that higher authorities in his office must make the final decision.

Charles Theodore Mathews, Krizek’s lawyer, said he expects that the district attorney’s office will dismiss the charges.

“I don’t think Judge Ricks or any court would allow this case to be tried a fifth time,” Mathews said.

The case against Krizek, who served more than a year in state prison after his 1981 conviction, was built exclusively on circumstantial evidence.

During his closing argument to the latest jury, Grodin argued that Krizek shot Melvin Douglas Amodeo, 45, and John Lochetto, 39, several days apart in late June and early July, 1980. Krizek dismembered the bodies, froze the parts and set fire to the house the men shared, Grodin argued.

Grodin told the jury that Amodeo had threatened to tell Krizek’s parents of the homosexual affair he had had with Krizek and had threatened to produce videotapes to back up his claim.

Bodies Found

Grodin produced no evidence establishing that Krizek was at the Amodeo home when shots were heard inside. He did tell jurors that several days after the bodies were discovered by firefighters, Krizek was arrested at Mammoth Lake with $11,500 in cash and $14,000 in jewelry that had belonged to Amodeo.

Krizek took the stand during his trial and denied killing Amodeo and Lochetto, who lived about half a mile from the Krizek home. Krizek admitted that he had an affair with Amodeo but denied that Amodeo had threatened him.