Man Freed From ‘Living Hell’ After 5 Years, 4 Murder Trials

Declaring that he has gone through “a living hell for five years,” Peter Krizek, who was tried four separate times for the 1980 dismemberment murders of two Mt. Washington neighbors, walked out of court a free man Wednesday.

Acting on a motion by Deputy Dist. Atty. James W. Grodin, Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Roger W. Boren dismissed the case against the 27-year-old Eagle Rock man who stood accused of shooting, dismembering and freezing the body parts of his one-time male lover, Melvin Douglas Amodeo, 45, and Amodeo’s house mate, John Lochetto, 39.

Grodin told the court that, based on available evidence, there is no reasonable likelihood that another trial would result in a guilty verdict.

Krizek’s fourth trial, which concluded in April, ended with a hung jury for the third time. (The latest hung jury split 8 to 4 for acquittal). In his third trial, in 1981, Krizek was convicted. But the results were later overturned by the state Court of Appeal, which ruled that the trial judge had made an improper reference to a videotape that purportedly showed Krizek engaging in sex with one of the murder victims.

Spent Year in Prison

After his sentencing to a term of life imprisonment without parole, Krizek spent more than a year in San Quentin Prison, an experience that he and his mother, Stephanie, described as bleak and hopeless.

“I don’t wish it on even those who did (commit the crimes),” Krizek’s mother said, tears welling in her eyes as she recalled holiday visits to her son.

“He has been brought back from the dead,” said Krizek’s attorney, Charles Theodore Matthews.

Krizek, a tall, broad-shouldered man who smiled but showed little other outward emotion after Boren’s decision, said in a soft-spoken manner that he feels vindicated but realizes that not all would agree.

Accompanied by Girlfriend

“There’s going to be people that know I didn’t do it,” he said. “There’s going to be people that say maybe . . . I had something to do with it, and there’s going to be people saying, well, he did it.”

Krizek, who was accompanied to court by his girlfriend, Gina Camperi, 27, said that he plans to work as a carpenter, pay off about $80,000 in legal expenses and eventually wed Camperi.

The case against Krizek, built on circumstantial evidence, centered on an alleged threat by Amodeo to tell Krizek’s parents of their homosexual affair and produce videotapes to back up his claim.

Grodin argued that Krizek killed the men several days apart in late June and early July, 1980, dismembered the bodies, froze the parts and set fire to the house the men shared. When Krizek was arrested several days after the bodies were discovered by firefighters, he had $11,500 in cash and $14,000 in jewelry that Grodin said belonged to Amodeo.

Krizek, in taking the stand, denied killing the two men.