Trial Ordered in Deaths of Woman, Her Mother

A 31-year-old deaf man was ordered Monday to stand trial on murder charges and allegations of torture in the death of his deaf girlfriend and her mother. But prosecutors are not ready to say whether they will seek the death penalty.

Ronald James Blaney Jr. of Fountain Valley is accused of the stabbing deaths of Priscilla Vinci, 34, and her 65-year-old mother, Josephine Vinci, at their Santa Ana home on May 4, 1987. The younger Vinci reportedly had broken up with Blaney earlier that day after he struck her during an argument.

Blaney, a data processor, was arrested at his parents’ home near Prescott, Ariz., the next day.

Prosecutors say Blaney not only stabbed the women to death but tortured the younger woman by apparently trying to gouge out one of her eyes. They said blood was found at the women’s home on a carving knife, a dinner knife and a fondue fork.

Municipal Judge James P. Gray. ordered Blaney to stand trial for murder after a three-day preliminary hearing in Santa Ana.

Deputy Dist. Atty. Edward R. Munoz said his office is not ready to disclose whether it will seek the death penalty against Blaney. If a jury convicted Blaney of murder and found special allegations of either multiple murder or torture to be true, he would face a minimum sentence of life in prison without parole even if prosecutors decided against seeking the death penalty.

“The fact that he is deaf definitely has to be a consideration,” Munoz said. “But what kind of factor is it? And what will it mean to a jury? I just don’t know right now.”

The only physical evidence at Blaney’s preliminary hearing linking him to the crime was a bloody footprint, found in the bathtub, that matched Blaney’s bare left foot, according to criminalists.

Prosecutor Munoz said other evidence linking Blaney to the killings will not be introduced until the trial.

“There’s no question that he was obviously in anger by the viciousness of the killings,” Munoz said.