San Diego
A San Diego man convicted of first-degree murder in the beating death of a 6-year-old girl was sentenced Friday to 25 years to life in state prison.
Superior Court Judge Terry O’Rourke imposed the sentence--the maximum possible--on John Phillip Moncrief, 31, after rejecting a request for a new trial by Moncrief’s attorney.
After seven days of deliberations, a jury on Jan. 25 found Moncrief guilty in the fatal beating of Amber Avey, the daughter of Moncrief’s girlfriend, Linda Williams. Avey suffered more than 30 fractures of her ribs and pelvis, injuries a prosecutor said were inflicted by Moncrief during a beating in February, 1986. Her body was found in September, 1986, in a shallow grave in Mission Valley after Williams told police where to look.
Moncrief’s attorney, C. Logan McKechnie, argued unsuccessfully Friday that his client deserved a new trial because of alleged prosecutorial misconduct. O’Rourke disagreed, but he chided Deputy Dist. Atty. Harry Elias for improper statements the prosecutor made during his closing argument.
Start your day right
Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.
