Otay Mesa : Jury Recommends Death for Killer of Mother, Baby

After deliberating only an hour Wednesday afternoon, a jury recommended that an Otay Mesa man be sentenced to death for the brutal murders of a mother and her 2-year-old daughter.

Richard Samoyoa, 35, will be formally sentenced June 1 by San Diego Superior Court Judge Douglas Woodworth, who could overturn the verdict and sentence him to life without possibility of parole.

Samoyoa was convicted of first-degree murder with special circumstances allegations two weeks ago in the Dec. 18, 1985, killings of Nelia Silva, 33, and Katherine Silva during a burglary of their home.

Nelia Silva was hit 35 times in the face with a wrench after she surprised Samoyoa in her home. He lived across the street. Gruesome pictures of the bodies that the defense attorney said were the most grisly he had ever seen were shown to the jury.

Deputy Dist. Atty. Jeff Dusek and Samoyoa’s attorney, Michael Popkins, presented their final arguments Wednesday.

Dusek called the verdict appropriate and said jurors told him afterward that they agreed with his assessment.

Dusek presented evidence that Samoyoa had raped a woman confined to a wheelchair in 1975 and was sent to prison after his conviction.

Also presented in the penalty phase was testimony from a woman hit on the head with a vase by Samoyoa in 1981 while she was sleeping. Samoyoa pleaded guilty to assault with a deadly weapon.

Popkins argued that Samoyoa went berserk and had a low frustration tolerance.

Popkins urged jurors to recommend their only other choice: life in prison without possibility of parole. He said life in prison for “a child killer” like Samoyoa would be “a living hell.”

“He will die in prison regardless of what the verdict is in this case,” Popkins said.

Samoyoa’s mother and two sisters all urged the jury to recommend a life term during testimony Tuesday. They said that, if Samoyoa were sentenced to death, they would feel responsible because it was they who first turned over to police stolen jewelry from Nelia Silva that they received from Samoyoa.

But even his sister, Deanna Samoyoa, conceded that her brother was “not fit to be on the street” because of his crimes.

The special-circumstances allegations were that the murders were multiple and were committed during a burglary.