Wrong-Way Collision Murder Trial Begins

A Lancaster man showed conscious disregard for human life when he drank beer at a Christmas party and later caused the deaths of four people by driving the wrong way on the Ventura Freeway, a prosecutor said Wednesday.

Daniel E. Murray, 27, is being tried on charges of second-degree murder, vehicular manslaughter and felony drunk driving in the crash near Liberty Canyon Road in Agoura.

In his opening statement to a Van Nuys Superior Court jury, Deputy Dist. Atty. Phillip H. Rabichow said he will show that Murray acted with malice the night of Dec. 11 when his pickup truck narrowly missed one vehicle, hit another and then collided head-on with a car driven by Suzanne Brown, 37, a teacher at Ventura High School.

Killed in the accident were Brown, her son Jonah Brown, 7; her father, Jack Rawls, 69, and Dia Rae Rounds, 16, all of Ventura.

Suzanne Brown’s son, Jamaal Brown, 18, came upon the crash scene while riding home on a bus with fellow members of the Buena High School basketball team.

Jamaal’s family and Rounds, his girlfriend, had attended the team’s game in Beverly Hills earlier that night and were on their way home when the accident occurred.

Murray’s trial, before Superior Court Judge Kathryne Ann Stoltz, is expected to last another six weeks.

Before Wednesday’s proceedings, defense attorney Charles R. English instructed Murray’s family, seated in the front row of the courtroom, to remain calm.

“If something bad is said about Danny, try not to react,” English told the group, which included Murray’s wife, sister, parents and grandmother.

To find Murray guilty of murder, Rabichow must convince the jury that the defendant was aware of the danger he posed to others but did not care. To prove the manslaughter charge, the prosecutor must demonstrate that Murray should have known it would be hazardous to drink and drive.

If convicted of murder, Murray could be sentenced to life in prison.

Rabichow told the jury that Murray attended drunk-driving-awareness courses and Alcoholics Anonymous meetings after being twice convicted of drunk driving in 1979 and reckless driving while intoxicated in 1982.

“The courses taught about the dangers of drinking and driving, the increased likelihood of having an accident,” Rabichow said.

English said he will make an opening statement later in the trial. The defense attorney said he will not dispute that Murray was driving the wrong way or that he was drunk at the time. But English said he will argue that his client was too intoxicated to be aware of any risk.

“Nobody drives for three to five miles on the wrong way of the freeway knowing what they’re doing,” English said.

Murray left the party with a friend about 5 p.m. to purchase a Christmas tree at a lot in the Torrance area, authorities said. Rabichow told the jury that Murray had been drinking beer at the party and that his friend picked up a 12-pack of beer on the way to the lot.

Murray continued to drink, and, three hours after leaving the lot, witnesses reported seeing his car weaving across all four lanes of the westbound Ventura Freeway, Rabichow said.

Murray then was seen making a U-turn into oncoming westbound traffic and driving at least three miles at speeds estimated at from 40 to 70 m.p.h. before striking the Honda Accord driven by Suzanne Brown at 10:10 p.m., Rabichow said.

About an hour later, hospital tests showed that Murray had a blood-alcohol level of 0.19%, nearly twice the state’s legal limit.

Murray has been held since the crash in lieu of $250,000 bail.