Night Stalker Trial Goes to Jury Today
Lawyers concluded their arguments Tuesday before a Los Angeles Superior Court jury in the Night Stalker trial, and jurors are to begin deliberations some time today after receiving instructions from Judge Michael A. Tynan.
“You have all the evidence in the world to reach the logical and reasonable conclusion that the defendant is guilty as charged,” Deputy Dist. Atty. Phil Halpin said as he concluded his closing remarks.
If convicted, defendant Richard Ramirez, a 29-year-old drifter from El Paso, Tex., could get the death penalty. He is accused of committing 13 murders and 30 other felonies arising from a series of brutal nighttime residential murders, mutilations, beatings, strangulations, attempted murders and assorted sex crimes throughout Los Angeles County, mostly in the spring and summer of 1985.
Ray G. Clark, one of Ramirez’s lawyers, argued to the jury of seven women and five men that the prosecutors have not proved their case beyond a reasonable doubt and urged them to “come back with 43 not-guilty verdicts.”
Jury selection in the serial murder trial began almost exactly a year ago today, and testimony commenced on Jan. 30.
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