Deliberations in Kraft Penalty Phase Continue
Jurors in the Randy Steven Kraft murder trial in Santa Ana completed their second full day of deliberations Thursday without reaching a decision about whether he should be executed or sentenced to life without parole.
Some of the jurors asked for smoke breaks, and they have buzzed the courtroom when they wanted to go to lunch. But otherwise, they have been extremely quiet, and have had no questions about the jury instructions nor requests for testimony to be re-read.
The 10 women and two men on the jury convicted Kraft three months ago of first-degree murder in the deaths of 16 young men in Orange County. At the two-month penalty hearing, prosecutors have linked Kraft to eight more killings, six in Oregon and two in Michigan.
The jurors do not have to return verdicts on those eight. But they can consider them in deciding on the death issue if they believe beyond a reasonable doubt that Kraft killed those victims.
The jurors began their deliberations Tuesday but went home after a brief session in which they picked a foreman.
Kraft, a 44-year-old Long Beach computer consultant, is awaiting the jury verdict during the day in a one-man cell just outside the courtroom.
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