Killer to Testify Against Brother : Courts: Stewart Woodman, in a “cleansing of the soul,” makes a deal to avoid the gas chamber for the slayings of his parents.

In a “cleansing of the soul” that will also save his life, Stewart Woodman, convicted earlier this month of the 1985 so-called “Ninja murders” of his parents, has admitted planning the crime and will testify against his brother and two alleged hit men.

As the penalty phase of his trial was about to begin Wednesday, Deputy Dist. Atty. Patrick Dixon dramatically announced that “Stewart Woodman has reached an agreement to testify against all the remaining defendants in this case” that will enable him to avoid the gas chamber.

Prosecutors intend to use his testimony to seek the death penalty for his older brother, Neil Woodman.

“He (Stewart Woodman) has given us an eight-hour videotaped statement that is rich with details,” Dixon told Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Candace Cooper. “In that statement, (he) admits planning the murders of his parents and describes in detail the participation of all the remaining defendants.

“In return for this, the people will not seek the death penalty . . . and will agree, instead, that he be sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole.”

The prosecution also recommended that convicted accomplice Anthony Majoy, who acted as a lookout, be sentenced to life behind bars without parole.

Though they were noticeably absent from the courtroom Wednesday, Dixon said that “the entire families of the victims in this matter have strongly urged the district attorney’s office to do this in order to add certainty to the convictions of the remaining defendants.”

Woodman, 40, of Hidden Hills, and Majoy, 51, of Reseda, had been found guilty of the execution-style slaying of Gerald and Vera Woodman, who were gunned down as they parked their Mercedes-Benz in the underground garage of their Brentwood condominium after attending a family dinner on Yom Kippur, the Jewish holy day of atonement.

The slayings were dubbed the “Yom Kippur murders” or the “Ninja murders,” after an eyewitness apparently confused a hooded black sweat shirt worn by one of the killers with the type of clothing worn by Japan’s legendary martial arts warriors.

The killings capped years of internecine fighting for control of a family-owned Chatsworth plastics firm.

Prosecutors contend that the Woodman brothers contracted for the murders, motivated by hatred for their father and greed for their mother’s insurance policy.

The agreement between Stewart Woodman and the district attorney’s office was outlined in a five-page letter that the judge temporarily sealed.

In it, Woodman waives his right to appeal. And in the event that he fails to honor his promise to testify “fully and truthfully” at both the murder trial and ongoing federal criminal conspiracy proceedings in Las Vegas, the agreement becomes void.

Formal sentencing for Woodman was set for July 27; Majoy will be sentenced June 29.

Co-defendants Neil Woodman, 46, of Encino, Westside attorney Robert Homick, 39, and his brother, former Los Angeles police officer Steven Homick, 49, are scheduled to go on trial next week. Prosecutors said they intend to seek the death penalty for all three and will reject any further deals.

Another suspect, alleged lookout Michael Dominguez, 30, of Las Vegas, pleaded guilty earlier to two counts of first-degree murder and was sentenced to 25 years to life. He backed out of a deal he made with prosecutors to testify against the others. However, a videotape and transcripts of his preliminary hearing testimony were introduced as evidence in Majoy’s and Stewart Woodman’s 10-month-long trial.

Outside court Wednesday, Dixon said Stewart Woodman’s attorneys had initiated discussions about a deal to save his life shortly after his conviction. He said prosecutors believe both Woodman brothers participated equally in the murder scheme, but that agreeing to the lesser sentence is “the right thing to do” to ensure that the other participants are held responsible.

Dixon said Woodman’s testimony will bolster a case that so far has been based totally on circumstantial evidence.

Stewart Woodman’s attorney, Jay Jaffe, said his client is estranged from his brother; the two are being housed in separate sections of Men’s Central Jail.

He characterized Stewart Woodman’s decision to testify against the others as “a cleansing of the soul.” He said the videotaped confession is “extremely emotional, gut-wrenching” and filled with tears.

“He felt that he had kept this in for four years,” Jaffe explained. “He has come to the point where he feels that telling the truth is the most important thing.”

Added Jaffe:

“No one condones what happened. It’s a tragedy for everyone--a tragedy for him, a tragedy for his children, for the most part. This is a terrible legacy that he has to leave.”