3 Plead Guilty in Stabbing Death

Three remaining defendants in last year’s stabbing death of a Torrance man pleaded guilty Monday to voluntary manslaughter for their roles in planning the attack.

Stacy James, 21, and Michael Grace, 22, pleaded guilty in return for an agreement that Torrance Superior Court Judge John P. Shook will sentence them to 11 years in state prison. The third defendant, 23-year-old Alexander Frederick, will be ordered to serve between six and 11 years in prison. They will be sentenced April 8.

All three were charged with murder and faced life in prison for orchestrating a March 2, 1990, attack on William Smith, 39, who suffered 32 stab wounds while struggling with a black-clad intruder in his Torrance home.

Martial-arts enthusiast Gary Jose Alderete, 22, last month was convicted of being the assailant and was sentenced to 38 years to life in state prison.

According to Deputy Dist. Atty. Nikola M. Mikulicich, James, Grace and Frederick arranged for Alderete to attack Smith after Smith threatened Grace’s brother, Richard.

Richard Grace, who also helped plan Smith’s death, is serving six years in state prison after pleading guilty to voluntary manslaughter.