Man Convicted in Rape, Murder of His Godchild
A San Fernando Superior Court jury on Monday found a Palmdale man guilty of sexually molesting and killing his 17-month-old godchild three years ago.
The jury, which deliberated for about a week, will return to court on Dec. 9 for the penalty phase of the trial to determine the sentence for Ricky Lee Earp, 29. Deputy Dist. Atty. Robert Foltz said that he will seek a death sentence.
During the eight-week trial there was often conflicting testimony about what occurred on Aug. 25, 1988, when Amanda Nicole Dorshier was raped, sodomized and beaten. She died two days later.
Earp maintained his innocence and testified that on the day Amanda was molested he was visited by a man he had met in prison. Earp said the man was alone in the house with Amanda for some time. But that man testified that he was never in the house that day.
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