San Diego
A jury declared Thursday that 23-year-old Troy Lee Washington of San Diego was sane when he raped and killed his former employer in 1990 and left her body in the trunk of her car.
The same jury had found him guilty several weeks earlier of first-degree murder and rape.
Washington was charged with the Nov. 2, 1990, murder of Deborah Barksdale, 38, who was strangled in her Linda Vista condominium. Washington had been fired by Barksdale at her Barksdale Office Planning firm.
The jury also found that there were special circumstances because Washington killed the victim during a rape. The district attorney’s office decided against seeking the death penalty, and Washington faces a maximum term of life in prison without parole.
San Diego Superior Court Judge Michael Wellington scheduled sentencing for March 13. Washington remains in County Jail.
Start your day right
Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.
