Jury Favors Death for Man Guilty of Killing Girlfriend

A San Fernando Superior Court jury Wednesday recommended death in the gas chamber for a North Hollywood man who admitted killing his girlfriend by dousing her with gasoline and setting her afire.

Stephen Cole, 42, showed no emotion as the jury delivered its recommendation after nearly three days of deliberation during the penalty phase of the trial. The same jury earlier this month convicted Cole of first-degree murder with the special circumstance of inflicting torture. He was also found guilty of arson.

Superior Court Judge Howard J. Schwab will sentence Cole on June 15.

During the trial, Cole admitted killing Mary Anne Mahoney, 42, on Aug. 14, 1988, but tried to defend himself against the torture and arson charges by saying he did not intend to burn down the rented house in which they were living.

During the trial, he admitted pouring half a gallon of gasoline on Mahoney and setting her on fire with a cigarette lighter. Cole testified that he told Mahoney: “I hope you burn in hell.”

Cole said that he and Mahoney had been arguing in the house the day of the incident, as they had many times before, and that he had been drinking. Cole had a blood-alcohol level of 0.31%, almost four times the present legal limit for drunk driving, according to his attorney, Marvin L. Part.

Cole testified that he simply “went off the deep end” when he doused her with the gasoline and set her on fire in the bedroom. Mahoney 11 days later.

“I hate Mary Anne Mahoney to this day,” Cole said during the trial.

Outside the courtroom, jurors said Cole’s lack of remorse played a major part in their recommendation that he be sentenced to death.

“It’s never easy to determine the fate of another human being, but the actual testimony of the defendant was what swayed us,” said jury foreman Steve Goldman, 24, billing clerk for a Sherman Oaks law firm. “He did not have any remorse. His intent was to inflict pain and suffering on Mary Anne Mahoney.”

Goldman said last week’s execution of Robert Alton Harris came up during deliberations but was not a significant factor in the decision.

Deputy Dist. Atty. Kenneth A. Loveman, who prosecuted the case, said a death sentence is appropriate because Cole admitted killing Mahoney and because he made her suffer more than a week before she finally died.