NORTH HOLLYWOOD : Man Gets Death Penalty in Slaying
An unrepentant North Hollywood man convicted of killing his girlfriend by dousing her with gasoline and setting her on fire was sentenced Thursday to die in the gas chamber.
Stephen Cole, 42, admitted during his trial that he set Mary Anne Mahoney, 42, on fire Aug. 14, 1988, after arguing and drinking all day long. Mahoney died 11 days later.
During the San Fernando Superior Court trial in April, Cole said he wanted the woman out of his life. “I hate Mary Anne Mahoney to this day,” he said at the trial.
Deputy Dist. Atty. Kenneth Loveman, who prosecuted the case, said the death sentence was appropriate because of the suffering he put Mahoney through before she died.
“I have never seen a case before where there was as much pain inflicted on a victim,” Loveman said.
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.
