VENTURA : Summations to Start in Kolodziej Trial
Closing arguments are scheduled to begin today in the sanity trial of Kevin Kolodziej who stabbed a 90-year-old Ventura woman to death in her home in January.
Defense attorneys wrapped up their case Wednesday with the testimony of a psychiatrist. Prosecutors did not present any witnesses during the two-day trial.
Kolodziej was found guilty of second-degree murder last week in the death of Velasta Johnson. However, his attorneys contend that he is not guilty by reason of insanity. They maintain that he suffers from schizophrenia and that at the time of the murder he didn’t understand what he was doing.
Prosecutors argue that Kolodziej, 25, suffers from serious mental problems but was not legally insane when he stabbed Johnson.
Lakshman Rasiah, a psychiatrist, testified generally about schizophrenia, explaining that Kolodziej could have acted rationally after a violent act motivated by schizophrenia.
Ventura County Superior Court Judge James M. McNally is hearing the case without a jury. If he determines Kolodziej was insane, he would be hospitalized indefinitely in a state institution. If he is found sane, he faces a possible sentence of 15 years to life in prison.
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.
