Prince Is Denied Venue Change in Killings

During hearings this week that determined that his trial will remain in San Diego County, Cleophus Prince Jr. spoke out for the first time and proclaimed his innocence to charges he murdered six women.

“I ain’t no serial killer,” Prince said. “I ain’t killed nobody. This is crazy.”

Prince lost his composure during the unusual address to the court Thursday.

He is scheduled to go to trial Feb. 1 for a string of murders that terrorized residents of Clairemont and University City during 1990 and early 1991. If convicted, he could be sentenced to die in the gas chamber at San Quentin.

San Diego Superior Court Judge Michael D. Wellington ruled Friday that Prince’s trial will remain in the county, even though a San Diego State University professor testified that 75% of residents here are familiar with the case.

Paul Strand, dean of the College of Arts and Letters at SDSU, who conducted the studies on behalf of the defense, also found that 20% of the population has already decided that Prince is guilty.

Wellington ruled that Prince could receive a fair trial because a panel of 12 impartial jurors could be found among the county’s 2 million residents.

Defense attorney Bart Sheela III told Wellington that intense publicity surrounding the case, as well as the terror felt by residents as the killings continued, prevents Prince from being treated fairly.

Deputy Dist. Atty. Rick Clabby agreed that media coverage has been extensive, but said it has not been hostile or sensational.

“There hasn’t been this public furor focusing on Mr. Prince, saying he’s the Clairemont killer,” Clabby said.

“The news coverage seemed to be extraordinarily scrupulous” in reminding viewers that Prince is assumed to be innocent at this point in the case, Wellington said.

After the hearing, defense attorney Loren Mandel said the ruling keeping the trial here will be appealed to the 4th District Court of Appeal.

Wellington allowed Prince to speak Thursday so he could voice his complaints about the treatment he receives from county marshals.

Prince said marshals identify him as Cleophus Prince, “serial killer,” every time he is marched through the holding tanks in the downtown county courthouse.

Prince delivered the short statement after his attorneys told Wellington that Prince wanted to report his side of an incident Thursday during the lunch recess.

Prince said that, after being moved from Wellington’s fourth-floor courtroom, a deputy county marshal asked him to lean against a wall in a “spread-eagle” position. But Prince told the jailer that arthroscopic surgery had been performed on one of his knees last week and that it was painful, if not impossible, for him to assume the position.

“I told them I had just had surgery, and I can’t spread too far because of the pain,” Prince said.

The jailer responded by using his leg to force Prince’s legs farther apart, Prince told the judge.

Prince was not injured, his lawyer said.

Prince also complained that he was left in a holding tank while fully shackled with at least three other prisoners who were not restrained. He said that, although nothing happened, he felt threatened.

Wellington responded by telling Prince that he will ensure that all court personnel “give you the degree of dignity that you deserve in these proceedings.”