Man Convicted of Mutilating, Killing Woman
It took a jury just two hours Thursday to convict Edward Patrick Morgan Jr. of the mutilation murder of a woman outside an Orange nightclub--a verdict that could bring a death sentence for the convicted rapist.
Morgan, 30, of Orange, had no visible reaction as an Orange County Superior Court jury pronounced him guilty of first-degree murder, kidnapping and sexual assault in the death of Leanora Annette Wong on May 20, 1994.
The same jury returns Tuesday for what is expected be two more weeks of testimony and deliberations to determine whether Morgan should be executed or sentenced to life in prison without parole.
The case sparked outrage among those who believed the system had failed to protect society against Morgan, who had been convicted of raping three young women in the previous decade.
After his arrest for a fourth rape in 1993 that could have put him away for a dozen years, prosecutors elected to let prison authorities just revoke his parole, which put him behind bars for only 12 months.
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