Women Attacked by Klaas’ Killer Testify in Penalty Phase of Trial
Marjorie Mitchell still feels pain in her head when it’s cold. Frances Mays gets scared if someone walks toward her in the grocery store.
Those are some of the ways, the women testified Tuesday, their lives have been changed forever since they were attacked by Richard Allen Davis--now facing a possible death penalty for the murder of 12-year-old Polly Klaas.
“I get very frightened when I hear noises. . . . I am afraid of the dark,” Mitchell told jurors as the penalty phase of Davis’ trial continued.
The testimony was part of a prosecution effort to show that Davis had a long history of violent crime before Oct. 1, 1993, the night he kidnapped Polly from her bedroom.
On June 18, jurors found Davis, 42, guilty of murdering Polly.
Prosecutor Greg Jacobs asked jurors to consider the nature of Polly’s death and the devastating impact of her loss, as well as Davis’ violent history. Tuesday, he presented testimony from four women who were attacked by Davis. Testimony is to be heard this morning.
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