Man Gets Death in Woman’s Murder

As his mother quietly wept, Kenneth McKinzie Jr. was sentenced Thursday to die by lethal injection for beating and strangling a 73-year-old Oxnard woman during a botched Christmastime robbery 3 1/2 years ago.

Defense attorneys for the four-time felon urged Ventura County Superior Court Judge Vincent J. O’Neill Jr. not to impose such a severe sentence, arguing that McKinzie, 38, has admitted and apologized for his crimes.

But O’Neill said the attack on Ruth Avril, who lived alone in South Oxnard, was so brutal that it warrants a death sentence.

“The defendant engaged in a surprise attack on an elderly lady,” O’Neill said, recalling how McKinzie, also an Oxnard resident, assaulted Avril in the garage of her apartment building on Dec. 21, 1995.

McKinzie punched her, slammed her head on the concrete floor, stuffed her into the trunk of her car and drove to a remote area of Oxnard, where he strangled Avril and dumped her body in an irrigation ditch. Her body was found the next day by two surfers.

McKinzie showed no outward reaction to his sentence. As he was led away, he turned toward his 65-year-old mother and said, “I love you.”

Betty McKinzie replied “I love you, too,” and began to cry.

McKinzie was convicted last fall of murder, carjacking, burglary and other crimes. The jury deadlocked 11 to 1 in favor of death at a penalty phase and a mistrial was declared.

In April, a second jury was impaneled for a new penalty trial. McKinzie then confessed to beating Avril and apologized for causing her death. He denied strangling her, however, saying she fell into the ditch. The jury voted unanimously for his death.

By law, O’Neill was required to determine whether evidence supported a death verdict.