Murder Jury Seeks ‘Malice’ Specifics
Jurors in the murder trial of an Irvine woman charged with killing her boyfriend apparently decided Thursday that defendant Judy Valot is responsible for the man’s death but stopped short of convicting her of the crime.
“We determined that the victim was killed and that the defendant did it,” jurors wrote to Superior Court Judge Frank F. Fasel, who read the note aloud in court. The jurors asked the judge to give them a clearer definition of “malice” before they resume deliberations.
Under state law, a finding of malice is necessary for a conviction of first- or second-degree murder as opposed to manslaughter.
Valot, 42, a forklift operator for Ford Motor Co. in Commerce, was arrested in December 1998 after making what police said were conflicting and erratic statements about the disappearance of Peter Theriault. The 51-year-old maintenance worker at the same company had last been seen in early December that year. He was never found, nor was any murder weapon. The prosecution argued that Valot killed Theriault out of jealousy.
Fasel is expected to give the jury additional instructions when the trial resumes today at Central Justice Center in Santa Ana.
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