Stayner Is Not a Sexual Sadist, Doctor Testifies
Although Yosemite killer Cary Stayner was a sexual deviant, a forensic psychiatrist testified Friday, his actions in killing four people during a murderous rampage in 1999 did not elevate him to the level of a sexual sadist.
Dr. Fred Berlin was called as the last witness in the penalty phase of the former handyman’s murder trial. Closing arguments are set to begin Monday morning.
Berlin, who examined Stayner, 41, for about four hours on Oct. 1, described him as a pedophile who was obsessed, and sexually aroused, by images of children in sex acts that ran like a feature-length movie through his head.
Berlin’s appearance on the stand was the final attempt by Stayner’s attorneys to convince a jury that he should not be executed for his multiple murders because he was unable to control his violent urges.
Start your day right
Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.
