Santa Ana, Orange County - Serial Murder suspect Rodney James Alcala took the witness stand in his own defense stating that a 1978 episode of the 'Dating Game' affirms his argument that he owned a pair of earrings that were similar to the victims earrings. Alcala is defending himself against the five murder charges. He told the jury that a tape of the "Dating Game" shows him wearing the earrings similar to the earrings that the 12 year old murder victim Robin Samsoe may have been wearing when she was kidnapped and murdered in 1979.
Under California Penal Code 207(a) Every person who forcibly, or by any other means of installing fear, steals or takes, or holds, detains, or arrests any person in this state, and carries the person to another country, state, or into another part of the same country, is guilty of kidnapping.
Deputy District Attorney, Matt Murphy, states that Alcala kidnapped Samsoe while she was riding her bike to ballet lessons. Prosecution states that she was the driven to the foothill of Los Angeles where she was murdered. It is alleged that Alcala then kept her gold earrings as a trophy.
Her body was found 12 days later and Alcala was then charged with Samsoes's murder. Huntington Beach detectives found gold ball earrings from a storage locker that Alcala had been renting in Seattle after Samsoe was abducted. Marianne Connelly, Samsoe's mother, testified that she could identify the earrings because she had clipped the earrings to alter the way they looked.
Alcala insisted that he owned similar earrings and was wearing them when he appeared on the show "Dating Game". He claimed that he too had altered the earrings, because they appeared to feminine. He also states that was at Knott's Berry Farm asking about a job to photograph "Disco Night" at the same time Samsoe was riding her to ballet lessons in Huntington Beach.
Under the California Penal Code 208(a) Kidnapping is punishable by imprisonment in the state prison for three, five, or eight years(b) If the person kidnapped is under 14 years of age at the time of the commission of the crime, the kidnapping is punishable by imprisonment in the state prison for 5, 8, or 11 years. This subdivision is not applicable to the taking, detaining, or concealing, of a minor child by a biological parent, a natural father, as specified in Section 7611 of the Family Code, an adoptive parent, or a person who has been granted access to the minor child by a court order.(c) In all cases in which probation is granted, the court shall, except in unusual cases where the interests of justice would best be served by a lesser penalty, require as a condition of the probation that the person be confined in the county jail for 12 months. If you or your loved has been arrested or charged with kidnapping, murder or any other violent crimes in Orange County, Los Angeles, Newport Beach, Santa Ana, Huntington Beach, Irvine, Fullerton, Tustin, it is critical to obtain the legal service of an experienced Criminal Defense attorney immediately to protect your rights and freedom.
How can an Southern California criminal defense attorney help you in a kidnapping defense or a murder crime defense in Orange County, Los Angeles, San Diego, Riverside or San Bernardino ?
If the court grants probation without requiring the defendant to be confined in the county jail for 12 months, it shall specify its reason or reasons for imposing a lesser penalty. If Alcala is found guilty of Kidnapping he could face these charges. The charges of kidnapping are very serious. At the Law of Ofices of Michael L. Guisti, you will get an experienced Orange County criminal defense attorney or Los Angeles Criminal attorney can help you through the complicated legal system. If you or someone you know has be accused of kidnapping, contact us immediately at (714) 530-9690 to speak to our attorneys or visit us at www.topcalifornialawyer.com.
