O.C.'s Death Row: Murder following $1 robbery

For an introduction to the Orange County's death row series, a slideshow of all the inmates on death row and the history of capital punishment in California, click here.

The Orange County Register is publishing summaries of the 58 killers sentenced to death by Orange County judges, two per day during weekdays, from the oldest case to the newest. Here are Nos. 17 and 18:

Shaun Kareem Burney, left unknown date, right June 2007, shot and killed Joseph Andrew Kondrath, 23, of Anaheim during a carjacking June 10, 1992. Prosecutors argued that Burney, then 19, accosted Kondrath on an Anaheim street before dawn, placed a .357-caliber Magnum against his victim's skull, robbed him of $1 and forced him into the trunk of a stolen car. Burney later opened the trunk lid and fired two shots into Kondrath's head while the victim begged, 'Don't hurt me."CA DEPT. OF CORRECTIONS; TEXT BY LARRY WELBORN, THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER,

1994

Shaun Kareem Burney shot and killed Joseph Andrew Kondrath, 23, of Anaheim during a carjacking June 10, 1992. Prosecutors argued that Burney, then 19, accosted Kondrath on an Anaheim street before dawn, placed a .357-caliber Magnum against his victim's skull, robbed him of $1 and forced him into the trunk of a stolen car. Burney later opened the trunk lid and fired two shots into Kondrath's head while the victim begged, "Don't hurt me."

1995

Ignacio Tafoya shot and killed Gerald Lee Skillman, 35, of Westminster and Steven Francis Rita, 29, of Boston during a home invasion robbery in May 1993. Timothy T. Wynglarz, Tafoya's co-defendant, was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole. Witnesses testified that the two conspirators pushed their way into the house, where Tafoya knocked the two victims to the floor and shot each two times execution-style. Tafoya's case has been affirmed by the California Supreme Court.

Contact the writer: lwelborn@ocregister.com

Shaun Kareem Burney, left unknown date, right June 2007, shot and killed Joseph Andrew Kondrath, 23, of Anaheim during a carjacking June 10, 1992. Prosecutors argued that Burney, then 19, accosted Kondrath on an Anaheim street before dawn, placed a .357-caliber Magnum against his victim's skull, robbed him of $1 and forced him into the trunk of a stolen car. Burney later opened the trunk lid and fired two shots into Kondrath's head while the victim begged, 'Don't hurt me."CA DEPT. OF CORRECTIONS; TEXT BY LARRY WELBORN, THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER,

For an introduction to the Orange County's death row series, a slideshow of all the inmates on death row and the history of capital punishment in California, click here.

The Orange County Register is publishing summaries of the 58 killers sentenced to death by Orange County judges, two per day during weekdays, from the oldest case to the newest. Here are Nos. 17 and 18:

1994

For an introduction to the Orange County's death row series, a slideshow of all the inmates on death row and the history of capital punishment in California, click here.

The Orange County Register is publishing summaries of the 58 killers sentenced to death by Orange County judges, two per day during weekdays, from the oldest case to the newest. Here are Nos. 17 and 18:

1994

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New murder charge filed in Green River killings

By Associated Press
Tuesday, February 8, 2011 - Added 3 hours ago

SEATTLE — Green River Killer Gary Ridgway, already serving 48 life terms for a strangling binge that made him one of the nation’s most prolific murderers, was charged Monday in yet another death after teenagers exploring a ravine south of Seattle discovered the skull of one of his earliest victims.

Ridgway already confessed to killing Rebecca "Becky" Marrero, a 20-year-old mother and prostitute last seen when she left a motel in 1982. But prosecutors declined to include her case in a 2003 plea deal that spared Ridgway the death penalty, because he was not able to provide conclusive evidence that he killed her.

The plea deal required Ridgway to plead guilty to future King County charges based on new evidence, and he is expected to do so on Feb. 18 at the Regional Justice Center in Kent. Marrero’s family will have the opportunity to confront him.

"They always thought maybe he had killed her but they didn’t know for sure," said King County Prosecutor Dan Satterberg. "It’s important for the family to be able to have the answers."

Ridgway, a commercial truck painter, is one of the nation’s most prolific serial killers, having been convicted of 48 murders and having confessed to or been suspected of dozens more. He preyed upon women and girls at the margins of society — runaways, prostitutes and drug addicts strangled in a spree that terrorized Seattle and its south suburbs in the 1980s. Several victims were dumped in or posed along the Green River.

Ridgway was arrested in 2001 after advances in DNA technology enabled authorities to link a saliva sample he gave authorities in 1987 to some of the bodies. He pleaded guilty two years later, agreeing to help authorities locate as many remains as possible.

He is serving life without release in solitary confinement at the state prison in Walla Walla, where he’s allowed out of his cell one hour a day four times a week.

Ridgway’s lawyer, Mark Prothero, confirmed that he expects Ridgway to plead guilty.

"He acknowledged he killed her back in 2003," Prothero said. "He was glad they were able to find more remains and hopes they’ll be more successful finding others as time goes on. He’s prepared to accept responsibility."

Marrero’s remains were found Dec. 21 in an Auburn ravine, 100 feet from where investigators found another of Ridgway’s victims, Marie Malvar, in 2003. The Marrero family recently gave her a proper burial, Satterberg said.

© Copyright 2011 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.King County Prosecutor Dan Satterberg places a photo of murder victim Rebecca ‘Becky’ Marrero in front of him before beginning a news conference Monday, in Seattle.

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O.C.'s Death Row: Murder after $1 robbery

For an introduction to the Orange County's death row series, a slideshow of all the inmates on death row and the history of capital punishment in California, click here.

The Orange County Register is publishing summaries of the 58 killers sentenced to death by Orange County judges, two per day during weekdays, from the oldest case to the newest. Here are Nos. 17 and 18:

Shaun Kareem Burney, left unknown date, right June 2007, shot and killed Joseph Andrew Kondrath, 23, of Anaheim during a carjacking June 10, 1992. Prosecutors argued that Burney, then 19, accosted Kondrath on an Anaheim street before dawn, placed a .357-caliber Magnum against his victim's skull, robbed him of $1 and forced him into the trunk of a stolen car. Burney later opened the trunk lid and fired two shots into Kondrath's head while the victim begged, 'Don't hurt me."CA DEPT. OF CORRECTIONS; TEXT BY LARRY WELBORN, THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER,

1994

Shaun Kareem Burney shot and killed Joseph Andrew Kondrath, 23, of Anaheim during a carjacking June 10, 1992. Prosecutors argued that Burney, then 19, accosted Kondrath on an Anaheim street before dawn, placed a .357-caliber Magnum against his victim's skull, robbed him of $1 and forced him into the trunk of a stolen car. Burney later opened the trunk lid and fired two shots into Kondrath's head while the victim begged, "Don't hurt me."

1995

Ignacio Tafoya shot and killed Gerald Lee Skillman, 35, of Westminster and Steven Francis Rita, 29, of Boston during a home invasion robbery in May 1993. Timothy T. Wynglarz, Tafoya's co-defendant, was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole. Witnesses testified that the two conspirators pushed their way into the house, where Tafoya knocked the two victims to the floor and shot each two times execution-style. Tafoya's case has been affirmed by the California Supreme Court.

Contact the writer: lwelborn@ocregister.com

Shaun Kareem Burney, left unknown date, right June 2007, shot and killed Joseph Andrew Kondrath, 23, of Anaheim during a carjacking June 10, 1992. Prosecutors argued that Burney, then 19, accosted Kondrath on an Anaheim street before dawn, placed a .357-caliber Magnum against his victim's skull, robbed him of $1 and forced him into the trunk of a stolen car. Burney later opened the trunk lid and fired two shots into Kondrath's head while the victim begged, 'Don't hurt me."CA DEPT. OF CORRECTIONS; TEXT BY LARRY WELBORN, THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER,

For an introduction to the Orange County's death row series, a slideshow of all the inmates on death row and the history of capital punishment in California, click here.

The Orange County Register is publishing summaries of the 58 killers sentenced to death by Orange County judges, two per day during weekdays, from the oldest case to the newest. Here are Nos. 17 and 18:

1994

For an introduction to the Orange County's death row series, a slideshow of all the inmates on death row and the history of capital punishment in California, click here.

The Orange County Register is publishing summaries of the 58 killers sentenced to death by Orange County judges, two per day during weekdays, from the oldest case to the newest. Here are Nos. 17 and 18:

1994

View the original article here

Jury finds Arviso guilty of first degree murder in Santa Nella store clerk's killing

After less than a day of deliberations, a jury found Edward Arviso guilty of first-degree murder Monday for the brutal stabbing of a man during a 2007 convenience store robbery.

The victim, Fahd Mohammed Moshin Hussein, was the manager of the Santa Nella Market on Highway 33. He was an Army veteran who served in Afghanistan and Bosnia.

Arviso shook his head and exhaled heavily after Judge Brian McCabe read the jury's verdict. Meanwhile, more than 20 of Hussein's friends and family members breathed a sigh of relief. One family member pumped his fist after the jury's verdict was released. Another whispered, "Yes!"

Arviso wasn't only found guilty of first degree-murder and robbery, but also three special circumstances, including torture. Arviso committed the robbery with an accomplice, David Fagundes, who testified against the defendant as a condition of a plea agreement.

Hussein's second cousin, Kassim Shaibi, said he was glad Arviso was convicted but said it wasn't enough. Shaibi and his family wanted Arviso to receive the death penalty.

"It seems like even jail is too simple," Shaibi said. "Like they say -- an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth."

Shaibi understands the dangers of working in convenience stores. He's the second-generation owner of a shop in the East Bay city of Pittsburg. He was shot seven times with .40-caliber bullets during a robbery at his store seven months ago. With scars on his torso, arms and legs, Shaibi knows he's lucky to be alive.

Arviso and his accomplice didn't have to kill Hussein -- they could have robbed him and let him go, Shaibi said.

The pair took $600 to $700 from the store, in addition to the victim's wallet, store keys and the digital video recorder from the store's surveillance system. Blood found on Arviso's shirt was matched to the victim.

Fagundes pleaded no contest in 2008 to manslaughter, robbery, burglary and false imprisonment charges in connection with Hussein's death. He was sentenced to 22 years in prison and agreed to testify against Arviso as a condition of his plea agreement.

Khaled Hussein, the victim's older brother, said though nothing will bring back his brother, he felt some vindication with the jury's verdict. Arviso probably will spend the rest of his life in prison. "They did a great job. These are great citizens that made this decision," Khaled Hussein said.

Arviso has a prior conviction for attempted first-degree burglary in 1984, which could extend his sentence.

Chief Deputy District Attorney Harold Nutt, prosecutor in the case, said Arviso, 49, and Fagundes, 40, lured Hussein to a bait tank in the store during the early morning hours of Jan. 25, 2007.

Arviso then hit Hussein in the back of the head with a wrench, knocking him to the ground, Nutt said.

Bleeding profusely, Hussein was dragged to a storage room where he was bound with a large zip-lock tie, Nutt said.

Arviso then stabbed Hussein in the head nine times with a fillet knife until the handle broke off, an act that took considerable strength, Nutt said.

"The knife blade had to go through bone," Nutt said during closing arguments Friday. "How much hatred, malice, ill will did it require for this defendant to drive the knife blade through Fahd Hussein's skull?"

Nutt said Arviso didn't just want to kill Hussein, but wanted to make him suffer.

Arviso is scheduled to be sentenced at 9:30 a.m. March 29 in Courtroom 5 of the Merced County Superior Court.

Managing Editor Victor Patton can be reached at (209) 385-2431 or vpatton@mercedsun-star.com.

Reporter Mike North can be reached at (209) 385-2453 or mnorth@mercedsun-star.com.

View the original article here

O.C. death row: Murder after $1 robbery

For an introduction to the Orange County's death row series, a slideshow of all the inmates on death row and the history of capital punishment in California, click here.

The Orange County Register is publishing summaries of the 58 killers sentenced to death by Orange County judges, two per day during weekdays, from the oldest case to the newest. Here are Nos. 17 and 18:

Shaun Kareem Burney, left unknown date, right June 2007, shot and killed Joseph Andrew Kondrath, 23, of Anaheim during a carjacking June 10, 1992. Prosecutors argued that Burney, then 19, accosted Kondrath on an Anaheim street before dawn, placed a .357-caliber Magnum against his victim's skull, robbed him of $1 and forced him into the trunk of a stolen car. Burney later opened the trunk lid and fired two shots into Kondrath's head while the victim begged, 'Don't hurt me."CA DEPT. OF CORRECTIONS; TEXT BY LARRY WELBORN, THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER,

1994

Shaun Kareem Burney shot and killed Joseph Andrew Kondrath, 23, of Anaheim during a carjacking June 10, 1992. Prosecutors argued that Burney, then 19, accosted Kondrath on an Anaheim street before dawn, placed a .357-caliber Magnum against his victim's skull, robbed him of $1 and forced him into the trunk of a stolen car. Burney later opened the trunk lid and fired two shots into Kondrath's head while the victim begged, "Don't hurt me."

1995

Ignacio Tafoya shot and killed Gerald Lee Skillman, 35, of Westminster and Steven Francis Rita, 29, of Boston during a home invasion robbery in May 1993. Timothy T. Wynglarz, Tafoya's co-defendant, was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole. Witnesses testified that the two conspirators pushed their way into the house, where Tafoya knocked the two victims to the floor and shot each two times execution-style. Tafoya's case has been affirmed by the California Supreme Court.

Contact the writer: lwelborn@ocregister.com

Shaun Kareem Burney, left unknown date, right June 2007, shot and killed Joseph Andrew Kondrath, 23, of Anaheim during a carjacking June 10, 1992. Prosecutors argued that Burney, then 19, accosted Kondrath on an Anaheim street before dawn, placed a .357-caliber Magnum against his victim's skull, robbed him of $1 and forced him into the trunk of a stolen car. Burney later opened the trunk lid and fired two shots into Kondrath's head while the victim begged, 'Don't hurt me."CA DEPT. OF CORRECTIONS; TEXT BY LARRY WELBORN, THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER,

For an introduction to the Orange County's death row series, a slideshow of all the inmates on death row and the history of capital punishment in California, click here.

The Orange County Register is publishing summaries of the 58 killers sentenced to death by Orange County judges, two per day during weekdays, from the oldest case to the newest. Here are Nos. 17 and 18:

1994

For an introduction to the Orange County's death row series, a slideshow of all the inmates on death row and the history of capital punishment in California, click here.

The Orange County Register is publishing summaries of the 58 killers sentenced to death by Orange County judges, two per day during weekdays, from the oldest case to the newest. Here are Nos. 17 and 18:

1994

View the original article here

O.C.'s death row: Murder following $1 robbery

For an introduction to the Orange County's death row series, a slideshow of all the inmates on death row and the history of capital punishment in California, click here.

The Orange County Register is publishing summaries of the 58 killers sentenced to death by Orange County judges, two per day during weekdays, from the oldest case to the newest. Here are Nos. 17 and 18:

Shaun Kareem Burney, left unknown date, right June 2007, shot and killed Joseph Andrew Kondrath, 23, of Anaheim during a carjacking June 10, 1992. Prosecutors argued that Burney, then 19, accosted Kondrath on an Anaheim street before dawn, placed a .357-caliber Magnum against his victim's skull, robbed him of $1 and forced him into the trunk of a stolen car. Burney later opened the trunk lid and fired two shots into Kondrath's head while the victim begged, 'Don't hurt me."CA DEPT. OF CORRECTIONS; TEXT BY LARRY WELBORN, THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER,

1994

Shaun Kareem Burney shot and killed Joseph Andrew Kondrath, 23, of Anaheim during a carjacking June 10, 1992. Prosecutors argued that Burney, then 19, accosted Kondrath on an Anaheim street before dawn, placed a .357-caliber Magnum against his victim's skull, robbed him of $1 and forced him into the trunk of a stolen car. Burney later opened the trunk lid and fired two shots into Kondrath's head while the victim begged, "Don't hurt me."

1995

Ignacio Tafoya shot and killed Gerald Lee Skillman, 35, of Westminster and Steven Francis Rita, 29, of Boston during a home invasion robbery in May 1993. Timothy T. Wynglarz, Tafoya's co-defendant, was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole. Witnesses testified that the two conspirators pushed their way into the house, where Tafoya knocked the two victims to the floor and shot each two times execution-style. Tafoya's case has been affirmed by the California Supreme Court.

Contact the writer: lwelborn@ocregister.com

Shaun Kareem Burney, left unknown date, right June 2007, shot and killed Joseph Andrew Kondrath, 23, of Anaheim during a carjacking June 10, 1992. Prosecutors argued that Burney, then 19, accosted Kondrath on an Anaheim street before dawn, placed a .357-caliber Magnum against his victim's skull, robbed him of $1 and forced him into the trunk of a stolen car. Burney later opened the trunk lid and fired two shots into Kondrath's head while the victim begged, 'Don't hurt me."CA DEPT. OF CORRECTIONS; TEXT BY LARRY WELBORN, THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER,

For an introduction to the Orange County's death row series, a slideshow of all the inmates on death row and the history of capital punishment in California, click here.

The Orange County Register is publishing summaries of the 58 killers sentenced to death by Orange County judges, two per day during weekdays, from the oldest case to the newest. Here are Nos. 17 and 18:

1994

For an introduction to the Orange County's death row series, a slideshow of all the inmates on death row and the history of capital punishment in California, click here.

The Orange County Register is publishing summaries of the 58 killers sentenced to death by Orange County judges, two per day during weekdays, from the oldest case to the newest. Here are Nos. 17 and 18:

1994

View the original article here

Oregon Coast Aquarium and Nye Beach Together on Murder Mystery Festival

Oregon Coast Aquarium and Nye Beach Together on Murder Mystery Festival

Published 10/05/2010

(Newport, Oregon) - There will be a murder in Newport this weekend, and the public is asked to help solve the case in both Nye Beach (pictured above) and the Oregon Coast Aquarium.

October 8 and 9 are the dates of the Nye Beach Murder Mystery – a benefit for the Aquarium and Retired Senior Volunteer Program (RSVP). It’s an interactive “whodunit” of sorts, a mystery set in 1898 where a colorful local character gets whacked at nearby farm.

There will be a seasonal spooky aspect to this storyline, as the murder takes place at a well on the farm. This well is associated with many unsubstantiated local legends, disappearances, and ghost stories. Some even claim it is the most haunted well in Oregon

It’s all based on the murder mystery, “Body in the Bloody Water Well” written by Ram Papish. The spring murder mystery in Nye Beach has proven so popular that local officials decided to resurrect the festival and combine it with this benefit aspect.

Participants are encouraged to wear 1890’s costumes throughout the event, and the cast will later vote for best costume at the “Big Reveal” Saturday night.

The event begins Friday, October 8 at 7 p.m. at the Oregon Coast Aquarium with a Sleuth Social, where guests will get to go all “CSI” on the suspects and interrogate them. Bring your best “good cop, bad cop” routine out for this one. All this happens while enjoying light appetizers and no host beverages. Admission is $15 for adults and $8 for youths 5-15 years old. Children under 5 years old are free.

The festival continues on Saturday morning when guests pick up clue packets at Nye Cottage Beads in Nye Beach (on Coast Street) at 9 a.m. Participants will then go digging for the murderer by visiting designated merchants in the Nye Beach area from 10 a.m. until 3 p.m. and meet suspects – in full character and costume - to gather clues.

Saturday evening at 7 p.m. brings the “Big Reveal,” where the person responsible for the crime will be revealed and prizes will be awarded for best costume at the Oregon Coast Aquarium. There will also be a raffle and photo opportunities for participants.

Murder mystery packets are $10 and available at Nye Cottage in Nye Beach. The packet includes two sleuth cards good for admission into the Aquarium for the Big Reveal Saturday night and discounts from local area merchants. For more information call 541-265-6262.

Friday, October 8. 7 p.m. Sleuth Social at Oregon Coast Aquarium.

Saturday, October 9. 9 a.m. Guests pick up clue packets at Nye Cottage Beads, Nye Beach, $10 per packet. 10 a.m. - 3 p.m. Clue search at participating Nye Beach merchants
6 to 8 p.m. The Big Reveal at the Oregon Coast Aquarium; the culprit is revealed, costume prizes, raffle and photos.

For more information, visit the Aquarium’s Web site at www.aquarium.org.

More Central Oregon Coast Event Highlights

October 19 & 20. Talent Show Auditions,  for the “What’s Your Talent?” 3rd Annual Variety Talent Show. Auditions 6:30 - 8:30 p.m. Show happens October 29 and 30. Lincoln City Cultural Center. Lincoln City, Oregon. 541-921-8611 or 541-994-9472.

October 23. Glass Gala at Inn at Spanish Head to kick off the 2010 – 2011. Finders Keepers Promotion. Evening includes a raffle, silent auction, and DJ. Doors open at 6 p.m., dinner starts at 7 p.m. $70. Lincoln City, Oregon. 800-452-2151 or www.oregoncoast.org

October 22-23. Yachats Guitar Fest. An evening of acoustic guitar music. 6 p.m. Yachats Commons, Hwy 101 & W 5th. Yachats, Oregon.

October 23. Mushroom class with Wild Gourmet. 9 a.m. Regatta Grounds. W Devils Lake Rd. Lincoln City, Oregon.  541-992-3798

October 30. Halloween Harvest Festival.  10 a.m. Various spooky and scientific events. Oregon Coast Aquarium. 2820 SE Ferry Slip Road. Newport, Oregon. 541-867-3474. www.aquarium.org.

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