El Camino Village rape and murder details revealed in hearing today

You could hear him coming before you could see him. Clink. Clink. Clink. The chains on his arms and waist rattled in the court's lock-up before Thedward Candler, 25, emerged into the courtroom. About a dozen family or friends watched as he made his way to the counsel table. His hands, one of which was wrapped in a bandage, were balled up as he took his seat.

It's been one year and one week since 76-year-old Severa Madrona was found bloodied and gasping for breath in the backyard of an El Camino Village home. She was only several blocks from her own home, on her early morning walk, when she was raped and killed. Candler, a recent parolee from Gardena, was linked to her death by DNA, and now faces capital murder charges.

His preliminary hearing got underway late this morning in Torrance Superior Court and will continue this afternoon. I'll have a full story for tomorrow's Daily Breeze on the hearing, and I'll try to send Twitter updates from the courtroom this afternoon. You can see those over there on the right ----> (which is still having technical difficulties since mine and Larry's updates are apparently meshed). Or, sign up for your own Twitter account and get the updates directly from me @dbreezeCourts.