The penalty phase in a death penalty case for a twice convicted killer was postponed Monday and will not be heard until August 25 at the Long Beach Superior Court.
Convicted killer Santiago Martinez Jr. faces the possibility of death or life without parole after slashing two women to death; the second was killed because she refused to help him dispose of the remains of the first victim.
Martinez Jr., 27, was first convicted in 2005 of killing Christina Wilkerson, 28, of Long Beach on March 18, 2003. Wilkerson was stabbed 20 times in the face, neck and body, then shot at point-blank range with a .22 rifle. For that crime Martinez was sentenced to more than 50 years to life in prison.
The killer was convicted again last December for the slaying of Myra Orozco, 24. Orozco refused to help the defendant dispose of Wilkerson's remains and was stabbed and slashed close to 30 times in the face, neck and body before she was shoved out of the car Orozco was driving and then run over on March 30, 2003.
The same jury that convicted Martinez Jr. last year deadlocked on the penalty phase of the trial, voting 11-to-1 in favor of the death penalty. Jurors polled after the trial said one juror refused to vote for death for religious reasons, despite telling the court during the jury selection process that she did not have any personal issues with state-sanctioned death penalties.
Convicted killer Santiago Martinez Jr. faces the possibility of death or life without parole after slashing two women to death; the second was killed because she refused to help him dispose of the remains of the first victim.
Martinez Jr., 27, was first convicted in 2005 of killing Christina Wilkerson, 28, of Long Beach on March 18, 2003. Wilkerson was stabbed 20 times in the face, neck and body, then shot at point-blank range with a .22 rifle. For that crime Martinez was sentenced to more than 50 years to life in prison.
The killer was convicted again last December for the slaying of Myra Orozco, 24. Orozco refused to help the defendant dispose of Wilkerson's remains and was stabbed and slashed close to 30 times in the face, neck and body before she was shoved out of the car Orozco was driving and then run over on March 30, 2003.
The same jury that convicted Martinez Jr. last year deadlocked on the penalty phase of the trial, voting 11-to-1 in favor of the death penalty. Jurors polled after the trial said one juror refused to vote for death for religious reasons, despite telling the court during the jury selection process that she did not have any personal issues with state-sanctioned death penalties.
rew up with christina she was a sister to me I will never get over such a brutal muder in my life he is a monster and deserves the death penalty they are both gone and had a whole life ahead of them christina was a beautiful person who loved life music animals people she had a tough life but never deserved to die the way the two of did martinez needs to die if not the death penalty god will have a better plan for him I will try not to be angery but I will one day see martinez have his day