Opening statements and the first prosecution witnesses were called Monday in the case of a twice-convicted killer who stabbed and slashed two women to death.
Santiago Martinez Jr., a 28-Long Beach was most recently convicted last year of slashing one girlfriend to death when she refused to help him dispose of the remains of another murder victim back in 2003.The jury, however, deadlocked on the penalty phase of the trial, voting 11-to-1 in favor of death and requiring the court to hold a new penalty phase hearing which began Monday morning.
before she was dumped out of a car Martinez had borrowed and then run over on March 30, 2003.
The new penalty phase is expected to last until late October.
Santiago Martinez Jr., a 28-Long Beach was most recently convicted last year of slashing one girlfriend to death when she refused to help him dispose of the remains of another murder victim back in 2003.The jury, however, deadlocked on the penalty phase of the trial, voting 11-to-1 in favor of death and requiring the court to hold a new penalty phase hearing which began Monday morning.
Martinez 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. Martinez was sentenced to more than 50 years to life in prison for her murder.
Martinez was convicted again last November for the slaying of Myra Orozco, 24.
Orozco was killed after she refused to help the defendant dispose of Wilkerson's remains. She died after being stabbed and slashed close to 30 times in the face, neck and body
The new penalty phase is expected to last until late October.
Frankly I'm shocked how any jury could deadlock during the penalty phase when he has been twice convicted for murder. Maybe they should re-think the jury selection and if your not in favor of the death penalty (which we have in California) then you should not serve on a murder trial. I think he should be stabbed, shot and ran over. Burn in hell Santiago 'cause that's where you're going.