A re-trial of the sanity phase for a 25-year-old Lakewood woman convicted of stabbing one neighbor to death and slashing three other women in 2006 remains in limbo, court authorities said Wednesday.
Attorneys on both sides of the case of defendant Virginia Ann Krall appeared at the Norwalk Superior Court Wednesday for a pre-trial conference, which was postponed until April. There is no word yet on when the re-trial might be held, court staff said.
Krall was convicted last August of second-degree murder for the 2006 slaying of Yolanda Meraz, 37. She was also found guilty on three counts of attempted murder for attacking Meraz's daughter, sister and mother.
In addition to the murder counts, Krall was found guilty of multiple allegations that the attacks on the survivors resulted in great bodily injury and the personal use of a weapon in the stabbings.
Authorities said Krall crept through an open window at her neighbors' home in the 4300 block of Quigley Avenue at about 3 a.m. June 16, 2006, and stabbed Meraz to death.
Krall then turned the 12-inch knife that she had found in Meraz's kitchen on the dead woman's daughter, who was 18 at the time, the victim's sister and the victim's mother.
The same jury that convicted Krall was reconvened for a penalty phase, which is used to decide whether a defendant is criminally insane and should be sent to a state hospital or sentenced to prison time.
That jury deadlocked 11-to-1 in favor of insanity
A new jury is to be culled for the re-trial of the sanity phase only, officials have said.
Krall, who has remained jailed since her arrest the day of the slaying, is scheduled to return to Dept. J at the Norwalk Superior Court on April 28.
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