Serial killers and true crime

As the judge handed down the death sentence for convicted murderer Michael Hughes, the room murmured in agreement. Heads nodded and a few people even smiled.

The 56-year-old South Los Angeles serial rapist and murderer was sentenced to death Friday for killing three women between 1986 and 1993.

Adell McKinley had been waiting four years for this day.

“It brings some closure in the fact that my sister has been vindicated and justice has been served,” said McKinley, who was notified by detectives four years ago that they had linked the death of her sister, Deborah Jackson, to Hughes.

I am so happy that she is finding some kind of closure.

Hughes was convicted in November of first-degree murder in the slayings of Jackson, 32; Yvonne Coleman, 15; and Verna Williams, 36. A month later, a jury ordered that he be sentenced to death. He was already serving a term of life in prison without the possibility of parole for four other killings.

4 other victims that we know of making 7 victims for this one guy.

All of the women’s bodies were found in public places, at least half-naked and posed in an explicit manner. L.A. County Superior Court Judge Curtis B. Rappe said these acts “show[ed] an intent to shock the public.”

At the sentencing, Rappe rejected an automatic motion to reduce the sentence to life without the possibility of parole, citing later that the “aggravating evidence substantially outweighs the mitigating evidence.”

I appauld this judge. There is no reason to let this predator off easy, or to put the staff of the prison at risk for the resrt of his life. Michael worked hard to earn that death sentence, let him have it.

Hughes is “nothing short of a sadistic sexual predator…. [We’re] looking at a man that is a serial killer,” Deputy Dist. Atty. Beth Silverman said in opening arguments.

Defense attorney Aron Laub argued that early life circumstances should be taken into account when considering punishment. Hughes was beaten as a child and witnessed his mother perform a forced abortion on his sister.

Several victims’ family members who arrived in the morning at the downtown courtroom said Hughes had to take responsibility for his actions.

“I’m not a serial killer,” said McKinley, who said she was sexually molested until she turned 12. “That’s his choice.”

Thank you Ms. McKinley. That is so important a serial killer makes the choice to kill. There are so many abused, mistreated, neglected kids that do not become serial killers as adults and it is almost insulting that someone would make that claim. That someone would say that they for some reason have a ‘right’ or excuse to kill others because of what someone had done to them.

“Everyone in here has been through something as a child,” said Jackie McFarlin, mother of one of the victims in the earlier case, Theresa Ballard. “I have no love for this man.”

Very true, we all have our histories but none have a right to harm another because of our past.

At the time of his conviction in the current case, Hughes was already doing time for the slayings of Theresa Ballard, 26; Brenda Bradley, 38; Terri Myles, 33; and Jamie Harrington, 29. At the time the killings took place in the 1980s and ’90s, Los Angeles was facing a rash of violence. At least five serial killers were active in the South Los Angeles area, authorities said.

I know that this is California and that more than likely he will die of natural causes but the sentence fits and should be seen through.