A jury recommended the death penalty on Tuesday for a man convicted of the murders of four northern California prostitutes whose initials matched his own, Reuters reports.
Joseph Naso, 79, was found guilty of the four counts of first-degree murder. The “Alphabet murders,” as they have come to be known, date back to 1970.
Naso remains a suspect in the death of at least two other California women. Prosecutors claim that Naso drugged his victims, sexually assaulted them, and strangled them before dumping their bodies in remote places. A photographer, Naso admitted in his trial to taking pictures of the women and displaying them as art. He claimed, however, that he did not kill the women.
Marin County Superior Court Judge Andrew Sweet is expected to formally sentence him next month. He has the option of imposing the recommended sentence or disregarding it and imposing an alternative sentence.
[Reuters]