TRACY WILSON, TIMES STAFF WRITER, October 20, 1999, Wednesday, Ventura County Edition, Los Angeles Times
VENTURA COUNTY NEWS;
PROSECUTORS WILL SEEK DEATH PENALTY IN TRIAL OF SKINHEAD MERRIMAN
Ventura County prosecutors announced Tuesday that they will seek the death
penalty for accused killer Justin Merriman in the 1992 slaying of 20-year-old
college student Katrina Montgomery.
Merriman, a 27-year-old white supremacist, is accused of raping and murdering
Montgomery on Nov. 28, after they met at a party in Oxnard.
According to one witness who testified before the Ventura County Grand Jury
last year, Merriman took Montgomery to his Ventura home, raped her and then
fatally bludgeoned and stabbed her. Merriman allegedly forced two skinhead
gang members to help him dispose of the body.
Montgomery, a Santa Monica College student who attended Ventura High School,
was last seen driving from the party. Although authorities recovered her
blood-stained pickup truck in the Angeles National Forest the next day, her
body was never found.
The investigation into Montgomery's disappearance languished for five years
until Ventura County Dist. Atty. Michael D. Bradbury authorized deputies in his
office to pursue old leads.
In January, the grand jury indicted Merriman on 25 criminal counts, including
two special allegations that make him eligible for the death penalty.
Bradbury's office decided to seek the death penalty after reviewing several
factors in the case, including how the killing occurred and Merriman's criminal
background--a felony conviction for resisting a jail guard several
years ago.
"In light of all the circumstances, Mr. Bradbury thought the death penalty was
appropriate," said Deputy Dist. Atty. Ron Bamieh, who is prosecuting the case.
Merriman's attorney could not be reached Tuesday for comment on the
prosecution's decision. Merriman's trial is scheduled to begin March 27.
In addition to murder and rape charges in the Montgomery case, Merriman is
accused of raping two other women, in 1994 and 1995, and resisting arrest
during an armed standoff with Ventura police in February 1998.
More recently, the grand jury handed down a second indictment against Merriman
for allegedly trying to threaten witnesses. Authorities say they intercepted
letters that targeted grand jury witnesses, referred to as
"rats," who had assisted the prosecution.
The letters were intended to reach Merriman's fellow skinhead
gang members in the state prison system, where some witnesses are currently
serving time, authorities said.
Three women, including the defendant's 51-year-old mother, have also been
indicted on conspiracy charges for allegedly working with Merriman. Two of the
women have pleaded guilty and are serving yearlong jail sentences.
Beverlee Sue Merriman, the defendant's mother, has pleaded not guilty to
charges of conspiracy and perjury. She is being held in lieu of $ 2 million
bail. A trial is scheduled for January.
Justin Merriman, who is being held without bail, has denied all the charges
against him. A judge recently prohibited his phone and visitation privileges,
after prosecutors raised concerns about the defendant's alleged threats.