A man charged with allegedly raping and killing a 25-year-old woman in 1977 in South Los Angeles faces the death penalty or life in prison, authorities announced on Monday.
Kenneth Ray Matthews, 60, was charged with one count each of forcible rape, murder and attempted first-degree residential robbery, the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office said in a statement.
The charges against Matthews includes the special circumstance allegations of murder during the execution of a rape and murder during the commission of a robbery, making him eligible for the death penalty, authorities said.
Matthews was set to be arraigned sometime Monday, authorities said, in the Clara Shortridge Foltz Criminal Justice Center in downtown L.A.
On Dec. 6, 1977, authorities said, Leona Davis had put her two young sons to bed at her home in the 8700 block of Menlo Avenue in South L.A. Matthews is accused of raping and fatally stabbing Davis in the neck in front of the children, ages 4 and 7. He fled, authorities stated, after he allegedly stole items from the victim’s house.
Matthews, who was arrested last week, had DNA evidence collected at the woman’s house that tied him to the crime, authorities said.
At a later date a decision will be made to seek the death penalty while the LAPD’s Robbery-Homicide Division investigates the case.
According to the L.A. Times, LAPD homicide focused on Matthews after running a fingerprint found at the victim’s home through the state’s offender database. It was not clear, the Times reported, what the relationship was between Matthews and Davis.
from KTLA https://ift.tt/2jjJCdC
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