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Defendant in D.A. vs. D.A. Clash Pleads Guilty to Murder
By a MetNews Staff Writer
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KENNETH RASMUSAN Murderer |
The defendant in a case that has pitted the district attorney of Orange County against his counterpart in Los Angeles County yesterday pled guilty to the murder of two boys in the 1980s, admitting the special-circumstance allegation of multiple murders.
Defendant Kenneth Rasmuson, 60, is expected to be sentenced on April 27 by Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Juan C. Dominguez to life in prison without the possibility of parole (“LWOP”).
One of the boys who was sexually assaulted and slain by Rasmuson was Jeffrey Vargo, age 6. The crime occurred in 1981.
The boy, though murdered in Pomona, had resided in Orange County. That county’s district attorney, Todd Spitzer, on Feb. 16 filed a complaint against Rasmuson alleging one felony count of murder, one felony enhancement of special circumstances of murder during the commission of a kidnapping, and one felony enhancement of the special circumstances of murder during a lewd or lascivious act on a child under the age of 14.
This rendered the defendant eligible for the death penalty. Spitzer said yesterday he will dismiss the charges in Orange Superior Court only after a life sentence is actually imposed in Los Angeles Superior Court.
Gascón’s Policies
Spitzer’s interest in the case was prompted by Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gascón’s policy, instituted on Dec. 7, his first day in office, against any allegations that would lead to a sentence of LWOP, and a mandate to deputies to ask the court to vacate all strikes and other sentencing enhancements alleged under his predecessor, Jackie Lacey. On Feb. 8, Los Angeles Superior Court Judge James Chalfant issued a preliminary injunction largely blocking implementation of Gascón’s “special directives.”
As a result of that action, Acting Chief Deputy Joseph Iniguez did not ask yesterday that the special-circumstance allegation be withdrawn. Spitzer had initially planned to be in court to oppose any such request, as well as to ask that the prosecution of Rasmuson for killing Vargo be moved to his county. Rasmuson was also charged with the slaying of Miguel Antero in 1986. Both boys were sexually molested.
DNA evidence connected Rasmuson to the crimes.
Previously, Rasmuson served time in prison for sexual assaults on a three-year-old boy in Los Angeles County and 11-year-old boy in Santa Barbara County.
Gascón Comments
Gascón commented yesterday:
“The defendant was always facing life in prison, making the rhetoric from tough-on-crime voices incredibly dangerous and entirely removed from reality. Splitting this case up or seeking the death penalty in a state with a moratorium would have dragged the victims through decades of legal proceedings for an execution that is exceedingly unlikely to be imposed.
“Spending exorbitant amounts on a death penalty prosecution that is ultimately just for show would force the families of these victims to relive their trauma through decades of litigation. That’s not in the interests of the victims, nor is it in the interests of the public.”
Spitzer’s Statement
Spitzer said in a statement on Feb. 16:
“Jeffrey’s family will have justice. I refuse to allow the LADA’s ‘one-size fits all approach’ to prevent the family of a 6-year-old murdered child from achieving the justice that they deserve. His crimes are the stuff of parent’s nightmares and I will do everything in my power to ensure that this pedophile is held accountable for his crimes and is off the streets for the rest of his life.
“We will not take any chance of having this sexually violent predator come in contact with one more child. If George Gascon refuses to follow the law in prosecuting a pedophile murderer, I will.” Former Los Angeles County District Attorney Gil Garcetti yesterday spoke with reporters at the Pomona Courthouse, where proceedings in Rasmuson’s case are taking place, defending Gascón’s policies.
Copyright 2021, Metropolitan News Company