Maynarich

After a court trial, defendant was convicted of murder in the second degree and was sentenced to state prison.

Facts

On May 24, 1976, the body of John Klinkroth was discovered lying halfway out of bed in his Los Angeles apartment. Death had been caused by multiple stab wounds to the neck and spinal cord. Defendant’s palm print and fingerprint were found in the apartment. A note inscribed “No faggot fucks with me (signed) The Hun” was on the dining room table. On May 24 and 25 defendant charged purchases using the victim’s credit cards in Bakersfield and Yosemite, California. On May 25 he used the victim’s card in Reno, Nevada. Defendant checked into the Holiday Inn in Reno, Nevada on May 25 using the victim’s name and on May 26, 1976, he was issued a traffic citation in Reno, Nevada. He had been driving the victim’s car.

On September 17, 1976, Los Angeles Police Officer Witowski saw a station wagon traveling on Wilshire Boulevard in which the driver appeared to be drinking from a beer bottle. Witowski pulled the car over, at which point defendant, a passenger in the car, walked over to the police vehicle and stated “I was just hitchhiking, I wasn’t doing…