bloodrayne
12-01-2004, 03:04 AM
'Sausage King' Defense Tries For Life
Oakland -- Stuart Alexander's mother is to testify Monday as defense attorneys wrap up their battle to get jurors to spare the life of San Leandro's former "Sausage King," convicted of killing three meat inspectors in June 2000.
Closing arguments in the penalty phase of 43-year-old Alexander's trial could begin by Tuesday. Jurors are to decide whether Alexander should be executed for gunning down federal and state meat inspectors Jean Hillery, William Shaline and Thomas Quadros at Santos Linguisa Factory.
Alexander's mother, Shirley Eckhart, has attended nearly every day of her son's trial before Alameda County Superior Court Judge Vernon Nakahara. She has held firm that her son was a decent man who was "out of his mind" when he went on the killing spree at the linguisa plant.
Defense attorneys Jason Clay and Michael Ogul have ushered dozens of people from Alexander's past into court to depict him as generous, charitable, compassionate and driven to a horrid mistake by stress and cumulative head trauma.
Alexander's reasoning eroded after a 1997 pickup truck crash in which he slammed his head, said Eve Bechtel, whose last name was Elder when she dated Alexander.
"I just didn't see real clear thinking, choice wise," Bechtel said of the post-crash Alexander. "Kind of irrational."
Alexander took over Santos after his father died about a decade ago. Alexander had "huge stress levels" from running the plant, operating a hauling business and working as a garbage man, Bechtel said.
"I think he wanted his dad's approval," Bechtel testified. "After his dad passed away, he really went out on a limb to buy all the properties and the linguisa factory and all that. He wanted to keep it all."
Alexander was living with his divorced dad in a "dysfunctional" family when he and Bechtel began dating about 1983, she said.
Alexander worked at Santos after school. He eventually quit, complaining his dad didn't pay him enough, and he left home to live with Bechtel and her mother in Oakland, she testified. The couple later bought a San Leandro house and moved in together.
Alexander routinely worked himself into exhaustion, said Bechtel and others.
Bechtel left Alexander in 1997, she said. Alexander changed the house locks, preventing her from getting her belongings without his permission, she said.
He still owes her $40,000 for her share of the property value and money she lent him, she testified.
Alexander's aversion to marriage was reportedly among the reasons Bechtel left him.
"He didn't think (marriage) really worked," testified an Alexander friend, Julie Fletcher of Sacramento. "He believes that marriage lasts about 10 years and then the wife usually ends up with half, if not more than that."
One of Alexander's previous girlfriends, married and pregnant with her first child when she testified, told of being 15 years old and Alexander four years her senior when they began a relationship.
Laura Lovell said Alexander avoided his father, who yelled at him a lot. She recounted sneaking out of Alexander's bedroom window and climbing down from a balcony at times as his dad arrived home.
Prosecutors Jack Laettner and Paul Hora pointed out the stealthy escapes and paternal ire could have been the result of the father's disapproval of Alexander's 2-year dalliance with an underage girl.
"He was a good boyfriend, in that he would send me flowers and take me out to dinners and stuff," Lovell said, recalling her teenage awe when Alexander gave her a diamond ring. "He was not a good boyfriend, because I think he was dating a lot of other girls at the same time."
Lovell told of passing out drunk at Alexander's house once, only to have him wake her with a dousing of water and delivering her home drenched.
Alexander didn't have a "tight-knit loving family" and routinely ate his meals at a local hickory pit restaurant, Lovell said. He had a "short fuse" and worked out his aggression at a boxing gym, said Lovell.
Alexander's trademark jocularity vanished after Bechtel left and the deaths of his father and Mike Nolan, a friend who had been Fletcher's spouse, witnesses testified. Alexander asked Fletcher on a date after Nolan's death, she said, calling the effort a "silly gesture that didn't go anywhere."
Witnesses told of Alexander donating linguisa to charities, handing out $2 bills to children, driving vintage cars in parades, helping fellow business owners and being generous to friends. Organizations he took part in ranged from the Buon Tempo Italian club to the Boys and Girls Club and Portuguese societies. Alexander also contributed to the 100 Club, which raises money for families of slain Alameda County police.
Alexander joined in the hunt for robbers he spied making a getaway from a market heist in San Francisco one night, according to testimony.
Alameda County sheriff's deputies called to testify told of Alexander causing no trouble in Santa Rita county jail in Dublin.
"Stuart would like to make an entrance," Deputy Mike Vales said. "He would be the last one out of his cell ... kind of stand on the upper tier ... look down at me, flex his biceps, kiss each biceps and then walk down the stairs."
Inmates gave Alexander a spot at the head of the food line.
"You have to have some kind of respect to be able to get your food first," said sheriff's Deputy Gena Livenspargar.
Oakland -- Stuart Alexander's mother is to testify Monday as defense attorneys wrap up their battle to get jurors to spare the life of San Leandro's former "Sausage King," convicted of killing three meat inspectors in June 2000.
Closing arguments in the penalty phase of 43-year-old Alexander's trial could begin by Tuesday. Jurors are to decide whether Alexander should be executed for gunning down federal and state meat inspectors Jean Hillery, William Shaline and Thomas Quadros at Santos Linguisa Factory.
Alexander's mother, Shirley Eckhart, has attended nearly every day of her son's trial before Alameda County Superior Court Judge Vernon Nakahara. She has held firm that her son was a decent man who was "out of his mind" when he went on the killing spree at the linguisa plant.
Defense attorneys Jason Clay and Michael Ogul have ushered dozens of people from Alexander's past into court to depict him as generous, charitable, compassionate and driven to a horrid mistake by stress and cumulative head trauma.
Alexander's reasoning eroded after a 1997 pickup truck crash in which he slammed his head, said Eve Bechtel, whose last name was Elder when she dated Alexander.
"I just didn't see real clear thinking, choice wise," Bechtel said of the post-crash Alexander. "Kind of irrational."
Alexander took over Santos after his father died about a decade ago. Alexander had "huge stress levels" from running the plant, operating a hauling business and working as a garbage man, Bechtel said.
"I think he wanted his dad's approval," Bechtel testified. "After his dad passed away, he really went out on a limb to buy all the properties and the linguisa factory and all that. He wanted to keep it all."
Alexander was living with his divorced dad in a "dysfunctional" family when he and Bechtel began dating about 1983, she said.
Alexander worked at Santos after school. He eventually quit, complaining his dad didn't pay him enough, and he left home to live with Bechtel and her mother in Oakland, she testified. The couple later bought a San Leandro house and moved in together.
Alexander routinely worked himself into exhaustion, said Bechtel and others.
Bechtel left Alexander in 1997, she said. Alexander changed the house locks, preventing her from getting her belongings without his permission, she said.
He still owes her $40,000 for her share of the property value and money she lent him, she testified.
Alexander's aversion to marriage was reportedly among the reasons Bechtel left him.
"He didn't think (marriage) really worked," testified an Alexander friend, Julie Fletcher of Sacramento. "He believes that marriage lasts about 10 years and then the wife usually ends up with half, if not more than that."
One of Alexander's previous girlfriends, married and pregnant with her first child when she testified, told of being 15 years old and Alexander four years her senior when they began a relationship.
Laura Lovell said Alexander avoided his father, who yelled at him a lot. She recounted sneaking out of Alexander's bedroom window and climbing down from a balcony at times as his dad arrived home.
Prosecutors Jack Laettner and Paul Hora pointed out the stealthy escapes and paternal ire could have been the result of the father's disapproval of Alexander's 2-year dalliance with an underage girl.
"He was a good boyfriend, in that he would send me flowers and take me out to dinners and stuff," Lovell said, recalling her teenage awe when Alexander gave her a diamond ring. "He was not a good boyfriend, because I think he was dating a lot of other girls at the same time."
Lovell told of passing out drunk at Alexander's house once, only to have him wake her with a dousing of water and delivering her home drenched.
Alexander didn't have a "tight-knit loving family" and routinely ate his meals at a local hickory pit restaurant, Lovell said. He had a "short fuse" and worked out his aggression at a boxing gym, said Lovell.
Alexander's trademark jocularity vanished after Bechtel left and the deaths of his father and Mike Nolan, a friend who had been Fletcher's spouse, witnesses testified. Alexander asked Fletcher on a date after Nolan's death, she said, calling the effort a "silly gesture that didn't go anywhere."
Witnesses told of Alexander donating linguisa to charities, handing out $2 bills to children, driving vintage cars in parades, helping fellow business owners and being generous to friends. Organizations he took part in ranged from the Buon Tempo Italian club to the Boys and Girls Club and Portuguese societies. Alexander also contributed to the 100 Club, which raises money for families of slain Alameda County police.
Alexander joined in the hunt for robbers he spied making a getaway from a market heist in San Francisco one night, according to testimony.
Alameda County sheriff's deputies called to testify told of Alexander causing no trouble in Santa Rita county jail in Dublin.
"Stuart would like to make an entrance," Deputy Mike Vales said. "He would be the last one out of his cell ... kind of stand on the upper tier ... look down at me, flex his biceps, kiss each biceps and then walk down the stairs."
Inmates gave Alexander a spot at the head of the food line.
"You have to have some kind of respect to be able to get your food first," said sheriff's Deputy Gena Livenspargar.