2003 REGION: LUSTER CAPTURE BOUNTY HUNTER SNAGGED FUGITIVE HEIR.Byline: Andrea Cavanaugh Staff Writerd Max Factor heir Andrew Luster's conviction on rape charges while on the lam and his capture in Mexico by a colorful bounty hunter Name for a category of persons who are offered a promised gratuity in return for "hunting" down and capturing or killing a designated target, usually a person or animal. focused international media attention on Ventura County. Luster, 40, the great-grandson of cosmetics mogul Max Factor, was convicted in absentia in absentia (in ab-sensh-ee-ah) adj. or adv. phrase. Latin for "in absence," or more fully, in one's absence. Occasionally a criminal trial is conducted without the defendant being present when he/she walks out or escapes after the trial has begun, since the accused Jan. 21 of 86 counts of drugging three women with the date-rape drug GHB GHB abbr. gamma-hydroxybutyrate GHB 1 Gamma-hydroxybutyrate, γ-hydroxy-butyrate See GABA 2 Glycosylated hemoglobin, see there GHb Glycosylated hemoglobin, see there inside his Mussel mussel, edible freshwater or marine bivalve mollusk. Mussels are able to move slowly by means of the muscular foot. They feed and breathe by filtering water through extensible tubes called siphons; a large mussel filters 10 gal (38 liters) of water per day. Shoals home. Luster videotaped two of the rapes. Luster fled on Jan. 3 after Superior Court Judge Ken Riley Kenneth Jerome Riley (born August 6 1947) is a former professional American Football defensive back who played his entire career for the Cincinnati Bengals, in the American Football League in 1969 and in the NFL from 1970 through 1983. allowed him relief from house arrest for 12 hours each day during the trial's Christmas break. While still a fugitive, Luster was sentenced in February to 124 years in prison. He is serving his sentence at Salinas Valley The Salinas Valley in the Central Coast region of California lies along the Salinas River between the Gabilan Range and the Santa Lucia Range. It encompasses parts of Monterey County. Prison. The California Supreme Court recently denied his bid for an appeal. His capture in June by bounty hunter Duane ``Dog'' Chapman, who tackled him outside a taco stand in Puerto Vallarta Puerto Vallarta (pwār`tō väyär`tä), city (1990 pop. 93,503), Jalisco state, W Mexico. Located on the expansive Bahía de Banderas [Bay of Flags], Puerto Vallarta has been used since the 16th cent. , Mexico, drew camera crews from around the world. ``It certainly took us by surprise how much media attention this generated,'' Ventura County sheriff's spokesman Eric Nishimoto said. ``We certainly didn't consider him a celebrity.'' Before his capture, Luster apparently drifted around Mexico, surfing and partying in bars and strip clubs. Two of his victims later won multimillion-dollar civil judgments against him, and a lawsuit by the third woman is pending. Attorney Roger Jon Diamond, who represented Luster at trial, said the sentence was far harsher than deserved. Diamond noted that convicted murderers often receive lesser sentences. ``I just think that the punishment was clearly excessive,'' he said. ``Basically a life sentence is too long. ``He wasn't present for the sentencing because he was a fugitive. I think the judge was influenced by that.'' Prosecutor Maeve Fox said the sentence suited the crime perfectly. ``He has a complete disregard for the law, and he only cares about himself,'' she said. ``He's a serial rapist and he is where he belongs. I'm very satisfied with the way the process worked.'' |
|
||||||||||||
Printer friendly
Cite/link
Email
Feedback
Reader Opinion