Death penalty sought in serial case

A prosecutor said Friday he will seek the death penalty against a man accused of being the Baseline Killer, a serial predator who terrorized residents here for more than a year.

Mark Goudeau, 42, is charged with 94 crimes in all, including nine counts of first-degree murder, 15 counts of sexual assault and 11 counts of kidnapping. Goudeau has pleaded not guilty.

Maricopa County Attorney Andrew Thomas said he concluded the death penalty was an appropriate sentence and cited aggravating circumstances, including multiple killings and crimes carried out in a cruel manner.

"Based on the facts of this case and the legal principles that govern capital cases, I have concluded it is appropriate to seek a capital sentence for this defendant," Thomas said at a news conference.

A call to Goudeau's lawyer was not immediately returned.

Goudeau, a former construction worker, is suspected of starting to prey on people at random after he was released from prison in 2004 on armed robbery, kidnapping and aggravated assault convictions.

Police say the killer usually struck at night and wore disguises, including a wig of dreadlocks. The name Baseline Killer came from the Phoenix street where some of the earliest crimes were committed.

Police arrested Goudeau in September on suspicion of two sexual assaults in 2005 and indicted him this month on the other charges.

The Baseline Killer was one of two serial killer cases in the Phoenix area recently.

In August, police arrested two men in the Serial Shooter case who are accused of driving around the area at night, firing at people randomly. Seven people were killed. The defendants have pleaded not guilty.