Maurice Gerald Steskal
Facts of the Crime:
On June 12, 1999, Steskal was in the parking lot of a convenience store when police officer Brad Riches stepped out of his car on routine patrol. Steskal opened fire on Riches with an AK-47 assault rifle. Several of the bullets penetrated Riches’ bulletproof vest, killing him. Steskal claimed his seemingly inexplicable conduct was a result of a mental defect that caused him to have a paranoid fear of authority figures. A prior jury in the case had hung on an 11-1 vote for a life sentence.
Steskal was sentenced to death on February 6, 2004 in Orange County.
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