Accused serial killer Joseph Naso may just be spending his last days on the material plane because Marin County prosecutors are seeking the death penalty in his trial. The 78-year-old Reno man is accused of murdering four women dating as far back as 1977, but it's quite possible that Naso could have murdered many more women -- several of which have been described as prostitutes. In fact, he is facing "special circumstance" allegations of killing several women, which is what makes him illegible for the death penalty in the first place.
This latest update is the first concrete acknowledgement that the death penalty is on the table and being pursued in the case of serial killer Joseph Naso. To be quite honest, prosecutors better have some hard evidence against this guy because they really haven't revealed much as far as these "special circumstance" allegations.
You see, Joseph Naso is accused of possibly being the notorious serial killer known as "The Alphabet Killer," who murdered at least three girls whose first and last names started with the same letter. Furthermore, the bodies of the girls were discovered in towns whose names began with the first letter of the names of each victim. This intricate modus operandi was also displayed in the four victims discovered in California. All of the women were raped and strangled.
Joseph Naso has pleaded 'not guilty' in the murders of the four women he is charged with killing but little is known about whether or not he has acknowledged any connection with the girls murdered in the Rochester, N.Y. region. The published evidence regarding his potential connection to these murders involves a diary in which he expressed in detail fantasies of murder and rape. This alleged "rape diary" reportedly contains references to a young woman Naso may have raped and murdered in New York. Written diaries are hard to use as hard evidence against someone in crimes like these because they could very well be nothing more than the fantasies of a sick old man. Nonetheless, authorities must feel that this "rape diary" serves as substantial proof of his guilt -- enough for him to be eligible for the death penalty. Other bits of published evidence against Joseph Naso include testimony from his ex-wife and pantyhose obtained from one of the victims that could possibly contain semen belonging to the accused serial killer.
Do you think the death penalty is a viable option in this trial, or do you think Joseph Naso may be an innocent man? The fact that he's being accused of the horrendous acts of serial murder makes it easy to allow emotion to take control. However, it's important to realize that sometimes innocent people are punished for crimes they did not commit. If officials do in fact have DNA evidence tying this man to "The Alphabet Murders," then he is most likely guilty and deserving of this drastic form of punishment. Still, he is a geriatric old man and even if this trial only takes four months, spending all of the needed resources to administer the death penalty is probably nothing more than a waste of time on what would be nothing more than a symbolic gesture.