Chelsea King, 17, Missing 2-25-2010 Rancho Bernadino CA (BODY FOUND)

[Northern Rose]

John Gardner pleads guilty to murdering King and Dubois

A convicted sex offender pleaded guilty Friday to killing a 17-year-old Poway High School senior and a 14-year-old Escondido High School freshman, and he was expected to be sentenced to two consecutive life prison terms without the possibility of parole.

John Albert Gardner III, 31, also faces an additional 33 years to life in prison for assaulting a woman Dec. 27.

Gardner, whose plea spares him from a possible death sentence, is scheduled to be sentenced June 1.

His plea also bars him from filing an appeal of his conviction and sentence.

Gardner admitted attacking, raping and killing 17-year-old Chelsea King, who disappeared after going for a run Feb. 25 at Rancho Bernardo Community Park. The avid runner and straight-A student's body was discovered five days later in a shallow grave near a tributary of nearby Lake Hodges - not far from Gardner's mother's home.

He also admitted killing 14-year-old Amber Dubois, who vanished while walking to Escondido High School in February 2009. Her skeletal remains were found last month in Pala.

In 2000, Gardner was sentenced to six years in prison after pleading guilty to assaulting a 13-year-old girl at his mother's home. He was released after five years.

The District Attorney's Office said it offered Gardner a plea deal in that case to spare his young victim from testifying at trial. The offer came despite a psychiatrist's recommendation that Gardner receive the maximum sentence of 30 years in prison because he showed no remorse and would continue to be a threat to children.

At the time of Gardner's arrest in the King case, authorities said he was a focus of the investigation into the murder of Dubois.

http://www.lajollalight.com/news/268469-john-gardner-pleads-guilty-to-murdering-king-and-dubois

[Northern Rose]

Sex Offender Pleads Guilty To Murdering 2 Teens

SAN DIEGO (AP) ― Sex offender John Albert Gardner pleaded guilty Friday to murdering two teenage girls in San Diego County after prosecutors agreed not to seek the death penalty.

Gardner, 31, faces life in prison without parole for killing 14-year-old Amber Dubois and 17-year-old Chelsea King.

Gardner, wearing a dark blue jail jumpsuit with his shackled arms hanging at his sides, said nothing but "yes" repeatedly as the judge asked him for his pleas.

Amber vanished in February 2009 and the investigation produced few solid leads until Chelsea disappeared Feb. 25 near the site where Amber went missing.

Gardner was arrested three days later and initially pleaded not guilty to murdering Chelsea.

Chelsea's body was discovered March 2 in a shallow lakeside grave after a massive search. Prosecutors say Gardner was linked to the crime by DNA found on Chelsea's clothing.

Amber Dubois' bones were discovered March 6 in a rugged, remote area north of San Diego. She vanished with a $200 check to purchase a lamb she was to raise for Future Farmers of America. The check was never cashed.

http://cbs2.com/local/John.Gardner.Amber.2.1638270.html

[klaasend]

I have the new thread ready.  We can post more about todays hearing there.  Can be duplicated.

[Northern Rose]

Chelsea was raped and strangled
Killing was done with premeditation during the course of a rape
She was murdered within one hour

Amber was taken to Pala where she was raped and stabbed
Killing done with premeditation during the course of rape
Murder took place with 1.5 hours of meeting Amber

[Tamikosmom]

He's finally doing something right

Yes, yes he is.  Amazing.

He's sparing his mom and family a long trial.  He's sparing his own life.  He knows he'll re-offend, he can't help himself.

 

Was the death penalty taken off the table in exchange for a guilty plea?

I am a believer in the death penalty for premeditated murder but in this case ... if this monster is never given the freedom to walk the street again .... justice will have been served.  There is now a measure of closure for both Amber and Chelsea's families and ... they have been spared a long and drawn out justice process.

Janet

[klaasend]

I'm going to go ahead and lock this thread a little bit early.  Go ahead and re-post anything you want.  I don't care if there are duplicates. 

Thanks!

Get ready, going to lock now!

New thread......

http://scaredmonkeys.net/index.php?topic=7313.new#new

[Tamikosmom]

Norther Rose

Thank you for the heads-up in the Heleigh thread.

Janet