Toribio Rodriguez
Murderer
Brian Kevin Rosenfeld
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Russell Ellwood
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Robert Martines Perez
Murderer · USA · 1994
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Paul Rowles
Murderer · USA · 1972
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3 victims
Gary Ridgway
Serial killer · USA · 1982
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Henry Eugene Hodges
Murderer · USA · 1989
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Raymond Oscar Butler
Murderer · of Los Angeles · 1994
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3 victims
- Gender
- male
- Country
- USA
- Location
- Tucson, Arizona, USA
- Date of birth
- May 3, 1967
- Age at first offence
- 21
- Characteristics
- rape, torture, mutilation, domestic violence
- Victim profile
- Dawn Dearing
- Method of murder
- Cutting her throat
- Date(s) of murder
- August 25, 1988
- Years active
- 1988
- Date of arrest
- 1993
- Status
-
Life imprisonment
Sentenced to death on January 18, 1994; resentenced to life in prison on February 4, 2003
Background
Toribio Rodriguez attacked Dawn Dearing in her Tucson apartment.
The offence
On August 25, 1988, Rodriguez attacked Dawn Dearing in her Tucson apartment. Rodriguez stabbed Ms. Dearing several times using knives from her butcher block. When the handle to the butcher knife broke off, Rodriguez continued his attack, using the blade of the knife to slash Ms. Dearing's throat. Rodriguez inserted the handle from the broken butcher knife, and a curling iron, into Ms. Dearing's vagina. Rodriguez left the body with the curling iron plugged in and turned on. Ms. Dearing was not found until more than a day later.
Investigation
Rodriguez was arrested in 1993 when the police, after receiving a CRIME-88 tip, checked his fingerprints against those on the blade of the broken butcher knife.
Trial
The presiding judge was Margaret M. Houghton. The prosecutor was David White. The trial began on October 15, 1993. The verdict was reached on October 27, 1993.
Sentencing
Rodriguez was sentenced on January 18, 1994. The aggravating circumstances were especially heinous/depraved. The mitigating circumstances were None. Rodriguez was resentenced to LIFE WITHOUT POSSIBILITY OF RELEASE ON ANY BASIS UNTIL 25 YEARS SERVED on February 4, 2003.
Other details
The defendant was Hispanic and the victim was Caucasian.
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