Los Angeles man's conviction in slaying of two Israelis overturned - Haaretz

Subscribe to Print Edition

Wed., September 12, 2007 Elul 29, 5767

Israel Time: 12:09 (EST+7)

web haaretz.com

Back to Homepage

Print Edition

Diplomacy

Defense

Arts & Leisure

Real Estate

Jewish World

National

Advertising

Magazine

Week's End

Business

Opinion

Rosner's Domain

Anglo File

Books

Travel

del.icio.us

Digg It! new

Last update - 09:38 12/09/2007

Los Angeles man's conviction in slaying of two Israelis overturned

By The Associated Press

A state appeals court on Tuesday overturned a man's conviction in the 2002 slayings of two Israeli citizens after finding jurors were not properly instructed at the conclusion of his trial.

Benjamin Frandsen was found guilty in November 2005 of two counts of first-degree murder along with a special circumstance of multiple murders.

Two other men were also convicted of killing Ben Wertzberger and Adar Ne'eman, whose bodies were buried in shallow graves in San Bernardino County.

	Advertisement

The Second District Court of Appeal panel said Tuesday the trial judge erred by not properly instructing jurors on elements of a special circumstance allegation and not explaining that such a finding requires jurors to concluded Frandsen was the actual killer or acted with the intent to kill.

It is reasonably probable that a properly instructed jury would have found voluntary or involuntary manslaughter was a natural and probable consequence of the crime ... and convicted him of manslaughter, rather than murder, the ruling said.

Frandsen of Los Angeles was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole.

Wertzberger and Ne'eman, both 24, were killed in December 2002. Prosecutors said the two were killed because another defendant in the case, Shane Huang, thought they were trying to take his marijuana.

Huang was convicted in the murders and sentenced to life in prison without parole.

Bookmark to del.icio.us


	Purring with humanity
	A non-profit organization has set up a shelter housing some 700 cats in Latrun.


	Bicycling Tel Aviv
	Tel Aviv will soon join the list of cities that offer bicycle rentals at a nominal cost.




1.	California Dreamin`	10:13	\|	Denton	12/09/07

Today Online


	Bradley Burston: To the readers whom I have wronged
	Responses: 39


	Report: IAF had taken photos of nuclear facilities in Syria
	Responses: 89


	ANALYSIS: The Syria air strike is a secret that cannot be kept
	Responses: 49


	Shmuel Rosner: This year, Bush will decide whether to attack Iran
	Responses: 7


	Israeli neo-Nazis charged with racial assaults, incitement
	Responses: 12

Rosner's Domain

* The next year: Nuclear crunch time

* Obama on Walt-Mearsheimer: "just wrong" + some Lobby news

* WTR: The Nazi roots of the 9/11 attack

* Rosner's Guest: Judaism will not end... Judaism as we know it will

More Headlines
10:38 NY Times: IAF recently photographed nuclear facilities in Syria


07:18 ANALYSIS: The air strike in Syria is a secret that cannot be kept


11:54 Two Qassam rockets hit western Negev; no damage or injuries


04:23 Peace summit to include show of support, but not negotiations


10:38 Israeli neo-Nazis charged with racial assaults, incitement


05:06 N. Korea condemns Israel for invading Syrian airspace


09:38 Los Angeles man's conviction in slaying of two Israelis overturned


06:59 IDF ground operation in Gaza unlikely despite Zikkim attack


05:33 Ovadia Yosef hosts 'sale' of land to Arab for shmita year