[deanmine]

On Halloween night 1979, Lawrence Bittaker and Roy Norris picked up hitchhiker Shirley Ledford. Within 5 minutes of picking her up, Norris wrestled her to the floor of the “Murder Mack” van. Bittaker pulled over and they both started beating her.

Norris started driving after that. Instead of driving to the mountains, where they usually tortured and murdered their victims, Bittaker immediatly turned on the tape recorder and started beating the girl.

At the beginning of the tape, the (Sounds) are Bittaker slapping her. Then towards the middle the (Sounds) are Larry using the pliers on her nipples (Larry earned the nickname “Pliers” from his desire to twist girls nipples off with his pliers).

Towards the end, the (Sounds) are Norris beating her over and over, 25 times total, with a hammer, while he chants “Keep it up, girl! Keep it up till I say stop!” Soon after the tape ends, Bittaker pulled over and they took a coat hanger and wrapped it around Shirley’s neck, twisting it as tight as they could with the pliers until she was dead.

Bittaker thought it would be funny to drop the body off on a strangers front lawn, so they picked a random yard in Hermosa Beach and left her dead body laying in the bushes. The body was found the next morning.

This is the transcript of the tape they recorded:

Bittaker: Say somethign girl, huh? (Sound). Huh. (Sound).
Ledford: What do you want me to say?
Bittaker: Huh, huh. Say something girl. (Sound) Don’t you hit me. Huh, huh.
Bittaker: Say something girl. Huh.
Ledford: Ough. (Sound) (Scream)
Bittaker: Say something. (Sound) C’mon you can scream louder than that can’t you? (Sound) Huh. What’s the matter, don’t you like to scream? (Sound).
Ledford: (Scream) Oh no.
Bittaker: What’s the matter, huh, you want to try again?
Ledford: (Scream) Oh no. Don’t touch me, no.
Bittaker: Huh. You want to try again?
Ledford: On no, don’t touch me, no don’t touch me.
Bittaker: Want to try again?
Ledford: No, no, no, no, no, no, no.
Bittaker: Roll over girl.
Ledford: No don’t touch me.
Bittaker: Roll over.
Ledford: Don’t touch me.
Bittaker: Start getting to work girl.
Ledford: Don’t touch me.
Bittaker: Start getting to work girl.
Ledford: Don’t touch me, dont touch me (Sound).
Bittaker: Get to work girl.
Ledford: Don’t touch me.
Bittaker: Roll over, I’m not asking you I’m telling you!
Bittaker: Roll over.
Ledford: (Sound).
Bittaker: C’mon, C’mon, C’mon
Bittaker: What are you dong? What are you doing?
Ledford: Huh.
Bittaker: What are you doing?
Ledford: I’m not doing anything. I’m trying to do what you wanted me to do.
Bittaker: What did I want you to do?
Ledford: Suck on it.
Bittaker: Suck on what?
Ledford: This.
Bittaker: What is this?
Ledford: Your dick.
Bittaker: Yeh, say it.
Ledford: Your dick.
Bittaker: You’re sucking on my dick?
Ledford: That’s what you wanted me to do?
Bittaker: Is that what you’re doing?
Ledford: Yes, I was.
Bittaker: Tell me.
Ledford: Yes.
Bittaker: Tell me what are you doing?
Ledford: I’m sucking on your dick.
Bittaker: Do you want to do it?
Ledford: You want me to? (Sound).
Bittaker: You want to girl? Do you want to suck my dick baby. Huh, huh, hey? Start answering me.
Ledford: Yes.
Bittaker: Tell me.
Ledford: Yes.
Bittaker: Beg me.
Ledford: Yes.
Bittaker: What, hey what do you want girl?
Ledford: I want to suck on your dick.
Bittaker: You don’t sound like you really mean it.
Ledford: I do.
Bittaker: Suck on it then, c’mon start sucking on it. No matter what you can do squeeze hard you understand and if it hurts any time you want to scream, go ahead and scream.
Ledford: Oh no, (Scream)
Bittaker: Scream baby, scream some baby.
Ledford: I can’t.
Bittaker: Scream some more baby. Come baby. Come on. Nobody is going to hurt you. Turn over and talk to me nice. Love me. You want nothing more in the world than to make me cum. Huh.
Ledford: (Unintelligible). That’s right.
Bittaker: Say it again baby. What do you want huh. What do you want.
Ledford: Your cock.
Bittaker: Where do you want it baby, huh?
Ledford: I want to hold it and squeeze it.
Bittaker: Why?
Ledford: It feels good cause you like it and I like it.
Bittaker: You want me to cum baby.
Ledford: Oh yeah.
Bittaker: You want me to cum, yeah, want me to come, tell me baby.
Ledford: Yeah.
Bittaker: Tell me.
Ledford: Yeah.
Bittaker: huh.
Ledford: Oh yeah.
Bittaker: Hey girl you want me to put a pair of pliers up your cunt.
Ledford: What?
Bittaker: You want to make me cum huh? you want to make me cum huh?
Ledford: (Scream)
Bittaker: Huh. Want to make me cum girl, huh?
Ledford: Oh yes (Scream)
Bittaker: Yes what?
Ledford: I want you to cum. Cum. (Scream). Come on.
Bittaker: Stop screaming at me, come on talk to me.
Ledford: Cum, cum, cum. Please cum, cum, cum, cum.
Bittaker: Where do you want me to cum baby?
Ledford: I want you to cum.
Bittaker: Where do you want me to cum?
Ledford: I want you to cum.
Bittaker: Where do you want me to cum?
Ledford: Your cock. I want you to cum.
Bittaker: Cum where?
Ledford: Cum.
Bittaker: Cum where? Where do you want me to cum?
Ledford: In me.
Bittaker: Where?
Ledford: Cum.
Bittaker: Where?
Ledford: All over. All over.
Norris: I doubt that
Ledford: I think you broke it.
Norris: I barely hit it.
Ledford: Don’t hit it again.
Norris: Oh yeah.
Ledford: No, no, no, no, no. (Sound) (Scream) Oh no, no, no, no. (Sound).
Norris: How’s that.
Ledford: (Scream). No, no, no, no, no, no. (Scream)
Bittaker: Is the recorder going?
Norris: What?
Bittaker: Is the recorder going?
Norris: Yeah.
Ledford: (Scream). No, no, no. Oh, oh. (Scream)
Norris: Make nose there girl. Go ahead and scream or I’ll make you scream.
Ledford: (Unintelligible) (Moaning)
Norris: Oh yeah
Ledford: Oh.
Norris: Scream!
Ledford: (Scream). I’ll scream if you stop hitting me. (Scream)
Norris: Keep it up girl.
Ledford: (Scream).
Norris: Keep it up.
Ledford: (Scream).
Norris: More.
Ledford: (Scream).
Norris: Keep it up.
Ledford: (Scream).
Norris: Till I say stop.
Ledford: (Scream). Oh, Oh. (Scream). Oh, no. (Screams). (Unintelligible)
Norris: I was just beating on her elbows with this hammer.
Ledford: Oh. (Scream).
Norris: What are you sniveling about?
Ledford: (Scream). No. Oh. Ouch. (Scream).
Ledford: (Screams).






48 Cal.3d 1046 (1989)
774 P.2d 659
259 Cal. Rptr. 630
THE PEOPLE, Plaintiff and Respondent,
v.
LAWRENCE SIGMOND BITTAKER, Defendant and Appellant.

Docket No. S004359. Crim. No. 21942.
Supreme Court of California.

June 22, 1989.

From June through October of 1979, defendant and Roy Norris kidnapped and murdered five teenage girls in the Los Angeles 1062*1062 area. Most of the killings involved the rape and torture of the victims. Defendant now stands convicted of 26 felony counts


The jury found 38 special circumstances: 20 multiple-murder special circumstances (the arithmetic combinations of 5 murders), 5 felony-murder special circumstances based on kidnapping and 5 based on rape. It found felony-murder special circumstances based on forcible oral copulation as to victims Hall and Ledford, and forcible sodomy as to Ledford. The jury found intentional murder by means of torture as to all victims except Lamp; with respect to Lamp, it found as a special circumstance that she was killed to prevent her from testifying as a witness.

Defendant was sentenced to death. His appeal is automatic. We affirm the conviction and sentence.

1063*1063 I.

SUMMARY OF FACTS

Defendant met Roy Norris while they were inmates in state prison. Defendant had been convicted of assault with a deadly weapon, arising from an incident in 1974 in which he stabbed a store clerk who accused him of shoplifting. Norris had been convicted of rape. The two men became friends, and frequently discussed their mutual interest in rape, and analyzed methods of abducting and raping women without getting caught.

Defendant was paroled in November of 1978 and rented a room at the Scott Motel in Burbank; Norris was paroled in January of 1979. After raping a woman in Colorado, Norris returned to California and called defendant. They would get together on weekends, and go to the beach where defendant would photograph teenage girls. They continued their discussion of rape, and explored various fire roads in the Southern California mountains, looking for places with adequate privacy. Defendant bought a van, choosing one with sliding doors to make it easier to seize a victim and drag her into the van.

In June of 1979 Norris attempted to rape a woman, but she escaped. He told defendant, and they agreed that thereafter they would act together in all their criminal activities.

1. The testimony of Roy Norris.

Norris testified for the prosecution pursuant to a plea bargain under which he pled guilty to five murders and received a sentence of forty-five years to life.

(a) The murder of Lucinda Schaefer.

On June 24, 1979, defendant was driving the van, with Norris as passenger, on the Pacific Coast Highway in Redondo Beach. They saw Lucinda (Cindy) Schaefer, age 16, walking along the highway. She turned onto a residential street. Defendant drove by and offered her a ride, but she refused. Defendant then parked the van a short distance down the street. Norris got out and pretended to be repairing it. When Schaefer walked by, he grabbed her and dragged her into the van. While defendant drove away, Norris bound and gagged the victim.

When they arrived at the fire road in the mountains, Norris raped Schaefer while defendant stood lookout. Defendant raped her, then Norris a second time. She asked Norris if the men intended to kill her, and asked for 1064*1064 time to pray before they did; Norris, however, assured her that she would not be killed. Defendant then returned to the van, and Norris stood watch outside. After about 45 minutes defendant emerged, and the 2 men argued whether to kill Schaefer. Norris said he had told Schaefer that she would not be killed, but defendant insisted on killing her so she could not identify them. Defendant said that kidnapping with bodily harm carried a sentence of life imprisonment without possibility of parole. Norris was unwilling to risk such a sentence, and finally agreed to the killing.

Defendant held Schaefer while Norris tried to strangle her, but when he changed his grip Schaefer and defendant fell over backwards. Defendant dropped his cigarette, which burnt a hole in his shirt and scarred his chest.[1] Defendant then attempted to strangle Schaefer, but was unable to squeeze tightly enough. He took a clothes hanger, and looped it around her neck. Norris could not get the hanger tight enough, but defendant used pliers to tighten it and kill Schaefer. They then threw the body into the bushes.

(b) The murder of Andrea Hall.

On July 4, 1979, defendant and Norris set out to find another victim. While driving in Manhattan Beach they saw Andrea Hall, age 18, who was hitchhiking to visit her boyfriend in Wilmington. Before they could offer her a ride, a man in another car picked up Hall. Defendant and Norris followed that car to Redondo Beach, where Hall got out and resumed hitchhiking. Defendant offered her a ride. After she entered the van Norris, who had been hiding in the back, attacked her and after a fight managed to bind and gag her.

They drove into the mountains, passing the place where Schaefer was killed. Norris got out and stood guard while defendant raped Hall. The men then traded activities. When it was Norris's turn to wait outside again, he thought he saw headlights coming up the fire road. Defendant took Hall into some bushes by the road while Norris drove the van, searching unsuccessfully for the intruder. When Norris returned, they drove to a new location. Defendant took Hall up a small hill, maintaining communication with Norris by walkie-talkie. Upon returning two hours later defendant showed Norris eight photographs he had taken. One of these photographs, which shows Hall about to perform oral copulation on defendant, is in evidence. Norris described the other photographs, which showed Hall nude in various poses.[2]

1065*1065 Defendant drove to another place, said he wanted to rape Hall again, and again took her to a hill near the road. Norris drove to a store, keeping in communication by radio. When he returned, defendant was alone. He told Norris he had taken more pictures. He showed Norris two pictures in which Hall appeared frightened, and told Norris that he took them after telling Hall that he was going to kill her, and challenging her to come up with as many reasons as she could why he should not kill her. Defendant then killed Hall by thrusting an ice pick through her ear into her brain.[3] When she did not die instantly, he turned her over and pushed the pick through the other ear, and stepped on it until the handle broke. He then strangled Hall until she died and threw the body over an embankment into some bushes.

(c) The murders of Jacqueline Gilliam and Leah Lamp.

On September 2, 1979, Jacqueline Gilliam, age 15, and Leah Lamp, 13, were hitchhiking in Redondo Beach. Defendant and Norris picked them up in defendant's van. After the girls entered the van, Norris hit Lamp with a sap (a plastic bag filled with lead weights), then subdued and tied Gilliam. Lamp recovered consciousness and attempted to escape, but defendant caught her and forced her back into the van. Defendant then drove into the mountains, driving beyond the site of the other two murders.

Neither defendant nor Norris was sexually interested in Lamp. Defendant set out to rape Gilliam. Learning that she was a virgin, he set up a tape recorder to record her cries during the rape. After Norris also raped Gilliam, they retied the girls, and all remained in the van over night.

The next morning defendant took Lamp up a hill, took some photographs, and left her there. Upon returning, he arranged for Norris to take a series of photographs of him with Gilliam, beginning with them clothed, then nude, then during intercourse and oral copulation. Defendant brought Lamp back to the van, and they drove into town for food and supplies.

Upon their return, defendant took additional nude photographs of Gilliam. Some of these photographs came into possession of defense counsel, who turned them over to the police, and they were admitted into evidence. 1066*1066 (At this point, according to Douglas, defendant tortured Gilliam. Norris does not mention torture.) Norris suggested that they kill Gilliam quickly because she had been so helpful, but defendant replied that "they only die once, anyway." Defendant then took Gilliam out of the van and killed her, first thrusting an ice pick through her ear into her brain, then choking her. Defendant returned to the van, aroused Lamp (who had been forced to take tranquilizers to keep her quiet), and as she stepped out of the van, struck her with a sledgehammer. Defendant choked Lamp while Norris struck her with the hammer until she was dead. The men threw both bodies over an embankment into the chaparral.

(d) The attempted abduction of Jan Malin.

On September 27, 1979, defendant and Norris attempted to abduct an unidentified woman, but she dodged behind the van and escaped. On September 30, they saw Jan Malin park her car in an apartment garage, and return to the garage entrance to close the garage door. Defendant approached, sprayed her with Mace, and attempted to drag her into the van. Malin screamed, and people started to come out of the houses nearby. Norris then drove away without defendant, who fled on foot. Malin's testimony corresponded to Norris's account.

(e) The murder of Shirley Ledford.

Late in the evening on October 31, 1979, defendant and Norris picked up Shirley Ledford, age 18, who was hitchhiking home from her job. Defendant drove to a secluded area, stopped, and drew a knife. Norris then moved into the driver's seat. Defendant turned on his tape recorder. As Norris drove, he could hear screams coming from the back of the van. After one to two hours, defendant turned off the recorder and changed places with Norris. Norris compelled Ledford to orally copulate him, then turned on the recorder and began hitting her on the elbow with a hammer.

When Norris finished torturing Ledford, defendant told him to kill her. Norris strangled the victim with a coat hanger. Defendant suggested dumping the body in someone's front yard so they could see the reaction in the newspaper. They put Ledford's body in a bed of ivy in a suburban neighborhood, where it was discovered by an early morning jogger.

2. Other prosecution evidence.

(a) The bodies.

The bodies of Lucinda Schaefer and Andrea Hall were never found. Friends and family testified that they had never been seen after the date 1067*1067 when Norris said they were killed. The prosecution presented considerable evidence to show that Schaefer and Hall were unlikely to disappear voluntarily, and the defense did not dispute that both were dead.

With Norris's assistance, the police discovered and identified the skulls of Jacqueline Gilliam and Leah Lamp. A portion of an ice pick was lodged in Gilliam's skull. Lamp's skull showed the effect of the hammer blows.

Shirley Ledford's body was discovered shortly after she was killed. The coat hanger was still wrapped around her neck. The body had extensive bruising and tearing on the breasts, bruises on the genitals, and bruises on one elbow. Laboratory examination showed sperm in her mouth, vagina and anus.

(b) Tapes, photographs, and other physical evidence.

As we have noted, one of defendant's photographs of Andrea Hall and six of Jacqueline Gilliam were identified and introduced into evidence. The tape recording of the torture of Shirley Ledford was discovered in defendant's van. The first portion of the tape contains a male voice, identified as defendant's, and screaming from a female voice, stipulated to be Ledford's. At one point defendant demands Ledford tell him what she is doing, and she describes an act of oral copulation. The second portion of the tape contains Norris's voice, urging Ledford to scream, and more screaming by Ledford.

Ledford's bracelet was discovered in Norris's apartment. Defendant's van contained a small sledgehammer. In his room police discovered seven bottles of various acids, which Norris said defendant planned to test on his next victim.

(c) Testimony of other motel residents.

Richard Dryburgh, another resident of the Scott Motel, testified in return for dismissal of a charge of possession of an explosive. He said defendant showed him nude photographs of the victims, told him one was named "Cindy," and that she had been killed. Shown a picture of Lucinda Schaefer, Dryburgh said she was one of the girls in the photographs he had seen.[4] Dryburgh further testified that defendant told him of kidnapping and killing two girls on one occasion, but incorrectly identified Schaefer as one of the two. He correctly identified a photograph of Gilliam. Mike Horn, another 1068*1068 resident, testified that defendant showed him photographs of Gilliam and Hall.

Christina Dralle, a 17-year-old girl staying at the motel, said defendant showed her photographs of Gilliam and four other girls, and said, "The girls I get won't talk any more." On another occasion she heard a tape, apparently the recording of the rape of Gilliam, which defendant played for her. Steven Eastman, a visitor at the motel, also heard the tape.

(d) Testimony of inmates.

David Lambert shared a jail cell with defendant. At defendant's request, Lambert drew a picture of a girl on the cell wall. Defendant said it looked like "Cindy," and asked Lambert to add coat hangers and pliers to the picture. Defendant then signed it "Pliers Bittaker," a jail nickname he had acquired from his stories of torturing women with pliers. Defendant signed autographs for other prisoners using that nickname. One said, "hitch-hikers welcome, females especially"; another said, "Norris did it." Defendant also told Lambert of his abduction of two girls on one occasion, and of another girl on Halloween night (when Ledford was murdered).

Lloyd Carlos Douglas testified that defendant told him in detail of the abduction of Gilliam and Lamp, the rape and torture of Gilliam, and the murder of both girls. (Norris did not describe any torture of Gilliam.) According to Douglas, defendant said he pinched Gilliam's legs and breasts with a vise grip, finally tearing off part of the nipple, then thrust an ice pick through her breast and twisted it. He then pushed the ice pick through Gilliam's ear; she screamed and fell dead. Defendant told Douglas that he tortured Ledford by pulling on her genitals and breasts with a vise grip.

3. Defendant's case.

The defense contended that Norris, not defendant, was responsible for the murders. Richard Shoopman, a convict friend of defendant and Norris, said Norris had told him many times of his desire to rape young women. Norris said the look of shock and fear on the victim's face particularly aroused him. Defendant, on the other hand, seldom talked to Shoopman about sex.

Defendant testified on his own behalf, and said that he was not involved in the abduction and murder of Lucinda Schaefer, but that Norris told him that Norris and another man had committed those crimes. He testified that he and Norris picked up Andrea Hall when she was hitchhiking, and offered her $200 for sex and photographs, to which she agreed. They drove 1069*1069 into the mountains, engaged in various sexual acts, and took pictures. Defendant then returned to the van. A while later Norris returned alone, and told defendant that Hall could find her own way home.

Defendant testified that after he and Norris picked up Gilliam and Lamp, he offered Gilliam money if she would pose for photographs. She agreed. They drove to the mountains where he and Norris took the photographs and made a tape recording. The next day Norris dropped defendant at Norris's residence and left to drive the girls home in the van. Defendant testified that he never saw them again.

Defendant admitted the assault on Jan Malin, and his description of the incident corresponds to that of Norris and Malin. He claimed, however, that his purpose was not to kidnap Malin, but to test the effectiveness of Mace as a defensive weapon.

Finally, defendant testified that Shirley Ledford agreed to sexual acts for money, and to making of a tape. She screamed on cue for the tape, but was not tortured in his presence. Defendant said that after making the tape he returned to his motel, leaving Ledford with Norris.

On cross-examination, defendant acknowledged that he had begun writing a book, and had shown drafts to a newspaper reporter and a guard. The book, entitled "The Last Ride," contained a detailed account of the murder of Lucinda Schaefer by Norris and the author. It also described the abduction and rape of Andrea Hall (but not her murder), and the abduction of Gilliam and Lamp.[5] In explanation, defendant said that the book was part fact, based on what he had been told by Norris, and part fiction.

4. Penalty phase evidence.

Gary Louie, the victim of defendant's 1974 assault, testified at the penalty trial. He saw defendant leave a grocery store with a package of meat hidden in his clothes. Louie followed defendant outside and asked if defendant had forgotten to pay for anything. Instantly, without saying a word, defendant stabbed Louie. Defendant was caught by two other employees. The defense presented psychiatric evidence that defendant may have been in an altered state of consciousness at the time of the assault; the prosecution presented contrary expert evidence in rebuttal.

Psychologist Michael Maloney testified for the defense. He described defendant's lengthy criminal career dating from adolescence, but noted that 1070*1070 except for the 1974 incident the crimes were nonviolent, primarily shoplifting and auto theft. On one occasion defendant committed a crime and was returned to custody the day of his release. Dr. Maloney said defendant was quite intelligent (I.Q. over 130). He has no mental illness except an inability to empathize with others. He classified defendant as an "antisocial personality," a diagnostic category that replaces the former designations of psychopath and sociopath.

[luton loyal]

cunts

[Wardead]

Hopefully they get raped in prison little taste of their own medicine

[deanmine]

He lives the high life, as high as u can get on death row. At the only prison to carry out the deaths of those California says will some day feel the poison juice. He lives among the best of the worst people in all of state, playing cards and painting.

[NEVERBACKZ]

fucking bastards

[Raevynn]

I read "With an IQ, Over 130 Pliers." and thought, "that's a lot of pliers."

Anyway, this is such a horrible way to die. Poor girls. If he doesn't suffer in this life, I hope he's a victim of one of those hamster torturing kids in his next.

[invertigo]

Thanks for in depth information!

But what does that mean, 'special circumstances'?
What makes them so special

[invertigo]

^( apart from what happened to Land, of course. That's a no-brainer )

[deanmine]

Special circumstances is a term used to find a person guilty of the death penalty.. in this case, the crime these men did was not just to murder but to torture and the murder was secondary.

[invertigo]

Originally Posted by deanmine ↗

He claimed, however, that his purpose was not to kidnap Malin, but to test the effectiveness of Mace as a defensive weapon.

For a guy with an IQ of 130, he sure has shit-for-brains.