Michael Hughes (serial killer)
Michael Hughes | |
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San Quentin State Prison |
Michael Hubert Hughes (born c. 1958) is a convicted
Biography
Michael Herbert Hughes was born in 1958 in
Hughes lived in a dysfunctional family; his mother was an alcoholic who regularly beat him and his sister. When Hughes' sister became pregnant; his mother aborted the baby in front of him.[1] During his teen years, he was hospitalized multiple times for nervous breakdowns. In 1976, at age 17, he enlisted in the Navy, where he worked as a shipmate for a few months, eventually working up to gunner's mate.[1]
After leaving the Navy, Hughes moved back to California, where he lived on the streets, made friends, and sold drugs to support himself. He and his new-found friends moved through
First trial
In December 1993, Michael Hughes, now a security guard, was arrested in
Ballard, 26, was found in Los Angeles' Jesse Owens County Park on September 23, 1992. The other victims were found dumped in alleys in a Culver City commercial area: 38-year-old Bradley; Myles, 33, found on November 8, 1993; and Harrington, 29, found on November 14, 1993.[3]
Second trial
On July 3, 2008, Hughes was charged with sexually assaulting and strangling two women and two teenage girls in the
Hughes killed 15-year-old Yvonne Coleman on January 22, 1986. Her body was found in a park in Inglewood, California. The other two were killed in Los Angeles. Verna Williams, 36, was discovered in a stairwell on May 26, 1986. She was considered at the time to be a victim of the prolific, then-unidentified serial killer known as the Southside Slayer (later dubbed the Grim Sleeper, and later still identified as Lonnie David Franklin Jr.). Deborah Jackson, 32, was found on June 25, 1993.[4]
Hughes was convicted in November 2011 and sentenced to death in June 2012 for the murders of Coleman, Williams, and McKinley.[5] Hughes' motion to reduce his sentence to life without parole based on upsetting events from his early life — namely that he was beaten as a child and had watched his mother give his sister an abortion — was denied.[6]
Hughes is awaiting execution on
Victims
Authorities suspect there may have been other victims. As of 2008[update], detectives were investigating Hughes' possible involvement in other killings around the United States. While Hughes was in the
- 1. Yvonne Coleman, 15. January 22, 1986.[7]
- 2. Verna Patricia Williams, 36. May 26, 1986.[7]
- 3. Deborah Jackson, 30, aka Harriet McKinley. December 1, 1987.[7]
- 4. Theresa Ballard, 26. September 23, 1992.[3]
- 5. Brenda Bradley, 38, October 5, 1992. A niece of former Los Angeles mayor Tom Bradley.[8]
- 6. Terri Myles, 33. November 8, 1993.[3]
- 7. Jamille Harrington, aka Jamie Harrington. November 14, 1993.[3]
See also
References
- ^ a b "Interview with serial killer Michael Hughes". YouTube.
- ^ a b Watkins, Thomas (July 3, 2008). "Convict appears in court in cold-case killings". San Francisco Chronicle. Archived from the original on October 13, 2008. Retrieved October 12, 2008.
- ^ a b c d e Leonard, Jack (June 28, 2008). "Inmate accused of murder in deaths of four women over 7-year span". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on September 26, 2008. Retrieved October 12, 2008.
- ^ Watkins, Thomas (July 4, 2008). "Convicted serial killer faces more charges". San Francisco Chronicle. pp. B-6. Archived from the original on March 11, 2016. Retrieved October 12, 2008.
- ^ "South L.A. Serial Killer Michael Hughes Sentenced to Death". ktla.com. June 22, 2012. Retrieved June 26, 2012.[permanent dead link]
- ^ Leu, Melissa (June 23, 2012). "South L.A. serial killer gets death sentence". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved June 26, 2012.
- ^ a b c d "Serial killer: Michael Hughes". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved June 26, 2012.
- ^ "LA serial killer sentenced to death for 3 murders". KansasCity.com. The Kansas City Star. Associated Press. June 22, 2012. Retrieved June 26, 2012.
External links
- California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation - Inmate Locator CDCR number: P25039