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Life Sentence Upheld In Bizarre Crossbow Killing Case
The California Supreme decided today that it wasn't going to a take a second look at the case of a man convicted of randomly killing a Lancaster man with a crossbow.Arsellers C. Scott was found guilty and sentenced to life in prison for slaying a Angel Martinez, a 62-year-old Edwards Air Force Base retiree, who was out on a late-night walk in 2008.
Scott's legal team claimed that there were errors in his trial, but a 3-justice panel at a state appellate court rejected that claim this past July, according to City News Service. Today the California Supreme Court refused to review the case.
Scott had been jailed for a separate crime, when he came to authorities and promised them information about the bizarre crossbow killing. He offered his help if detectives got him out of jail. He ended up directing detectives to the deadly arrow in an aqueduct used to kill Martinez.
Scott blamed another man for the killing but a secretly recorded jailhouse conversation between him and the other man revealed that the second man wasn't involved in the crime at all.
Related:
Life Sentence for Ex-Con in Random Crossbow Killing