5.12.2009

jury deliberates on hate crime murders

In San Francisco, a Superior Court jury began deliberating the fate of Joseph Melcher, who faces three counts of first-degree murder and two counts of attempted murder for three alleged hate crime killings of Asians in the city's Portola district and Japantown in 2006: Jury To Deliberate 'Cold, Calculated' Triple Murder Case.

On August 27, 21-year-old Robert Stanford was killed and his 16-year-old friend was injured in a shooting that happened as they left Stanford's girlfriend's house. Fleming said the driver of another car blocked the victims' car on San Bruno Avenue and the driver opened fire, hitting Stanford 10 times.

On October 21, a man walked into the Flow bar on Post Street at about 9:15 p.m. and shot a 34-year-old woman, Song Sun Lee of San Bruno, twice in the back of the head, killing her. He also shot a female bartender, who survived, and then walked out to Peace Plaza and shot 22-year-old Kam Yan Li, of San Francisco, fatally wounding her.

All of the victims were of Asian descent. Witnesses described hearing the Peace Plaza shooter curse and yell out not to mess with "Johnny white boy coke dealer." Whatever the hell that means. If convicted of all the charges, Melcher faces life in prison without parole.

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