Ex-Marine Pleads Not Guilty to Murder in Orange County

A former Marine who has been charged with fatally stabbing six people in an Orange County, California crime spree that spanned nearly 3 months pleaded not guilty.

Itzcoatl Ocampo, 23, appeared distraught and sometimes mumbled to himself. He is charged with six felony counts of murder with special circumstances for lying in wait and multiple murders. Orange County prosecutors have said whether they will seek the death penalty.

He is accused of stabbing four homeless men to death. He was taken into custody after bystanders chased him from a Carl's Jr. parking lot after a fourth victim was attacked. His arrest quickly spread a sense of relief among homeless people who had flocked to shelters during the serial killings.

About 2 weeks after his arrest, police announced that a DNA link was discovered between his clothing and an October 25 crime scene a mile from his Yorba Linda home, where 2 people were found stabbed to death. The accusation freed one of the victim's son, who spent four months in jail on murder charges. An appearance is scheduled for March 9, 2012 in the Orange County Superior Court.

In California, the maximum sentence for murder is the death penalty. When facing criminal charges involving the death of another person, whether it was intentional, planned or accidental, you will need a criminal lawyer on your side to protect your rights.

In many cases, murder or manslaughter charges can be defended by arguing self defense, insanity and other related affirmative defenses that may result in an acquittal. Our lawyers have proven experience in dealing with serious crimes such as homicide, manslaughter and murder.

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