LAKEPORT ? James Pagan, 32, pleaded guilty Monday to the first-degree murder of Tessa Faith Walker, 10, and to the assault with a knife on her older sister, Kristen Marie Walker, 14.
Pagan allegedly attacked the sisters near their home while they walked to a friend”s house inside the gated Hidden Valley Lake community on the afternoon of March 21, 2008. Pagan stabbed Tessa Walker 35 times, and Kristen Walker was stabbed once in her lower back, according to Hinchcliff.
“It”s unusual to get a plea in a first-degree murder case, but the evidence in this case that the defendant stabbed the victim is overwhelming,” Lake County Chief Deputy District Attorney Richard Hinchcliff told the court.
Hinchcliff said outside the courtroom that the overwhelming evidence that Pagan stabbed the girls included Kristen Walker”s statement about the incident and admissions Pagan made about his actions. Hinchcliff did not elaborate on the substance of Pagan”s statements.
“The only potential defense would have been insanity,” Hinchcliff said.
In addition to accepting Pagan”s plea, Lake County Superior Court Judge Arthur Mann found that Pagan was sane when he committed the crimes. Mann based his finding on the reports of psychologists Thomas Cushing and John Podboy, and on a report from psychiatrist Douglas Rosoff.
Pagan faces a potential sentence of 30 years to life, according to Hinchcliff. The first-degree murder charge carried a sentence of 25 years to life, with a year added for Pagan”s admitted use of a knife. Another four years may be added for the assault charge, according to Hinchcliff. A sentencing hearing was set for May 11.
Hinchcliff said he offered a formal plea bargain March 27. The conditions of the plea bargain meant that charges of attempted murder, mayhem and child abuse were dropped. Hinchcliff said the charges were dropped because they were redundant of the murder and assault charges to which Pagan pleaded guilty.
“As for the young lady that was stabbed one time, we could have pushed for attempted murder as opposed to assault with a knife, but I”m confident that this plea will keep him in prison for the rest of his life and he”ll never get out and never be a danger to any more children,” Hinchcliff said.
Pagan”s defense attorney, Ken Roush, could not be reached by the Record-Bee”s press time Monday.
Contact Tiffany Revelle at trevelle@record-bee.com, or call her directly at 263-5636, ext. 37.
