Kenneth Dean Hunt

Kenneth Dean Hunt is no criminal mastermind. He was a handyman, the guy next door, a man with a record of sex crimes and aggressive outbursts. Yet, Hunt, 34, nearly managed to escape justice after raping and killing two women in his neighborhood. His crimes, a decade apart, were decidedly imperfect, but he managed to avoid detection: The first time, a tip pointing in his direction didn't register with police; the second time, investigators didn't realize a murder had occurred.

Kenneth Dean Hunt, who was convicted of raping and murdering two Westside women a decade apart, was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole Tuesday. Hunt, 35, was convicted in March of killing Myra Davis, 71, in July 1988 and Jean Orloff, 60 in March 1998. Two juries deadlocked on whether to recommend the death penalty, and prosecutors decided against a third penalty phase trial.

Kenneth Dean Hunt, who was convicted of raping and murdering two Westside women a decade apart, was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole Tuesday. Hunt, 35, was convicted in March of killing Myra Davis, 71, in July 1988 and Jean Orloff, 60 in March 1998. Two juries deadlocked on whether to recommend the death penalty, and prosecutors decided against a third penalty phase trial.

Kenneth Dean Hunt is no criminal mastermind. He was a handyman, the guy next door, a man with a record of sex crimes and aggressive outbursts. Yet, Hunt, 34, nearly managed to escape justice after raping and killing two women in his neighborhood. His crimes, a decade apart, were decidedly imperfect, but he managed to avoid detection: The first time, a tip pointing in his direction didn't register with police; the second time, investigators didn't realize a murder had occurred.

Los Angeles County prosecutors announced Thursday that they will not seek the death penalty a third time against Kenneth Dean Hunt, who was convicted of strangling two Westside women a decade apart. Hunt, 35, was found guilty of first-degree murder and rape in the killings of Myra Davis, 71, and Jean Orloff, 60. Orloff, an oral surgeon's assistant, was found dead in her apartment in March 1998.

After deliberating for two days, a Los Angeles jury deadlocked Friday on whether to recommend the death penalty for a man who raped and killed two women, one of whom had appeared as a body double for Janet Leigh in the movie "Psycho." Eleven of the 12 jurors voted in favor of death for Kenneth Dean Hunt, 34. With the other juror holding out for a life sentence, Superior Court Judge Jacqueline Connor declared a mistrial in the penalty phase of the case.

A Los Angeles County Superior Court jury convicted a 34-year-old man Thursday of strangling two West Los Angeles women, one of them an actress who appeared as a body double for Janet Leigh in the horror movie "Psycho." Kenneth Dean Hunt, who now faces a possible death sentence, was found guilty of two counts of first-degree murder after a two-week trial that, because of a blunder by the Los Angeles Police Department, almost never took place.

For the second time this year, a Los Angeles County jury has deadlocked on whether a 35-year-old handyman should be executed for raping and murdering two women. The vote Monday was 10 to 2 in favor of death for Kenneth Dean Hunt, who was convicted in March of first-degree murder and rape in the killings of Myra Davis, 71, and Jean Orloff, 60. Orloff, an oral surgeon's assistant, was found dead in her Westside apartment March 29, 1998.