https://www.dailynews.com/2018/05/3...e-sex-death-of-torrance-woman-raping-3-women/
An Inglewood Superior Court jury has found a Gardena man guilty of all 25 felony counts he faced – including for first-degree murder of one woman and raping three others in videotaped, bondage-style encounters in South Bay motel rooms and in his one-time Riverside County bedroom.
Kevon Takashi Ross, a 33-year-old UC Riverside graduate, now faces up to 286 years in prison.
When the first verdict was read, for murder, Ross sunk his head in his right hand and kept it there for much of the time it took to read the other 24 counts.
Jurors were to decide whether Ross took advantage of his sexual partners, as argued by the prosecutor, or if the death was the result of a bondage sex-act gone wrong, as portrayed by Ross’ defense attorney, and he had consent.
Kellie Marie Nolan, 27, of Torrance was found unresponsive in a Gardena motel room after 5 a.m. on Dec. 12, 2015, after a sexual encounter in which Ross wrapped her in cellophane and duct tape from her abdomen to her hair.
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During the investigation, detectives spoke to three other women – Ross met two while attending UC Riverside – who said they hadn’t known how far Ross took their sexual encounters until they were shown videos he had recorded.
On Friday, Dunnick told jurors that Ross introduced the women to bondage, combined sex with alcohol, then when his partners were inebriated took their encounters to “another level.” Jurors watched graphic videos.
George Steele, Ross’ attorney, told jurors that the women all consented to the sexual acts.
“Everyone agreed, everyone was on the same page until a night – when he didn’t think he did anything wrong – went horribly wrong,” Steele told the panel.
Ross testified that with each of the four women the couple planned and agreed upon the details, and that they had safe words so the women could end the acts if uncomfortable.
The night Nolan died, Ross testified, he made sure she was breathing but was surprised to see a bit of liquid come out of the tape by her nose. When he pulled the tape off, she was vomiting.
Ross turned off the recording. He testified that he tried CPR. Explaining the 10-minute gap before calling authorities, Ross said he had trouble finding his cell phone and, when asked why he didn’t just use the motel phone, he said he didn’t notice it.
Sentencing is July 13.
