`Rot in hell` ... Ronald Dominique, suspected of murdering, raping and dumping more than 20 men in fields and swamps during a decade-long spree, has been put away for eight consecutive life terms. Inmate spared execution in the nick of time |
Serial killer Ronald Dominique preyed on young men
Suspected of murdering up to two dozen
Sentenced to eight consecutive life terms
A SERIAL killer has received eight consecutive life sentences after pleading guilty to eight murders in a decade-long spree in which he may have taken the lives of more than 20 men.
Ronald Dominique, 44, bowed his head as a judge read out the names of eight young men he confessed to raping and killing over a 10-year period in Louisiana, the Associated Press reports.
"The lives of eight young men were taken from these families by the actions of the defendant," Assistant District Attorney Mark Rhodes said before sentencing.
"He knew nothing about them or their families and he callously killed the victims and left a lifetime of pain as their legacy."
Dominique lived about 95km from New Orleans in Bayou Blue and was arrested in December 2006.
At the time, authorities said he confessed to raping about two dozen young men, then strangling or suffocating them, AP reports. He has so far only been tried for eight of the murders.
Chris Cunningham told his brother`s killer: “I hope he burns in hell, pretty much. I hope the man burns in hell. I`m sure he will.”
Dominique pleaded guilty to first-degree murder in a deal to avoid the death penalty.
"I told the families of the victims I was confident we could get a guilty verdict on all eight counts," Mr Rhodes said.
"I was confident we could get the death penalty on all eight counts. I was also confident it would be tied up in appeals for 12 to 15 years or more."
Dominique picked up men off the side of the road or other places, propositioning them himself or luring them into his car with the promise of drugs or sex with a fictitious woman, Huoma Today reported.
Dominique raped the men if they allowed themselves to be tied up, then suffocated or strangled them before dumping their bodies, which were found in cane fields and near remote bayous.
“The nature of what he did, and how he left my brother’s body in a cane field for rodents to eat at him,” said Cynthia Barabin, sister of victim Chris Deville.
“When we found him he was nothing. Nothing … We had to bury bones.”
Dominique`s lawyer Richard Goorley said it was whether his client would ever stand trial in any of those cases.
“Hopefully, they will realise that when someone gets sentenced to eight consecutive life sentences, there`s no chance of them ever getting out and any further pursuit of any other charges will be a complete waste of taxpayers` money,” Mr Goorley said.
`Rot in hell` ... Ronald Dominique, suspected of murdering, raping and dumping more than 20 men in fields and swamps during a decade-long spree, has been put away for eight consecutive life terms. Inmate spared execution in the nick of time |
