Sausage King Sentenced to Death
Feb 15th, 05 - San Leandro sausage plant owner Stuart Alexander was sentenced today to the death penalty for murdering three meat inspectors at his plant nearly five years ago.
At the end of a full day of hearings on various legal issues, Alameda County Superior Court Judge Vernon Nakahara upheld a jury's recommendation at the end of Alexander's penalty phase on Dec. 14 that he be given the death penalty instead of the alternative of life in prison without parole.
On Oct. 19, the same jury convicted Alexander, 43, who called himself "The Sausage King," of three counts of murder, one count of attempted murder and four special circumstances murder clauses for killing the three inspectors on June 21, 2000.
The meat inspectors were at his factory to investigate allegations that he was violating food safety regulations.
Alexander also shot at a fourth inspector who was waiting for police outside the plant and was able to run away and escape unharmed.
In giving Alexander the death penalty, Nakahara said the aggravating factors in the crimes Alexander committed "overwhelmingly outweighed" the mitigating factors.
