Unusual Day in Court for Serial Murder Suspect

Thursday, June 15, 2006

June 14, 2006 -- An unusual day in court Wednesday, as a man accused of kidnapping two Valley teenage girls made his first court appearance since being linked to several unsolved murders.

Roger Hausmann is under investigation for several unsolved murders in Southern California and Fresno. But for now, Hausmann is being charged with the kidnapping of two teenage girls.

Hausmann made a motion in court on Wednesday to have the case dismissed because of what he calls "vindictive prosecution."

With one hand cuffed to his chair, Hausmann represented himself in court, but made no mention of the renewed investigation that could link him to dozens of murders.

In a spirited and sometimes confusing presentation, 65-year-old Roger Hausmann accused the prosecution of unfairly adding extra drug charges to his kidnapping case.

Hausmann spoke directly to the judge and said, "Tell me, before I go to court, what I've been charged with. Otherwise, why not charge me with having an affair with a policeman's daughter or something else I haven't done?"

Hausmann's accused of kidnapping two girls in North Fresno in 2005.

Police say those girls heard Hausmann talk about killing prostitutes in the Los Angeles area.

Hausmann defended himself in an interview with Action News more than ten years ago. "Man, I've never killed anyone, no way," he said.

He was considered a person of interest in the murders of 25 African-American women killed between 1977 and 1990.

Police in Fresno and Los Angeles now hope the new revelations, along with DNA evidence, will link Hausmann to the killings.

"Those are alleged things right now, and other than him being aware of the news coverage and so forth, we haven't really discussed it too much," said private investigator Rick Barclay.

The court appointed investigator Rick Barclay to work with Hausmann on his case. But despite some bizarre statements, he says the 65-year-old is capable of representing himself.

Even more bizarre, Hausmann told the judge he was a member of the "Crips" street gang in 1971 and knew Stanley "Tookie" Williams, who was executed at San Quentin last year.

The judge will rule on Hausmann's motions next week and he could go to trial by the end of July.

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