Former model recounts photo shoot with accused killer Joseph Naso

SAN RAFAEL, Calif. (KGO) -- Accused serial killer Joseph Naso is on trial right now for four murders. The prosecution rested Tuesday, and now Naso, acting as his own attorney, is presenting his defense. Monique Dahlquist is a former model and Naso's first witness. She recounted a bizarre photo shoot with Naso in an exclusive interview with the ABC7 News I-Team.

Dahlquist didn't remember Naso's name or their photo session in her Sausalito home in 1986. But, police found pictures of Dahlquist in Naso's Reno home, along with photos of other women he is accused of killing. He is facing four counts of murder, and is suspected in several other deaths.

"They told me who he was, what he did and it was like a shock to me, I did not realize that I was so close," Dahlquist said.

Naso is accused of being the "Alphabet Killer" -- murdering women with first and last names that start with the same letter -- Roxene Roggasch, Carmen Colon, Pam Parsons and Tracy Tafoya.

When she answered Naso's ad for models, Dahlquist used "Danita" as her first name.

"At first he was nice and friendly and professional, and then, he changed," she said.

Dahlquist says Naso became more demanding and gruff during the photo shoot, especially after she refused to pose in socks with holes that he had brought with him.

"I did not think of him as serial killer at the time, but I knew there was something wrong with him; I knew that he was some, dark energy," Dahlquist said. "Yeah, it was, I thought maybe rapist and I started to be afraid of him."

Dahlquist says Naso's mood improved when she gave him homemade chicken soup -- he mentioned it when Dahlquist testified in court.

"And he really emphasized on that, how nice I was because of the chicken soup, homemade chicken soup, I give it to him, I think that the homemade chicken soup saved my life, I truly believe in that," Dahlquist said.

Dahlquist told investigators Naso must have drugged her. One picture shows her naked from the waist down -- she doesn't remember taking it, and says she would never agree to that.

"I don't know what happened, like when I was laying down and I was unconscious, my eyes were closed, I would never pose like that to picture," she said.

In the courtroom, the judge is allowing cameras only at the very beginning and the end of the trial. But, the I-Team's Dan Noyes watched as Dahlquist walked off the stand, asking if she could keep those photographs. When the judge said, "No, they're evidence," Naso piped up and said, "I'll send you some."

"I just don't know how a jury sees that," Naso's court-appointed advisory counsel Pedro Oliveros said. "One view is that he's grand-standing or being inappropriate. Another view is that just he's an older gentleman. He's 79 years old, and he's being folksy.">

Tuesday, Oliveros delivered a message from Naso.

"He wanted to convey to you that he is happy with the fact that he is going to trial and he has the ability to defend himself," Oliveros said.

Naso is expected to take just three days for his defense, wrapping up by Friday. Closing arguments are expected to be next week.

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marin county, crime, murder, trials, joseph naso, north bay news, dan noyes

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