HAGATNA, Guam (AP) — The Supreme Court of Guam has denied an appeal filed by a man sentenced to life in prison for the deaths of three Japanese tourists in 2013.
HAGATNA, Guam (AP) — The Supreme Court of Guam has denied an appeal filed by a man sentenced to life in prison for the deaths of three Japanese tourists in 2013.
The high court’s decision on Monday upheld the criminal convictions of Chad DeSoto, who was found guilty in August 2014 of three counts of aggravated murder and 11 counts of attempted aggravated murder.
DeSoto had pleaded not guilty by reason of mental illness for driving into pedestrians on a sidewalk and stabbing bystanders with knives in Tumon.
In his appeal, DeSoto argued that his conviction should be reversed because the court gave inadequate instructions to the jury regarding his mental state. He also claimed some witness testimony should have been excluded at trial, including the testimony of his psychotherapist, as it was a breach of doctor-patient privilege.
However, the Supreme Court’s opinion says the Superior Court’s jury instructions “weren’t erroneous under Guam law.” It also says DeSoto waived the doctor-patient privilege when his attorneys disclosed medical records from the doctor to other expert witnesses.