A California man who killed three people because he believed Kylie Jenner “told him to do it” will spend the rest of his life in prison.
Marvin Magallanes was sentenced for the killings of Sabah Alsaad, 49, and Onosai Tavita, 52, — two homeless men he stabbed to death in 2016 and 2017, respectively — and Danny Pham, 27, who Mr Magallanes strangled inside their joint prison cell, the Daily Mail reported.
The 25 August sentencing by Orange County Superior Court Judge Kimberly Menninger followed a “not guilty by reason of insanity” plea by Magallanes’ attorneys, who unsuccessfully argued he had mental health issues. Magallanes allegedly believed Ms Jenner “told him to do [kill the victims]” because “someone was trying to steal his life.”
A jail guard testified that Magallanes suffered from “split personality,” which family members supported by referencing his erratic behaviour after he broke up with his high school sweetheart and the mother of his child.
The defence also said that Magallanes was convinced he had a relationship with Ms Jenner and even drove through a gate at her residence in April 2016. He was sentenced to ten years in prison for the misdemeanour.
The court heard that Tavita was killed in the early morning hours while he was sleeping behind a restaurant in October 2016, Newsweek reported.
Roughly three months later, Magallanes killed Alsaad, who was sleeping on a bus bench at 1200 South Magnolia Street.
Magallanes confessed to the killing of Alsaad to Anaheim Police Department in May 2017 and killed Pham, his cellmate, weeks after his arrest, according to the Mail.
In her victim impact statement, Pham’s sister told the court that she had been scarred for life by Magallanes’ actions.
“Every day is a struggle and constant reminder of [my brother’s] absence,” she said. “As I sat in court and listened to the evidence shown against Marvin Magallanes, I cannot believe how he did not show any sign of remorse.”
Magallanes was sentenced to two terms of life in prison without parole for the killings of the homeless men and 15 years to life for murdering Pham.
