LA Slayings Described at Trial

Killer Tells How He Helped Bonin Murder Hitchhiker
by Pam Steinriede

Convicted murderer Greg Miley concluded testifying Thursday as to how he and William Bonin killed a teen-age boy in Bonin’s van three years ago Miley testified that after the two strangled Charles Miranda, Bonin said it had whetted his appetite and that “I want another one.” Bonin already sentenced to death for 10 murder convictions in Los Angeles County last year is on trial in the murders of four teenage boys in Orange County. The trial of the 36-year-old Downey man is in its fourth month, but Los Angeles prosecutors had one advantage over Orange County. Deputy District Attorney Bryan Brown, eyewitness testimony from Miley who was convicted in one of the Los Angeles murders and from James Munro also convicted in one of those murders. Murders in Los Angeles, Orange County Superior Court Judge Kenneth Lae is allowing Miley and Munro to testify about the Los Angeles killings they carried out with Bonin only to show similarities between the Orange County and Los Angeles County slayings. Brown said testimony from the two should give the jury “some insight” into how Bonin operated. Miley, 21 said the two picked up Charles Miranda while he was hitchhiking, and that later Bonin had sex with the boy. Miranda whose age has been given variously as from 14 to 16 later was found strangled in the same fashion as the boys whose bodies were found in Orange County. Munro, 22 is scheduled to testify when the trial resumes Tuesday. He pleaded guilty to the murder of 18-year-old Stephen Jay Wells of Downey. Miley pleaded guilty to murder in the deaths of Miranda and James Macabe, 12 both killed February 2, 1980. He testified about those killings at Bonin’s Los Angeles trial. The jury has heard Miley refer to two killings, but Lae has permitted the jury to hear details only about the Miranda killing. Illiteracy Causes Problem Miley who is illiterate and testified his IQ is 56 caused one problem for Brown The prosecutor wanted to show Miley a transcript of a taped telephone conversation that Miley had with an acquaintance in 1980 about Bonin’s involvement in the Miranda killing Brown wanted to refresh Miley’s memory so he could testify about the murder But Miley couldn’t read the transcript Lae had to send the jury home Wednesday while the prosecution dug up the tape which was with an investigator in Los Angeles The defendant has already been sentenced to death for 10 murders Miley listened to the tape outside the jury’s presence later that day then testified Thursday that he remembered the conversation The jury was not told that Bonin was convicted of murder and given the death penalty in Los Angeles last year but was told Miley is now in prison for murder Miley directed a constant glare at Bonin throughout his testimony Bonin never glanced bacTTaf’bim The defendant kept busy as ne always had jotting notes on a pad Bonin is accused of murdering four teen-age boys whose bodies were found in 1979 and 1980 in Orange County They are Frank Fox 17 of Bellflower Glenn Barker 14 of Huntington Beach Russell Rugh 15 of Garden Grove and 17-year-old Lawrence Sharp of Long Beach.