Current:Home > MyMan sentenced to life plus 30 years in 2018 California spa bombing that killed his ex-girlfriend-DB Wealth Institute B2 Expert Reviews
Man sentenced to life plus 30 years in 2018 California spa bombing that killed his ex-girlfriend
View Date:2024-12-23 23:38:26
LOS ANGELES (AP) — A Southern California man was sentenced Friday to two concurrent life sentences, plus 30 years, for blowing up his ex-girlfriend’s spa business with a package bomb in 2018, killing her and seriously injuring two others.
Friday’s hearing concluded a case against Stephen Beal that was fraught with missteps for investigators and prosecutors since the May 15, 2018 bombing in an Aliso Viejo spa, about 50 miles (80 kilometers) south of Los Angeles.
“Mr. Beal will never be able to get out to harm innocent victims again,” said E. Martin Estrada, the U.S. Attorney for the Central District of California, at a news conference after the sentencing.
Orange County Sheriff Don Barnes said Beal maintained his innocence during Friday’s hearing.
“I could not think of anything more insulting,” Barnes said during a news conference after the sentencing.
Ildiko Krajnyak, 48, was killed in the fiery blast when she opened a box with a homemade bomb inside that Beal had slipped into the spa while she was in Hungary visiting family. Two clients she had just treated — a mother and daughter — were knocked off their feet. The blast destroyed the business and tore a large hunk from the building. Body parts were found in the parking lot.
Beal, a partner in the business, was jealous Krajnyak had been dating someone else after their 18-month relationship ended, prosecutors said.
Beal was arrested shortly after the explosion on a single charge of possessing an unregistered destructive device but was never officially named as a suspect in the blast in the days that followed. The charge was dropped after prosecutors questioned whether material found at his Long Beach home constituted a “destructive device.” Beal claimed that explosive material found at his house was for his model rockets.
He was free for nearly 10 months before being re-arrested following a painstaking analysis of the evidence.
Beal’s first trial in 2022 ultimately ended in a mistrial after the federal jury deadlocked. He was retried in 2023 and the second jury convicted him of four felonies including the use of a weapon of mass destruction resulting in death.
Beal also was found guilty of malicious destruction of a building resulting in death, use of a destructive device during and in relation to a crime of violence, and possession of an unregistered destructive device.
Beal’s federal public defender, Craig Harbaugh, did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
veryGood! (8)
Related
- Dogecoin soars after Trump's Elon Musk announcement: What to know about the cryptocurrency
- Crews scramble to build temporary channel for 'essential' ships at Baltimore port
- Maine’s trail system makes the state an outdoor destination. $30M in improvements could come soon
- Study finds racial disparities in online patient portal responses
- Texas now tops in SEC? Miami in trouble? Five overreactions to college football Week 11
- Barbara Rush, actor who co-starred with Frank Sinatra and Paul Newman among others, dies at 97
- Meet Morgan Riddle: The Influencer Growing the Tennis Fanbase Alongside Boyfriend Taylor Fritz
- Pregnant Francesca Farago and Jesse Sullivan Reveal They May Be Expecting Twin Babies
- Chipotle unveils cilantro-scented soap, 'water' cup candles in humorous holiday gift line
- How a biased test kept thousands of Black patients from getting a new kidney
Ranking
- 32-year-old Maryland woman dies after golf cart accident
- Devin Booker cooks Pelicans with 52 points, hitting career-high eight 3s in huge Suns win
- Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg says we don't fully know conditions for Baltimore bridge repair
- Will the Backstreet Boys Rerecord Music Like Taylor Swift? AJ McLean Says…
- Investigation into Chinese hacking reveals ‘broad and significant’ spying effort, FBI says
- US job openings rise modestly to 8.8 million in February in strong labor market
- Crews scramble to build temporary channel for 'essential' ships at Baltimore port
- Sean 'Diddy' Combs returns to Instagram following home raids, lawsuits
Recommendation
-
Today Reveals Hoda Kotb's Replacement
-
Cicadas are nature’s weirdos. They pee stronger than us and an STD can turn them into zombies
-
GalaxyCoin Exchange: Deposit and Withdrawal Methods
-
Upgrade Your Closet With These Cool & Trendy Spring Street Style Essentials
-
Todd Golden to continue as Florida basketball coach despite sexual harassment probe
-
Upset by 'male aggression,' Chelsea manager shoves her Arsenal counterpart after match
-
Clark leads Iowa back to the Final Four. Undefeated South Carolina will be there, too
-
Cargo ship’s owner and manager seek to limit legal liability for deadly bridge disaster in Baltimore