Justices Deny Appeal From Model’s Killer
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LOS ANGELES — An appeal by the photographer who was sentenced to life in prison without parole for murdering model Linda Sobek has been denied by the state Supreme Court.
Charles Rathbun said Sobek died when he sat on her to calm her after she had a fit during a photo shoot in the desert. But a Los Angeles County Superior Court jury concluded that he strangled the former Los Angeles Raiders cheerleader after sexually assaulting her when his advances were rejected.
Prosecutors did not seek the death penalty.
Sobek, 27, of Hermosa Beach, disappeared in November 1995 after meeting Rathbun for the photo session. Nine days after Sobek was reported missing, he led police to her shallow grave in the Angeles National Forest.
In his appeal, Rathbun challenged the admissibility of some prosecution evidence, including statements he made that led to the discovery of Sobek’s body. But a state appeals court ruled against him, and the state Supreme Court denied a hearing Wednesday.
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