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Families of California salon shooting victims urge plea deal

In this Saturday, Dec. 10, 2016, photo, Hattie Stretz, the only victim who was shot and survived the Salon Meritage massacre five years earlier, reads a statement from the families of those who died during a news conference near the memorial in Seal Beach, Calif. Next to her is her husband, Tom. Families of some of the victims want prosecutors to accept a plea deal from the killer, while others want the killer to face the death penalty. (Kevin Sullivan/The Orange County Register via AP)
In this Saturday, Dec. 10, 2016, photo, Hattie Stretz, the only victim who was shot and survived the Salon Meritage massacre five years earlier, reads a statement from the families of those who died during a news conference near the memorial in Seal Beach, Calif. Next to her is her husband, Tom. Families of some of the victims want prosecutors to accept a plea deal from the killer, while others want the killer to face the death penalty. (Kevin Sullivan/The Orange County Register via AP)

By Associated Press 3 min read

SEAL BEACH, Calif. (AP) – Families of some victims of a mass killing at a Seal Beach hair salon want prosecutors to accept a plea deal from the convicted killer, saying they’re exhausted by years of legally wrangling in a case marred by prosecutorial misconduct.

Some relatives of the eight people Scott Dekraai was convicted of slaying urged authorities Saturday to accept his offer of taking a life sentence without chance of parole rather than seek the death penalty, the Orange County Register reported (http://bit.ly/2gzVasG ).

Four families took part in the news conference.

“Our intent here is the simple acknowledgment that the case is fatally flawed and is currently positioned for a lifetime of appeals,” said Hattie Stretz, who was wounded and lost her daughter, Laura Webb Elody, in the 2011 attack.

“We have no choice but to collectively agree we do not want the death penalty pursued,” said Paul Wilson, whose wife, Christy, was killed. “We are exhausted from this continuous pain, and this has got to be over with. Life will never be the same for us, but we should have the chance to move on.”