Chinatown Murderer Found Guilty

A man who brutally killed four homeless individuals in a shocking attack in Chinatown back in 2019 has been convicted of murder and other charges. The jury reached a verdict in just four hours.

Randy Santos, 31, claimed during the trial that voices in his head compelled him to “kill 40 people” to protect himself. This disturbing prelude to the violence occurred in the early hours of October 5, 2019.

Santos’ public defender, Marnie Zien, shared that he had stopped taking his medication for schizophrenia and had an episode where he lost control, attacking a vagrant with a metal rod. It’s a heartbreaking situation, really. I can’t help but think about how things spiraled out of control for him.

Zien remarked, “It was real to Randy. He needed the voices to stop and believed he had to save his life. Unfortunately, due to his mental illness, he couldn’t see any other way out.” But the prosecution disagreed sharply, asserting that Santos was aware of his actions.

In closing remarks, Assistant District Attorney Alfred Peterson emphasized, “The defendant himself acknowledged that what he did was wrong.” He pointed out Santos’ own admission about being afraid of “heroes” who might intervene, highlighting that he understood the societal norms he was violating.

Peterson noted a specific interview with Santos post-arrest as crucial evidence. During this session, a psychiatrist asked him if he recognized that killing was wrong, to which Santos replied in the affirmative.

When pressed further, Santos told the psychiatrist, “Of course. I know what I’m doing. I don’t want to get killed.” Yet, his answer to the follow-up question about who threatened him—that he feared “a hero”—was chilling. How disturbing to consider the fracturing of his reality.

Despite his claims of being mentally disoriented, Santos has cycled through psychiatric wards since his arrest. He maintained during the trial that while he did commit the murders, he wasn’t fully accountable due to his “disoriented and sick mind.” A tragic case, no matter how you look at it.