Abrams found sane by jury

Deepa Bharath

SANTA ANA -- Tears of momentary joy and deep sorrow flowed in the

courtroom Monday afternoon when a jury declared Steven Allen Abrams

legally sane when he drove his car into a crowded Costa Mesa preschool

playground in May 1999, killing two children and injuring five others.

The jury’s decision, which came after about three hours of

deliberation, ensures either the death penalty or life in prison for

Abrams, 40.

If the 12-member jury had decided he was insane, Abrams could have

spent the rest of his life in a mental institution or until a

psychiatrist decided it was safe to release him.

Jurors instead will determine Abrams’ punishment in the third phase of

the trial, which begins Thursday.

On Monday, the parents of the two children who died, 4-year-old

Sierra Soto and 3-year-old Brandon Wiener, smiled through their tears

when the court clerk read the verdict finding Abrams sane on all charges

filed -- two counts of murder and five counts of attempted murder.

Sierra’s mother, Cindy Soto, clutched a picture of her daughter close

to her heart. She was comforted by her father and her ex-husband, Eric

Soto.

Brandon’s mother, Pam Wiener, also held a photo of her child,

showering it with kisses as she heard the verdict. The decision came on

the eve of what would have been Brandon’s fifth birthday.

Costa Mesa Police Chief David Snowden said he was pleased with the

jury’s verdict.

“I think they reached an appropriate decision,” he said. “I think

[Abrams] was sane when he did it. There’s no excuse for what he did, and

he must pay the penalty.”

On Aug. 24, the jury found Abrams guilty of two counts of murder and

several counts of attempted murder.

Both prosecution and defense lawyers -- Deputy Dist. Atty. Debora

Lloyd and Public Defender Denise Gragg -- refused to comment on the trial

until it is completed. Parents and family members also declined to

comment.

Monday’s verdict came after more than a month of testimony, including

those from about 18 psychiatrists and psychologists. Some witness

testimonies required an entire day and one lasted more than two.

Gragg attempted to portray Abrams as a paranoid schizophrenic haunted

by “brain wave people” who wanted to make him a killer. She tried to

establish that he killed the children to get back at the brain wave

people.

Lloyd argued that Abrams’ psychosis was caused by years of drug abuse.

The Orange County District Attorney is pushing for the death penalty

in the case, and in January filed a special circumstances charge alleging

that Abrams was lying in wait before he committed the crimes.

Dave Jenkins, a Costa Mesa resident and friend of the Sotos, said he

was eager to hear the level of Abrams’ punishment.

“This verdict is good to hear,” he said. “We’ve hit this point and

phase two is over. But there’s nothing to feel yet, till it’s all over.”