High court denies two killers’ appeals

Friday, May 18, 2001 | 10:43 a.m.

CARSON CITY -- Two killers sentenced to death -- one for the slaying of a university police officer and the other for the sex-slave murder of two girls -- have lost their appeals to the Nevada Supreme Court.

The court Thursday turned down the appeal of Gerald Gallego, convicted of killing two teenage girls in Pershing County in 1980.

The court also rejected the appeal of Siaosi Vanisi, sentenced to death for the killing of George Sullivan, a police sergeant at the University of Nevada, Reno, in 1998.

Gallego kidnapped Stacey Redican and Karen Twiggs from a shopping mall in Sacramento. They were sexually molested and then driven to Pershing County where they were killed with a hammer.

The court rejected Gallego's claim that the District Court erred in not permitting him to represent himself at the penalty hearing. And he complained that the District Court refused to appoint substitute counsel.

The court said Gallego was late in filing his request to represent himself and that he was uncooperative and displayed obstructive behavior.

This was the second penalty hearing for Gallego. In 1997, a federal court ordered a second penalty hearing for Gallego and he was sentenced to death a second time.

Vanisi, in the appeal, said the District Court in Reno improperly denied a motion to allow him to represent himself at trial. The Supreme Court said a criminal defendant has a right to self-representation. But he must satisfy the District Court that his waiver is knowing and voluntary.

District Judge Connie Steinheimer had rejected Vanisi's plea on the grounds that he was making it to delay the trial.

Steinheimer also held that Vanisi presented a threat to disrupt the court proceedings, and the case was a complex death penalty case where legal assistance was needed.