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A man who was convicted in December of killing two young women in Fremont in 1986 was sentenced to life in prison with the possibility of parole in 50 years.
David Misch, 63, was previously convicted in the December 1989 stabbing death of 36-year-old Margaret Ball in unincorporated Hayward. He is also charged and awaiting trial in the 1988 kidnapping and killing of 9-year-old Michaela Garecht from a Hayward grocery store parking lot.
Police began investigating his connection to the 1986 murders of Jennifer Duey and Michelle Xavier after more advanced DNA testing in 2001 showed Misch’s DNA was under Duey’s fingernails.
Duey, who was 20, and Xavier, who was 18, were kidnapped after shopping at a convenience store. Their bodies were found in a remote area of Fremont on Feb. 2, 1986.
Misch was sentenced to two consecutive 25-year prison terms, with parole eligibility after he completes the second sentence.
He was removed from the Alameda County courtroom during his sentencing on Tuesday for singing loudly, which was rebuked by the prosecutor who led the case, Royl Roberts.
“David Misch’s behavior in court was not only reprehensible but a blatant display of no remorse for taking the lives of Jennifer Duey and Michelle Xavier,” Roberts said.
“The families of these two young women have been waiting nearly 40 years to receive justice for their tragic and senseless murders. Thanks to the jury and this conviction, Mr. Misch will be held accountable,” he said.
Correction: A reference to allegations against David Misch in an earlier version of this story was incorrect. He is serving time for the 1989 stabbing of a 36-year-old woman and is awaiting trial in the 1988 kidnapping and killing of 9-year-old Michaela Garecht.
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