An erection killed Charles Ray George.

To be more exact, it was the desperation to satisfy an erection that killed the San Onofre nuclear-plant engineer on Jan. 29, 2001. That’s the view of Daniel Louis Parra, a 37-year-old community-college student who owned an Orange County escort service, and his top stripper, 29-year-old Elizabeth Nava of Irvine.

You might think escorts hope to leave their customers happy, but an underwear-clad George was left dying in a pool of blood on his San Clemente living-room floor. Nava, a onetime dry-cleaning employee, ran from the scene without calling 911. Parra walked away calmly, still carrying the heavy flashlight he used to crack George’s skull. Later, defense lawyers portrayed Parra as a "hero" for preventing the rape of his employee.

Law-enforcement officers see the gruesome killing differently. Deputy DA Michael F. Murray concedes George was looking for female companionship in his final hours but says the craving that ended the 54-year-old man’s life had little to do with sex. According to Murray, George died solely because of Parra and Nava’s greed.

"They wanted to satisfy their lust for money," the homicide prosecutor said. "They were taking money under the pretense of sex, and somebody got killed."

On Dec. 8, the two defendants sat quietly as a somber jury of seven men and five women found them guilty of first-degree murder with special circumstances and a series of other felonies. Although sentencing by Superior Court Judge Frank F. Fasel isn’t scheduled until next month, neither Parra nor Nava will ever walk free again. The verdicts carry mandatory punishment of life in prison without the possibility of parole.

Did the George murder, the five-week trial and subsequent convictions slow Southern California’s escort/dancer/model/massage/stripper industry? Vice cops say no; business is flourishing. There is apparently no time for reflection when telephone pagers constantly ring, unfulfilled sexual desires govern men and so much cash is at stake. Full Story...