ANAHEIM, Calif. (KNX) – A man on trial for the 1980 murder of an Anaheim woman said he had consensual sex with the 79-year-old, but said he had nothing to do with her rape and death.
On Feb. 18, 1980, Viola Hagenkord was found dead in her apartment after a neighbor went in to check on her. It was later determined that Hagenkord died of asphyxiation and had been raped prior to her death, The Los Angeles Times reported.
In April 2021, Andre Lepere, 64, was arrested on suspicion of her murder after DNA evidence linked him to the murder, according to the Associated Press.
The DNA evidence more specifically revealed that Lepere had sex with Hagenkord about 24 hours prior to her death, The Orange County Register said.
Lepere testified in front of an O.C. court on Wednesday, where he revealed he had sex with Hagenkord twice when he was in his early 20s. His sister had lived at the same apartment complex as Hagenkord and he would regularly chat with her, he said.
During a conversation, Lepere said Hagenkord had told him she was lonely and asked if he would show her “what it was like to be held and have a little intimacy,” The Register reported.
He told the court the two had sex and that she was giggling after. Lepere then recalled that after the second time they had sex, he planned to avoid her.
He told the court he didn’t find out about her death until several days later, when a neighbor told him.
Also during trial, Lepere’s wife, his stepson, and sister told the court they didn’t believe he was capable of murder, but acknowledged that he had issues with heavy drinking, according to the Register.
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