The families of four murder victims are speaking out as the accused killer of their loved ones defends himself in an Orange County courtroom.
The families have sat through the death penalty trial of Steven Dean Gordon, 47.
"This case is like reading a mystery novel, but the mystery never ends," said Kathy Bronson. "Right now it's confusing, really confusing."
When Gordon took the stand, Bronson said she laid into him, with her eyes.
"I just started at him with a mean mom look," said Bronson, the daughter of Kianna Jackson, 20, of Northern California.
According to prosecutors, she is one of four women allegedly raped and murdered by the suspect, a registered sex offender.
Authorities said Gordon wore his GPS monitoring device during the crimes.
"A very sick and twisted soul with a very evil spirit in him," said Yolanda Linder, an aunt.
Linder said her sister can no longer sit in court listening to the man accused of killing her daughter, Jarrae Esteep. Her body was the only one of four ever found, at a recycling plant.
In addition to Jackson and Esteep, Gordon and an alleged accomplice, Franc Cano, 30, are charged in the killings of 34-year-old Josephine Vargas and 28-year-old Martha Anaya.
Jackson was the first to be reported missing -- on Oct. 6, 2013 -- when her mother could not reach her anymore on the phone, Yellin said.
Next to be reported missing was Vargas on Oct. 24, 2013, Yellin said. Anaya went missing Nov. 12, 2013.
In his opening statement to jurors, Gordon appeared to lay the blame for
the killings on Cano.
City News Service contributed to this report.
