Bondage Club's 'House Slave' Sentenced To 56 Years To Life For Murder, Arson
LOS ANGELES (CNSLA.com) — A bondage club's "house slave" was sentenced Thursday to 56 years to life in prison for murdering the club owner and setting a fire that damaged the building.
David Edward Albert, 55, of Simi Valley, was banished from swinger's parties at the club after revealing A fetish of sniffing women's behinds.
Prosecutors said Albert murdered club owner John Lavine and his 5-year-old dog Koda in retaliation after he was banned from parties and fired from his janitorial job.
Albert was convicted in July of first-degree murder, arson and cruelty to an animal for the July 27, 2010 murders and arson.
Deputy District Attorney Marc Chomel said during trial that Albert was banished from the club "because he was creeping people out."
Lavine, 62, was shot in the back of the head and the back and strangled. Albert also set him on fire.
Before the sentence was imposed, the victim's son, Dean Lavine, spoke of having "mixed emotions." He also said he felt sorry for the defendant even if he didn't show any remorse.
"I don't want to have hate," Lavine said. "But this is a person that did something incredibly violent."
Elana Lavine, the victim's daughter, told the court "a very big piece" of her life was now missing.
Albert declined to make a statement.
Defense attorney Winston Kevin McKesson argued at trial that the murder was actually a failed suicide.
McKesson told jurors that his client had gone to the business armed with a gun and a plan to kill himself in front of Lavine.
The suicide plan went awry when Lavine "belittled him," "hurt him emotionally" and the two struggled over the gun, McKesson argued.
Lavine's badly-charred body had to be identified from X-rays showing surgical implants in his back.
Related Link: Bondage Club's 'House Slave' Convicted In Murder, Arson
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