David Misch, a heartless California serial killer, shocked the courtroom during his sentencing by singing road tunes loudly while the victims’ families were giving impact statements. The killer began singing “99 Bottles of Beer on the Wall” in an attempt to be removed from the room when he didn’t want to hear the heartbroken families. A judge eventually tossed Misch out of the room after he sang a few bars of the song and his whistling could still be heard as he was taken to a holding cell nearby.
Prosecutors condemned Misch for his remorseless behavior in court, stating that it showed a clear lack of remorse for taking the lives of Jennifer Duey and Michelle Xavier. The families had been waiting nearly 40 years for justice for the tragic and senseless murders of the two young women. Misch was found guilty of their murders in December, after they were last seen at a convenience store in Fremont and their bodies were found in the Fremont Hills.
The murders were linked to Misch through DNA found under Duey’s nails and a partial license plate number written on Xavier’s hand. Misch initially claimed to have witnessed a kidnapping at gunpoint and tried to help, but this excuse was deemed unreliable. The case was reopened in 2016 by the Fremont Police Department’s new branch, leading to Misch’s arrest and charging by the Alameda County District Attorney’s Office in 2018.
Misch, a known drug user and commercial burglar, was believed to have lured the women to a secluded area to sexually assault them, killing them when they fought back. He was ultimately sentenced to two consecutive 25 years to life sentences for the double murder, on top of the sentence he was already serving for a separate murder in 1989. He was serving time in Santa Rita Jail but will now serve 50 years to life in a state prison for his crimes.
In addition to the double murder conviction, Misch was also charged in 2020 with the 1988 kidnapping and murder of 9-year-old Michaela Garecht. He awaits trial for this fourth murder, adding to his already long list of violent crimes. The families of the victims finally received some measure of justice after nearly four decades of waiting, as Misch was held accountable for his brutal and senseless acts of violence. It is a sobering reminder of the devastating impact that such crimes have on the lives of the victims’ families and loved ones.
