Prosecution not seeking death penalty for man accused of killing 13-year-old in 1998

SALINAS, Calif. (KION) The Monterey County District Attorney's Office will not seek the death penalty for the man accused of kidnapping and killing Christina Williams in 1998.

The decision is in exchange for his agreement to waive his right to a jury trial and his rights to state and federal writs and appeals.

58-year-old Charles Holifield is facing life in prison without the possibility of parole when he goes to trial before a Monterey County judge in March 2020.

Holifield is accused of kidnapping and killing Williams on June 12, 1998. Her body was found in Marina on Jan. 12, 1999. Holifield was charged with her murder in April 2017.

The DA's office said it came to the decision after talking to the Williams family, who said they wanted closure for their daughter's case. It is also in part because of Gov. Gavin Newsom's moratorium on the death penalty in California.