Freeway shooter doesn’t face life in prison without parole

Convicted killer Toby Stangel is not facing the prospect of spending the rest of his life behind bars, at least not for now.

The same jury that found him guilty Thursday of the June 3, 2011 murder of Tammy Nguyen and the attempted murders of two other motorists was unable today to decide whether Stangel, 30, deserves the state’s harshest penalty of life in prison without the possibility for parole.

Stangel is facing mandatory life in prison terms with the possibility for parole for Nguyen’s murder and each of the attempted murders of Michael Pagdilao and Amie Lou Asuncion at sentencing in August.

Because the jury was deadlocked on the enhanced punishments for the murders and attempted murders, the state may ask for another jury to make that decision. Prosecutor Dwight Nadamoto said he hasn’t made that decision.

Nadamoto did, however, say he will ask the sentencing judge to impose the three life prison terms back-to-back.