Naso doesn't like how he's been portrayed in the media; he even sent a picture of himself from 35 years ago for us to use. He says point blank, "I'm not the guilty one" -- the one who killed four women.
Seventy-eight-year-old Naso is acting as his own attorney in his Marin County murder trial. His letter that starts, "Dear KGO-TV 7," blasts the prosecution, saying, "It's high time to set the story straight."
ABC7 News legal analyst Dean Johnson reacted to the defendant writing a letter, with a jury trial set for this fall. "It's hard to say why somebody who's accused of multiple murders would actually speak out publicly," Johnson said.
The long-time Bay Area photographer is charged with killing four women who police have identified as prostitutes. Naso has been labeled the "Alphabet Killer" because the victims' first and last names start with the same letter -- Roxene Roggasch, Carmen Colon, Pamela Parsons and Tracy Tafoya.
In his letter, NASO addresses key pieces of evidence in the case found in his Nevada home, including photographs of nude women who appeared dead or unconscious in what authorities called "unnatural positions." Naso admits to photographing at least one of the victims.
Naso writes, "The fact of the matter is, never in the 1000's of photo sessions I've had, I never forced anyone to pose for anything... My resume of glamor [sic], pin-up and sensual or ever erotic photography was always performed with knowledge and consent."
Naso addresses his wife's DNA found on pantyhose used to strangle one victim. "If this were true, all it proves, is someone got a hold of her pantyhose. Womans [sic] used pantyhose can be found in trash cans, dumpsters, washrooms, motels, parking lots, thrift shops, flea markets, etc." He also addresses his own DNA found on pantyhose used in another attack. "If it were true, all it may prove is the defendant has sex with the victim, days before she was murdered."
"A defense attorney, whether it's a person defending himself or a lawyer, can come up with alternative explanations for what seems to be otherwise very damning evidence," Johnson said.
Naso wraps up the two-and-a-half page letter, writing, "With all the devised outlines the prosecution presents to solving the 4 murders, clear and convincing evidence is lacking to incriminate Joe Naso of these crimes."
Johnson believes Naso's letter could backfire on him. "The more that Mr. Naso says about his case, the more he risks giving the police and the prosecution the very evidence that's necessary to hang him."
Naso told me he made a career taking school photos for kids around San Francisco. Now, police are looking for other women who posed for Naso who may have had problems with him.
>> Read the entire letter from Naso here
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