A 75-year-old eastern Pennsylvania man will not contest extradition to California to face charges in the 1969 rape and murder of a young mother.
Defense attorney John Waldron said he spoke to John Sipos in preparation for Wednesday’s hearing in Lehigh County and determined that his client was clear-headed-enough to understand the court proceedings.
The (Allentown) Morning Call reports that Waldron said Sipos denies killing 24-year-old Mary Scott, a go-go dancer who was found strangled in her San Diego apartment on Nov. 20, 1969.
“He has no memory of him committing a homicide,” Waldron said, noting that Sipos was honorably discharged after serving in the Navy in California from 1963 to 1969. “He doesn’t really recall much about that time, but a crime like that is something he would have remembered.”
Sipos was arrested Oct. 24 at his home in Schnecksville, near Allentown. San Diego police said DNA evidence and forensic genealogy led to the arrest. Waldron said extradition may take several weeks due to pandemic travel restrictions. He has said his client has diabetes and has had three heart attacks.
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