Convicted killer serving a life sentence for shooting dead guitarist Dave Navarro's mother and her friend in 1983 is denied appeal

• John Riccardi was found guilty in 1993 of killing Connie Navarro, Dave Navarro's mother, and Sue Jory 
• Riccardi's death sentence was overturned in 2012 because of confusion over dismissal of prospective juror

By Snejana Farberov

Published: 22:01 EDT, 3 July 2014 | Updated: 07:24 EDT, 4 July 2014

Killer: A California appeals court has upheld the life sentence for John Riccardi convicted 20 years ago of murdering two women, including Dave Navarro's mother

A California appeals court has upheld the life sentence for a man who killed the mother of rock guitarist Dave Navarro and her friend three decades ago.

The 2nd District Court of Appeal upheld John Riccardi's prison term Thursday after rejecting his attorney's request to overturn his sentence and dismiss the case.

Riccardi was convicted of killing his estranged girlfriend, Connie Navarro, and Sue Jory in 1983 at a West Los Angeles condominium.

Navarro's son, Dave, played with the Red Hot Chili Peppers and Jane's Addiction. He was only 15 years old when his mother was murdered.

Riccardi originally was sentenced to death for the murders, but the California Supreme Court overturned the sentence two years ago after a prospective juror was wrongly dismissed for expressing conflicting views on the death penalty.  

The convicted killer was re-sentenced last year to life without parole. 

On March 3, 1983, Constance 'Connie' Navarro's ex-boyfriend John Riccardi forced his way into her home in West Los Angeles and killed her and her friend Sue Jory.

Police later found 41-year-old Navarro's body partially stuffed inside a linen closet.  

Rock star: Connie Navarro's son, Dave, was only 15 years old when his mother was murdered. He later went on to play with the Red Hot Chili Peppers and Jane's Addiction, and marry Carmen Electra (right)

Psychological scars: His mother's violent death had a profound impact on the rock guitarist, who had spent years battling addiction and depression

Dave Navarro, then 15, was staying with his father on the night of the murders. Years later, the famed guitarist said Riccardi likely would have killed him too had he been in his mother's apartment at the time.

'So I really do believe that that’s some sort of divine intervention that I can’t explain,' the rock star said. 

After the slaying, John Riccardi spent eight years on the run before he was finally arrested in Houston in January 1991 after the TV show America’s Most Wanted aired a segment about him.

During questioning, Riccardi admitted that he and Connie Navarro were on bad terms after their split, but he denied killing her, San Francisco Chronicle reported.

Branded: To honor his late mother, Navarro had tattoo artist Kate Von D ink an image of Connie as a young woman on his left rib cage

The victim’s son said that a week before his mother brutal killing, her jealous boyfriend broke into her home and handcuffed him at gunpoint, but Dave only reported the incident to police after Connie Navarro’s death.

In 1993, Riccardi was found guilty of two counts of murder and sentenced to death due to the heinous nature of the crimes, but the sentence was overturned in 2012 because of a problem with a juror.

The juror in question, identified only by the initials 'N.K.' in the ruling, wrote on the questionnaire that she supported California's reinstatement of the death penalty and stated that it is not used enough.

But later in the questionnaire, the juror gave answers that suggest she opposes capital punishment.

'I'm afraid I could not feel right in imposing the death penalty on someone even though I feel it is nessasary (sic) under some circumstances,' N.K. wrote.

Dave Navarro, 47, the founding member of Jane's Addiciton and Carmen Electra's ex-husband, has publicly blamed his struggle with drugs, alcohol and depression that landed him in a hospital seven time on the tragic loss he experienced as a teenager.

He later honored his late mother by having the tattoo artist and reality star Kat Von D ink a portrait of Connie as a young woman on his left rib cage.