Missouri plans to seek death penalty for illegal alien accused of gunning down five people in two day spree

Missouri prosecutors on Friday filed their formal plan to pursue the death penalty against a Mexican national in the shooting death of a man a day after he allegedly killed four people in Kansas.

Prosecutors in Montgomery County submitted court papers saying they will seek capital punishment for Pablo Serrano-Vitorino if he's convicted of first-degree murder in the March 8 death of Randy Nordman at that man's home in New Florence, about 70 miles west of St. Louis.

Serrano-Vitorino, 40, also is charged with armed criminal action and burglary. 

A judge last week ordered Serrano-Vitorino, 40, to stand trial on the Missouri charges and scheduled a June 1 arraignment. 

Missouri prosecutors on Friday filed their formal plan to pursue the death penalty against Pablo Serrano-Vitorino, a 40-year-old Mexican national

Serrano-Vitorino allegedly gunned down Randy Nordman (above) at his home about 70 miles away from St. Louis in rural Missouri

A message left Friday with Serrano-Vitorino's attorney seeking comment on the case was not immediately returned.

Serrano-Vitorino, who federal immigration officials have said is in the US illegally, is accused in Kansas of killing his neighbor Michael Capps, 41, and three others - Jeremy Waters, 36, and brothers Clint, 27, and Austin Harter, 29, at the neighbor's home the night before Nordman was slain. 

Serrano-Vitorino was captured after a manhunt and is jailed in Missouri without bond. Authorities have not discussed a motive for any of the killings.

In his court filing Friday, Montgomery County Prosecutor Nathan Carroz cited 'aggravated circumstances' related to Nordman's slaying that make the case eligible for the death penalty. 

Among the 'aggravated circumstances' cited in the filing, the prosecutor alleges that the Missouri killing was a continuation of the Kansas shooting rampage, Nordman's killing involved burglary and robbery, and that slaying was 'outrageously or wantonly vile, horrible or inhuman' in its randomness and its 'callous disregard for the sanctity of human life'.

Carroz also cited Serrano-Vitorino's previous legal issues that have included California charges involving spousal battery and threats with the intent to terrorize, as well as Kansas charges since 2012 involving domestic battery and two cases of driving under the influence.

Serrano-Vitorino is accused of shooting his neighbor Michael Capps (above) along with three other men who were at his home

Brothers Austin (left) and Clint Harter (right) were also killed while at Capps home. Serrano-Vitorino was captured after a manhunt and is jailed without bond. Authorities have not discussed a motive for the killings

It was reported in March that authorities missed two chances last year to deport the illegal alien.

He slipped through the net of U.S. immigration authorities first in June after he faced domestic battery charges and then again in September when he was arrested for a traffic offense.

Months later, Serrano-Vitorino - who had been living in Kansas City - eluded authorities yet again.

He was fingerprinted on September 14 last year at the Overland Park Municipal Court after being cited for traffic violations.

That triggered an ICE order to have him detained.

But ICE said it sent the order to the Johnson County Sheriff's Office instead of the Overland Park Municipal Court.

Court administrator Robin Barnard said Serrano-Vitorino showed up at the court the following month to pay a $146 fine.

He was never in custody of any local authorities for the traffic violations.

ICE said that had its order been sent to an agency that had Serrano-Vitorino in custody, it would have sought to deport him.

Serrano-Vitorino had been deported in April 2004, but managed to re-enter the country.