We haven't heard much lately about the case of suspected serial killer Joseph Naso -- who's in jail in Marin County for the murders, spanning three decades, of four California women who all had double initials, Roxene Roggasch, Pamela Parsons, Carmen Colon, and Tracy Tafoya. (There is also talk that Naso could be fingered for the unsolved Alphabet Murders in the early 70s in New York, which followed a similar pattern, and which also spookily included a victim by the name of Carmen Colon.) But you'll recall that when news of the case first broke and Naso first appeared in court, he decided, like any sane 77-year-old with a million dollars in the bank who's accused of murder, to represent himself. Well, now he seems to be regretting that choice, although he's still not the most clear and decisive of speakers in a court room.

The Marin IJ reports that Naso rambled on and seemed to contradict himself several times yesterday as he tried to get a judge to agree to delay his September 6 preliminary hearing until he could find a suitable attorney.

Naso, saying he was wary of attorneys because he had been "burned" by one in a previous case, said he had talked to a half-dozen lawyers and was having trouble finding one that measured up. "In this county there are not that many attorneys who are interested in this type of case," he added. Noted Marin defense counsel Douglas Horngrad, observing the proceedings, has talked to Naso and later said he would consider representing him.

The judge rejected Naso's plea, and told him if he still wanted to represent himself he could hire an attorney as advisory counsel.

Anyway, police have found a lot of evidence in Naso's home linking him to the murders, at least circumstantially, and he kept newspaper clippings about the murders, which seems like an odd coincidence. He also had an apparent hit list of women, and DNA from Naso's wife was found on pantyhose used to strangle one of the victims.