Man sentenced in rape and killing of women near Lake Merritt

Prince Tsetse. Prince Tsetse. Photo: Courtesy Of The Oakland Police D Photo: Courtesy Of The Oakland Police D Image 1 of / 1 Caption Close Man sentenced in rape and killing of women near Lake Merritt 1 / 1 Back to Gallery

A 41-year-old man convicted in the violent rape and murder of a 23-year-old Oakland woman near Lake Merritt last year was sentenced Monday to life in prison without the possibility of parole.

Prince Tsetse, 41, was arrested in the April 2014 killing of Kimberly Robertson outside the F.M. Smith Recreation Center at 1969 Park Blvd.

A passerby discovered Robertson’s body in the early-morning hours of April 5. Police said she had been raped and beaten in the head.

Five days later, Oakland police arrested Tsetse in the killing. He was charged with a special circumstance of murder in the course of rape.

On Monday morning, Alameda County Superior Court Judge C. Don Clay sentenced Tsetse to life in prison without the possibility of parole.

Evan Sernoffsky is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. E-mail: esernoffsky@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @EvanSernoffsky