3 drifters in Marin County, SF homicides won’t face death penalty

FILE - This undated combination of file photos provided by the Multnomah County Sheriff's Office show, from left, Sean Michael Angold, Lila Scott Allgood, and Morrison Haze Lampley. The three young transients accused of robbing and killing two people in Northern California have pleaded not guilty to murder charges in a Marin County Superior courtroom Thursday, Nov. 19, 2015, in San Rafael, Calif. The three were arrested in Portland, Ore. (Multnomah County Sheriff's Office/Portland Police via AP, File) less FILE - This undated combination of file photos provided by the Multnomah County Sheriff's Office show, from left, Sean Michael Angold, Lila Scott Allgood, and Morrison Haze Lampley. The three young transients ... more Photo: Associated Press Photo: Associated Press Image 1 of / 1 Caption Close 3 drifters in Marin County, SF homicides won’t face death penalty 1 / 1 Back to Gallery

Three young drifters accused of killing a Canadian tourist in San Francisco’s Golden Gate Park and a hiker near Fairfax will not face the death penalty in their upcoming murder trial, the Marin County District Attorney’s Office announced Wednesday.

The defendants — Morrison Haze Lampley, 23, Sean Michael Angold, 24, and 18-year-old Lila Scott Alligood — were charged with two counts of capital murder in the deaths of Audrey Carey, a 23-year-old backpacker from Quebec, and Steve Carter, 67, a well-known tantra teacher and massage therapist.

The six attorneys representing Lampley, Angold and Alligood were notified Wednesday their clients would now face life in prison without the possibility of parole.

Marin County District Attorney Edward Berberian said he ultimately made the decision not to seek the death penalty after reviewing California statues, confirming a national DNA database search showed the suspects were not connected to any open cases, getting police input and reaching out to the victims’ families.

“We have spoken to both families,” Berberian said Wednesday. “They both happen to be families who were not looking for death as a punishment.”

Carey’s body was found in Golden Gate Park on Oct. 3. Authorities said the defendants shot, beat and robbed her the night before, on the same weekend that hundreds of thousands of people flocked to the park for the Hardly Strictly Bluegrass Festival.

On Oct. 5, Carter was shot to death while walking his dog on a Marin County fire trail, authorities said. Investigators later found the drifters in Oregon, where they were arrested.

Haight Street residents reported the three murder suspects frequented the area, although they were unwelcome because of their alleged drug use and petty theft attempts.

A preliminary hearing in the case is set for May 9.

San Francisco Chronicle staff writer Vivian Ho contributed to this report.

Jenna Lyons is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: jlyons@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @JennaJourno