Melissa Huckaby Pleads GUILTY to First Degree Murder

Shocker in a Central California court today. Melissa Huckaby pleads guilty to the murder of eight-year-old Sandra Cantu. Read this report at ABC news.

CNN Report

Vanessa Coleman Trial Coverage: Christian-Newsome Murders

GUEST ENTRY by David in Tennessee

David attended two-and-a-half days of Vanessa Coleman's murder trial. Sprocket.

The Christian-Newsom Trial by David From Tennessee

On Wednesday morning, I drove 270 miles to Knoxville, Tennessee. Upon reaching Knoxville, I left the interstate for Kingston Pike. This becomes Cumberland Avenue which runs through the University of Tennessee. The road then turns into Main Street where the courthouse is located inside the Knoxville City County building.

After a couple of turns, I pull into a parking garage and park my car. I walk to the courthouse. At the front door, there is the first security check. You have to empty your pockets and undergo a scanner to see if you have a concealed weapon.

I then proceed to find the courtroom where the trial is held. I've been told something about the layout, but it takes some searching. I spot a bench alongside one of the courtrooms. I see some witnesses sitting on it whom I recognize from watching the live stream of previous trials. I then spot Chris Newsom's family, whom I also recognize. The trial is on the 2:30 PM break. Everybody is moving toward the courtroom. I follow in behind them.

Three Knox County deputy sheriffs are checking everybody who goes in the courtroom. Every time you go in whether morning, break, after lunch, you have to be checked. I empty my pockets again and am scanned for a weapon. I then walk into the courtroom. Every full day, I was checked 5 times, as was everyone else.

Although I have been a true crime junkie for decades, I had never attended a trial in person, only watching on television. It was surreal. The jury is brought in. On TV, I never saw the jury. They looked serious, but noncommittal.

Daphne Sutton had testified earlier that day, so I missed it. Stacey Lawson, ex-girlfriend of the now-convicted George Thomas, was the witness. Some of her friends follow her on the stand. Theodore Lavitt, lead defense attorney, tries to trip up the witnesses but rambles on and on and is boring. Judge Richard Baumgartner looks as bored as anyone. Once, he looked asleep. His tie is askew.

There are seven benches on each side of the center aisle. The victims' families sat on the second row from the front on the right side. I sat three rows behind them on Wednesday, two rows behind the next two days. I estimate the courtroom could seat around 125 spectators. I counted 40 on Wednesday afternoon. The number always fluctuates, but stays close to this number all three days. The judge lets people come and go while testimony is taking place as long as they make no noise.

Prosecutors Takisha Fitzgerald and Leland Price have the case cold after three trials. Toward the end of the day, the prosecution brings out tape that shows the dimensions of the Chipman Street house. No one in this small house could have been unaware of what was happening.

The jury is made up of 6 white women, 2 white men, 3 black women, and 1 black man. The four alternates are 2 men and 2 women, evenly split black and white. I have read that half of a jury is what the prosecution wants and the other half what the defense desires. This jury panel fits that description.

At a bench conference, I hear the judge tell the lawyers, "My attitude has always been to let it all hang out."

The overall atmosphere is relaxed. The victims families are used to being here and are good friends with the court employees. I want badly to tell them I am here to support them but don't know what to say. I am a shy person who doesn't speak to strangers unless spoken to. The Christians and Newsoms are very likable people.

Before court on Thursday morning, I saw Gary Christian talking in a hallway with a local TV reporter who is sympathetic to the parents of Vanessa Coleman. Vanessa's father wanted to meet the victims' families and tell them his sympathy for their loss. The trouble is that the Coleman's insist their daughter is an innocent victim who was raised to know right from wrong. That nigh, back in my motel room, I saw the Christians asked about this on TV. Gary walked away from the camera and refused to talk. Deena, Channon's mother, said, "If she was raised to know right from wrong she didn't learn." The respective parents avoid each other.

Thursday is spent playing the tape of Vanessa Coleman's interview with law enforcement. She has a little girl voice. Vanessa claims to have seen and heard very little. She never saw Chris Newsom. Lemaricus Davidson took Channon into his room and had sex with her several times. She didn't see any others go in the room. Channon was tied up. Once, Vanessa snuck in and gave Channon a glass of water. She wanted to call the police but was afraid.

Davidson took Channon and snapped her neck. He then told Vanessa to check her pulse. She didn't know how but held her wrist. Channon was dead. Davidson and the others then tied up Channon and put her in the garbage can. This is the gist of the story Coleman has been telling the last three years. The interviewing police told Vanessa they didn't believe her as this story does not fit the horrible torture inflicted on the victims. For one thing, Channon's neck was not broken. Also, the house was too small not to know what was going on. Coleman claims to have seen and heard little.

When cross-examining the law enforcement officials, defense attorney Lavitt keeps bringing up Daphne Sutton. Once a juror sent in a question (In Tennessee, jurors can ask a question if the judge and lawyer approve it) asking why Sutton wasn't charged with murder. Sutton came by while Channon was still alive held in a closet or bathroom. Davidson also gave Sutton some of Channon's things. The defense strategy is to portray Vanessa Coleman as a victim who was held hostage by the gang of killers, had nothing to do with the murders, and tricked by the police detectives who questioned her.

Theodore Lavitt spend hours Thursday cross-examining ATD agent Bernard Waggoner. He shouts and asks the same questions over and over. It goes on and on. Finally, some spectators voiced their disgust with Lavitt's tactics. Judge Baumgartner then said, "I don't want any editorializing from the audience. that's my job."

Outside, the jury's presence, handwriting expert Larry Miller takes the stand to authenticate Vanessa Coleman's journal.

Coleman's federal grand jury testimony is entered and reenacted by Price and Fitzgerald.

On Friday, the rest of Coleman's statement is played for the jury. Many pauses and stops for Coleman's little girl voice. She sits at the defense table with little emotion. Sometimes she takes notes. Coleman didn't hear Channon scream but heard Eric Boyd talking to the others when he came to the house. She said she heard boyd whispering while taking a shower.

ATF agent Waggoner is back on the stand and Lavitt keeps on with the same questions. Waggoner keeps testifying that Coleman's story was unblievable. Coleman's letter to her parents is introduced. It is the same story. Davidson and her boyfriend Cobbins threatened to kill her if she went to the police.

Knoxville police detective Todd Childress testifies. On cross, Lavitt accuses Childress of tricking Coleman and not tellinng her she was about to be arrested.

Jennifer Millsaps, a Tennessee Bureau of Investigation DNA and forensic expert, takes the stand. She gives a clinic on DNA. Millsaps then tells where the DNA was found. Coleman's DNA was found on some strips binding Channon's wrists. the defense says Coleman had slept on the sheet torn into strips. Remember that Coleman said she checked Channon's pulse? She said that in case her DNA was found on Channon Christian. the DNA testimony is boring.

Finally, handwriting expert Larry Miller testifies before the jury about the journal. It was found at the house where Coleman fled with Cobbins and Thomas. It was in a purse that had items from Christian. There is no doubt Coleman wrote it. She has a distinctive style of forming some letters. As the journal was flashed on the screen, the spectators were on the edge of our seats. It is a very dramatic moment. No one is bored now. Miller reads the entry:

1/8 & 1/9

Wake up! And look around! Whats really going on! I don't really have a clue or at least I use to be able to say I don't know, but as much as I've seen and observed and learned. I know exactly whats goin on. Although alot of this is new to me. Life is a trip but its amazing how things play its own role. Life is interesting & full of surprises even very unexpected things happen that you don't expect.

Nessa

1/9/07

last night was one of a kind we stayed w/a crackhead that was cool as hell. It snowed a little bit but its already melted. Lets talk about Adventures! I've had one HELL OF AN ADVENTURE

since I've been in the big T.N. its a crazy world these days! But I love the fun adventures & lessons that I've learned. Its going to be a long intgeresting year!

HA! HA!

Day two The ride home! Ha, Ha,

We had a crackhead bring us back. the whole way back she was complaining b/c she didn't have any drugs.

She was drivin kinda crazy but it was str8 tho.

Let us remember what Vanessa Coleman called a HELL OF AN ADVENTURE. Chris Newsom was beaten and raped anally. He was dragged by a dog leash around his neck and naked from the waist down to a railroad track. His hands were bound and his mouth gagged with his own socks. Chris Newsom was then shot three times as the killers inflicted as much pain as possible. His body was then set on fire.

Channon Christian was found bound in a fetal position in the trash can. Five bags were around her body. A smaller white bag was around her head. She suffocated in the trash can. Channon was raped repeatedly, then kicked repeatedly in the vaginal area before she was stuffed alive in the trash can. She also suffered blows to the head.

Does anyone care to guess who administered a good part of this beating. The above is only a brief description of the agonizing torture two decent and likable young people were subjected to.

On Friday morning, I was seated on a bench waiting for court to begin. Hugh Newsom, Chris' father, spoke to me. He had seen me the previous two days. I told him I was there to support the Christian and Newsom families and hadn't spoke to him before because I didn't know what to say. Hugh put me at ease and we talked for a few minutes.

Later that day at a break, I held the door for a lady. She said, "Thank you sir." It was Deena Christian. When the day ended, I talked with Hugh and Mary Newsom. I told them, "God bless you and I hope everything works out for you."

They are wonderful people. It gives you a good idea what their children were like.

Thank you so much David. I hope you will consider sharing more of your courtroom observations and what you were feeling with T&T's readers. Sprocket.

Kill Most Members of a Family in San Francisco, Have No Fear of the Death Penalty

Danielle Bologna, widow of Tony Bologna and mother of Michael and Matthew, all three of whom were murdered by illegal alien gang-banger career criminal Edwin Ramos.

Only 15 months after illegal alien MS-13 gang member Edwin Ramos gunned down three members of the Tony Bologna family—father Tony, age 48, and his two sons, Michael, 20, and Matthew, 16—San Francisco County District Attorney Kamala Harris announced that the death penalty would not be on the table. The worst Ramos has to look forward to is life in prison if he is convicted at all.

Ramos is the most notorious beneficiary of San Francisco’s sanctuary city policy. He has already reproduced and has a young daughter anchor baby.

A preliminary hearing was held in June. There is no trial date yet set.

The murders were eligible for the death penalty because of three special circumstances attached to the crime: gang motivated, committed as a drive-by shooting, and multiple victims.

Sorry Bay Area readers, but I have little faith in San Francisco jurors to do the right thing by the Bolognas and the citizens of San Francisco. Unfortunately you get what you vote for, and Kamala Harris is it.

To the rest of California, remember her name—supposedly she is considering a run for attorney general for our fine state.

Tony Bologna’s widow Danielle has filed a claim against the City and County of San Francisco for failing to deport Ramos. The claim will no doubt be denied, opening this case up for civil lawsuits. I am seldom in favor of civil lawsuits, but I hope that San Francisco pays for this mistake for a very long time.

Why why why can San Joaquin prosecutors stand up and put the death penalty on the table for Melissa Huckaby (alleged murderer of 8-year-old Sandra Cantu) and San Francisco’s DA can’t get it right?

I’m seriously too angry to write more.

No death penalty for notorious S.F. killings

T & T coverage of the Bologna family murder

Anthony Emergency Hearing

In yet another waste of the court’s time, the hearing was over rather quickly.

Linda Kenny Baden will cover the forensics.

Jose lays out his argument. They believe that it would be important the court address their ability to observe "alleged" crime scene and forensic testing.

Pros: his motion doesn't have crime scene

Judge: not going to mention crime scene

LKB: Missing body of child found and still in possession of ME. They want either/or:

Have somebody observe autopsy for defense:

getting Dr. Kathy Reichs (sp) forensic anthropologist from Montreal

To observe, not to interfere, as well as Dr. Werner Spitz on call to observe the autopsy

(aaaaccccckkkkk)

Pros: Me required to maintain specimens, seize and retain info relating to ID and COD.

ME has COMPLETE CONTROL, FL laws are very clear.

Issue is the body is unidentified.

The ME needs to have the dignity and integrity of their office preserved. Should not make a circus of autopsy. ME office must preserve all evidence.

Judge: Second review of the body?

Long and short: Laws are designed to preserve evidence.

OCSO ATTY: FBI will do ID. Ongoing investigation, no identity. After ID, kicks over to States attorney.

Pros: No due process right to discovery in FL law that would allow this.

Until body determined to be Caylee, defense has no right to observe testing of any evidence.

Confidentiality of videos, photos, etc. of autopsies. Public policy... autopsies have higher level of respect than any other examinations.

Not make them public record.

Respect for dead carries over into this case. Doesn't want a defense expert on a national news show describing this child's remains. Cites Henry Lee doing so after examining Casey’s car.

LKB: Crime scene: they expect to have H. Lee to come in, after State is finished. Want it held for Dr. Lee.

Also, Dr. Timothy Huntington, forensic entomologist.

If not observe in situ, to allow them to come in after autopsy to review the body

no videotapes to be taken

want to see x-rays now, not later

Pros. objects... no motion filed yet

LKB - will file a motion

LKB is told to limit her arguments to autopsy

LKB: Observe first-hand/do a review immediately after

OC Atty: this issue is not ripe, defense has no standing, remains not ID'd yet. Speculation, anticipation, but no scientific response.

Judge asks if it would be too late.

She says no. ME's responsibility to ID body FIRST.

No testimony presented that a complete and adequate examination can't be done after the autopsy.

Calls observation egregious. "Strangers" present for the autopsy of a young child.

LKB said she wanted her experts to suggest things... that’s interference!

Baden replies: Wants best information for her client.

Judge: Has county said there has been no tentative ID?

LKB: Baez was told child likely Caylee.

(Size and hair color match)

Do they have to wait for FINAL ID?

Asking not to desecrate any remains... observe in situ

Pictures won't be as good.

County: no tentative ID

Judge: Body of the motion, para. 5. If body id's as Caylee...

Request DENIED! No tentative ID.

Court may reexamine in terms of second review of body after ID and autopsy.

Would interfere w/ME and those w/statutory duty

After ID, ME will notify whoever needs to be notified.

DEFINITIVE ID! Not tentative.

Pros: Can't give date. FBI has that.

LKB says that nobody can get in FBI labs.

They are going to hold up the body 2-3 weeks???

Pros: They will be notified after definitive ID.

LKB's not HAPPY CAMPER!!!

Jose speaks: more emergency issues

These forensic items have passed a certain time and time is of the essence, wants permission for a second autopsy via written motion.

Crime scene: pros has no problem turning over crime scene (shades of Spector)

Judge wants time frame.

"Total guess"

Judge: ASAP

By agreement of the parties (however rare they are - judge)

CNN

Thanks ritanita!

Human Remains Verified at Haut de la Garenne

~Lenny Harper


Forensic experts have been examining 65 milk teeth and more than 100 bone fragments found during the excavation at Haute de la Garenne.

Of the bone fragments, two have been identified – one from a child’s leg and the other from inside a child’s ear.

The condition of the teeth collected, indicate they came out after death.

Police believe they have the remains of at least five children – ages 4 to 11.

Police evidence indicates that the remains were burned and attempts to conceal them were made in the 1960’s or 1970’s.

DCO Lenny Harper told the BBC: "We were pinning our hopes on the process of carbon dating.”

"The latest information we're getting is that for the period we're looking at, it's not going to be possible to give us an exact time of death."

"The indications are that if the results come back the same way as they have now it is obvious there won't be a homicide inquiry.

"We cannot get away from the fact that we have found the remains of at least five children there.

"But at the end of the day there just might not be the evidence to mount a homicide inquiry in an attempt to bring anybody to justice."

Harper said the evidence "substantially corroborate" accounts of abuse at the home from those who have come forward in past months.

Harper will be retiring in a few weeks bringing his participation in the investigation to an end.

CNN

Illegal Immigration, Sanctuary Cities and Criminal Activity

Guest Entry by CaliGirl9

In San Francisco's Excelsior district on June 22, 48-year old Tony Bologna and his sons were shot after Bologna inadvertently and temporarily blocked the progress of a Chrysler 300M containing three occupants. Bologna's Honda Civic, heading in the opposite direction of the Chrysler, inadvertently blocked the path of the Chrysler that was trying to turn north onto Congdon from Maynard Street. Bologna, a volunteer youth basketball and baseball coach, was shot as he backed his Honda Civic up so the Chrysler could complete the turn. Bologna was killed outright at the site, as was his 20-year old son Matthew. Son Michael, age 16, died a few days later as a consequence of his injuries. Tony Bologna is survived by his wife Danielle, and a son and daughter.

By July 26, SF police had arrested Edwin Ramos, age 21, of El Sobrante, a nearby East Bay city. Ramos is a known MS-13 gang member, tattoos and red shirts and all, born in El Salvador and in the United States illegally. Ramos was arrested after a tip from another man who was arrested on unrelated charges who offered up Ramos' name.

Apparently Ramos has had plenty of run-ins with SF police in his checkered past. His first run-in was in at the age of 17 in October 2003, when he and a pair of his gang cronies assaulted an individual on a Muni bus. He should have been deported then—SF's first chance to save itself a lot of grief. But San Francisco is a sanctuary city, and the juvenile Ramos was not turned over to ICE for deportation. Instead, he was convicted in juvenile court on charges of assault and participating in a street gang, and sent to a shelter as part of its sanctuary city policy.

A bit about sanctuary cities. In the state of California, SF, San Jose, Los Angeles and San Diego are all sanctuary cities. The term is non-binding one, but it prohibits law enforcement and government officials from inquiring about an individual's immigration status. SF has been a sanctuary city since 1989 thanks to a genius vote by the ultra-liberal SF Board of Supervisors (affectionately called the "Board of Stupes" by many SF residents).

SF of course takes this one step farther, and will not turn over the names of undocumented juvenile offenders. The reason for this is that conviction of a felony could jeopardize their potential status as a legal resident, and ultimately a bit for citizenship. The juvenile offenders are shipped off to group homes outside of SF at a cost of millions to taxpayers. On the rare occasion an underage illegal arrested for a crime other than being undocumented was deported from SF, said criminal was escorted home with a juvenile officer via commercial flight, usually to El Salvador or Honduras.

Recently—around the time he announced he was considering running for governor of the state of California, SF Mayor Gavin Newsom put an end to the group home and flights home policies. In June, 12 undocumented Honduran juveniles were arrested for selling crack cocaine. Rather than putting these criminals through the criminal justice system or deporting them back to Honduras, they were packed up at the cost of $7000 a month and sent to group homes in the cities Visalia and Atascadero and in San Bernardino county. All 12 have walked away from those homes, and 10 are still on the run.

Best part of the juvenile offender deal—age was self-reported. So it didn't matter if the arrestee had a beard or looked 30—if he said he was under 18, so be it.

Back to Edwin Ramos. SF had a second try at doing the right thing for the citizens of SF by deporting him after yet another felony conviction, this time for assaulting a pregnant woman in 2004, four days after he was released from the group home to the custody of his mother (whose immigration status has not been revealed; she left Edwin as an infant in the care of his grandmother in El Salvador). Ramos and two other men approached the woman from behind in the middle of the day, with Ramos attempting to pull her backpack-style purse off of her. When the woman's brother intervened, Ramos punched him and fled. The man found a police officer and pointed out Ramos, who a month later was convicted as a juvenile of attempted robbery (felony) but cleared of assault (huh?). This time he was sent to a camp from June 2004 to February 2005.

According to the San Francisco Chronicle, federal authorities finally learned Ramos wasn't in the U.S. legally after he turned 18 after he applied for temporary residency status. He was turned down, and at that time was considered deportable. Naturally, he found himself an American citizen to marry and now has an anchor baby daughter, 11 months of age today.

Third time's a charm? Nope. In March, Ramos was pulled over because his car had illegally tinted windows and no front license plate. An occupant of the car tried to discard a gun which was later linked to a double killing. The police report cited numerous documented contacts with Ramos and the man who discarded the gun, and both are known members of MS-13.

SF District Attorney Kamala Harris, who was elected on a platform of "no death penalty ever" elected NOT to prosecute Ramos at that time because it could not be proven he knew his passenger had the gun.

At the time of the third arrest, the comedy of errors continues as the SF Sheriff's office checked an ICE database and learned Ramos was deportable. The SF Sheriff's office claims to have corresponded with ICE about Ramos; ICE says they were sent an inquiry hours after Ramos had been released (the passenger who dumped the gun was held as deportable).

Today we have Edwin Ramos in jail in San Francisco, held for the murder of Tony Bologna and his sons. Special circumstances have been tacked onto the case and it could be a death penalty case, but of course Kamala Harris is hemming and hawing and not talking about it.

(Before I go any farther, please remember that Gavin Newsom is exploring a run for the governor of California and Kamala Harris is said to be in consideration for a Cabinet post—Attorney General—should Obama be elected president.)

And all of this grief and heartache is because the government of a city declared itself a sanctuary city and a federal government did not come down on this sanctuary city and withhold funds for whatever purpose. Doesn't federal law usurp state law—and remember that the sanctuary city status is non-binding?

I am not anti-immigrant or anti-Latino. I am the daughter of a German immigrant who married my father in Germany and came to the U.S pregnant with me (my great-grandfather was born in Ireland). I also grew up in a farming family, where my dad always had irrigators and tractor drivers who didn't have the correct "papers," but who were hard working and as honest as the day is long, except for the lack of a green card. I have friends who are undocumented and one, a college student who is also a cancer survivor, who goes so far as to not drive or take a job with false documents because she is afraid it will jeopardize her quest for a green card. I am not suggesting we round up every undocumented person and "send 'em back to where they came from." But I do believe the United States does have laws in place that allow for deportation of those illegals who flaunt their middle fingers at the law and find themselves in the criminal justice system time after time, receiving no more than a slap on the wrist and a call two hours too late to ICE inquiring of said criminal's immigration status. The United States has a unique opportunity here—to keep the best of the best from wherever they came from, and send the scumbuckets and dead weights packing.

The solution is simple really, for any governmental power to champion. First, here's hoping there is plenty of outrage in the Latino community over what Ramos and his ilk do and have done. Most Latinos are law-abiding people. Period. Aren't they sick of being guilty of association with dirt like Ramos?

Second, secure the borders. Both of 'em, but if we've got to prioritize, secure the southern border first by whatever means necessary. Wall, electrified fence, moat with alligators, sharks or piranhas, armed gunmen in gun towers, I don't much care and am happy to dedicate my tax dollars to this endeavor.

Third, enforce the laws we do have. There are plenty of reasons someone is deportable. Find one and stick to it and follow through. Screw the anchor baby idea! Take your baby with you or leave it in the U.S. for adoption or foster care. Poor kid didn't break any laws … yet. Don't want for the felony like murder or DUI with injury to take action … it's too late.

Fourth, write up laws with some real teeth to discourage illegal immigration. Make employers responsible for hiring undocumented workers. It's easy—no green card and/or social security card, or if the documents look fake, no job. No jobs, no need to come here.

Fifth, get some able-bodied U.S. citizens currently on welfare to take the jobs formerly occupied by illegal immigrants. In certain locations in California, many farm workers make more money than the federal minimum wage (when I was working in farm labor over 10 years ago, farm workers in the Salinas Valley were earning anywhere from $6.50 to $9 an hour depending on the work).

Sixth, adopt some of Canada's immigration policies. Canada uses a point system, with college-educated people earning points toward entry. Enough of the uneducated masses yearning to be gang members in our cities …

Edwin Ramos is a scumbucket. It is too late to deport him, but it is not too late to prosecute him to the fullest extent of the law. Minimally he should spend the rest of his life in jail. In a perfect world he finds himself rooming with Richard Allen Davis and Scott Peterson for a few years …

And true justice will be served if Danielle Bologna brings suit against the City of San Francisco, the mayor, the DA, the Board of Supervisors, and anyone else who so rabidly embraced and defended S.F. sanctuary city status.

Thank you so much for this very informative entry CaliGirl9!

Fox News

CNN.Crime

San Francisco Chronicle

Wikipedia: Sanctuary City