Woman charged in slaying of girl found in luggage (weeps in court )

[cboy4]

Source: KCRA-TV NBC Sacramento





STOCKTON, Calif. -- A Tracy woman has been charged with murdering an 8-year-old girl whose body was found in a suitcase pulled from a pond.

San Joaquin County prosecutors also included in their allegations against 28-year-old Melissa Huckaby the special circumstances of rape with a foreign object, lewd and lascivious conduct with a child and murder in the course of a kidnapping.

The Sunday school teacher was due to be arraigned Tuesday before Judge Richard Vlavianos.

The special circumstances in a complaint filed Tuesday make Huckaby eligible for the death penalty of prosecutors choose to pursue that option.


Read more: http://www.kcra.com/news/19177606/detail.html

---

[get the red out]

1. They always cry when they are caught

not so many tears before the orange jump suit though.

[Matariki]

7. what happened until innocent until proven guilty?

or did she confess?

[valerief]

9. She didn't say she was innocent. nt

[TommyO]

21. That's a legal concept.

Fortunately, we can hold her in contempt today for what she most likely did.

[Matariki]

26. I don't know enough about the story I guess

Is there pretty hard evidence against her?

[Nevernose]

52. According to the news (and make of that what you will)

They found the body in a drainage ditch in the suspect's suitcase (according to news, she claimed the suitcase was stolen).

She also has claimed it was an accident (according to the news).

And that she's mentally ill (again, according to the news).

So none of that may be true, all of it may be true, or some of it may be true. The DA alleges that a pretty heinous kidnapping/rape/murder occurred, but no one really has any details released except various accounts according to various news outlets.

[NYC Liberal]

41. That refers to legal guilt, not factual guilt.

First, the presumption is not a true presumption at all.<1> An objective observer in the position of the juror would reasonably conclude that the defendant probably committed the crime with which they are charged.<2> The observable facts clearly support such an inference—the defendant has been charged with a crime, is present in court, represented by an attorney and all the participants in a criminal trial are also present and ready to proceed.<3>

The presumption of innocence is in fact a legal instrument created by the law to favor the accused based on the legal inference that most people are not criminals.<4> It is literally considered favorable evidence for the accused that automatically attaches at trial.<5> It requires that the trier of fact, be it a juror or judge, begin with the presumption that the state is unable to support its assertion.<4>To ensure this legal protection is maintained a set of three related rules govern the procedure of criminal trials. The presumption means:<1>

1. With respect to the critical facts of the case—whether the crime charged was committed and whether the defendant was the person who committed the crime—the state has the entire burden of proof.

2. With respect to the critical facts of the case, the defendant does not have any burden of proof whatsoever. The defendant does not have to testify, call witnesses or present any other evidence, and if the defendant elects not to testify or present evidence, this decision cannot be used against them.

3. The jury or judge is not to draw any inferences against the defendant from the fact that they have been charged with a crime and is present in court and represented by an attorney. They must decide the case solely on the evidence presented during the trial.

The phrase that a person is innocent until proven guilty refers to legal as opposed to factual guilt. In every case, the defendant either committed the offense or they did not; a fact that will remain true regardless of whether the jury acquits or convicts the defendant. The phrase means simply that a person is not legally guilty until a jury returns a verdict of guilty—which is little more than a tautology.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Innocent_until_proven_guilty

[Alcibiades]

2. A Baptist named Huckaby?

"Huckaby, a Sunday school teacher at Clover Road Baptist Church"

Them's God's people. Do what thou wilt, you're right with the Lord.

[safeinOhio]

4. Some of them Baptist

needed to be held underwater longer.

[demoborn47]

3. Some who claim and act religious....

... occasionally turn out to be some of the sickest people you will ever know.

[happygoluckytoyou]

5. she was heard to weep... "do you know how difficult it is to find good luggage these days?"

[SKKY]

35. Not nearly as hard as it is to find a new Sandra Cantu...

...if she's guilty, she should fry. If she's protecting someone, she should spend her life in prison, and the perp should fry.

[aquart]

6. Yeah. Criminologists aren't buying it.

Statistically, this crime does not happen....so what's really behind it?

[Alcibiades]

30. This crime did happen

Statistically, every crime will happen eventually. There are folks who fuck roadkill. This would not be the first time a woman did something like this, nor will it be the last.

[aquart]

50. Yes, it did. I'm still wondering why.

[valerief]

8. Guess the movie.

Sheriff: Now me, I never forget anything.

Lane: You know sheriff; we had an elephant in our carnival with a memory like that. He went after a keeper that he'd held a grudge against for almost 15 years. Had to be shot. You just wouldn't believe how much trouble it is to dispose of a dead elephant.

====================================
BTW, this is a gruesome news story. But then all murders are.

[Vattel]

10. They[re trying to get her to identify the male

who was involved. Women acting alone so rarely do this sort of thing that it is highly likely that there is a man involved.

[JohnnyCougar]

11. Rarely does not equal never.

I wonder what makes you so sure of yourself.

[NashVegas]

14. It's the First Logical Explanation That Comes to Mind

As far as logic can go in these cases, anyway.

[aquart]

51. For me? When she explicitly mentioned her grandpa.

Huge, fat, gaping holes of questions just jumped into my head.

[NoodleyAppendage]

12. Bullshit. n/t

J

[TeeYiYi]

17. I'll bet you're right...

... Nothing else makes sense.

TYY

[whyverne]

27. I resent that remark.

This sexism must be stopped!

Karla Homolka
Rapist, Torturer, Murderer
Karla Homolka, one of Canada's most horrific female convicts, has been released from prison after serving a 12-year sentence for her involvement in drugging, raping, torturing and killing young girls over a decade ago. The dead teens included her own young sister who she was offered to her boyfriend as a gift.

Enriqueta Martí i Ripollés (Sant Feliu de Llobregat 1868 – Barcelona 12th of May 1913<1>) was a Catalan child murderer, kidnapper and procuress of children. A self-styled serial killer who made her living through the sale of charms and potions made with human remains, and prostituting little children.

Beverley Gail Allitt (born 4 October 1968), dubbed the Angel of Death,<1> is an English serial killer who murdered four children and injured five others while working as a State Enrolled Nurse

Plenty more here Bad Girls

But I can't stand to read anymore.

[bettyellen]

38. um, the first two were working with men planning the rapes. the third i have never heard of.

but i don't doubt there was aperve with a fat wallet in the backstory. it's the more common scenario.

[wordpix]

13. watch out - Nancy Grace will be covering this next

[truthisfreedom]

15. Statistically "Zero"? What about Sybil?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shirley_Ardell_Mason

[DollyM]

16. She has a five year old daughter of her own . . .

Has there been any previous allegations of child abuse against her five year old? I have to admit I don't get why someone would be fine as a parent with their own daughter and then rape and murder another child, especially a mother. There is more to this story than meets the eye . . .

[cboy4]

18. ****BREAKING**** New Search Warrants Issued In Cantu Case

STOCKTON, Calif. -- Two new search warrants were issued Tuesday in relation to the Sandra Cantu case.

The focus of one warrant was the West Clover Road Baptist Church and the other was the residence of 28-year-old Melissa Huckaby, who is accused of killing 8-year-old Cantu.

The search of the church was completed and officers said the search of Huckaby's home is still under way.

Officials have not said what prompted the new search warrants.

Stay with KCRA.com and KCRA 3 at 6 p.m. for the latest updates.


Video of suspect in court----------------------> http://www.kcra.com/news/19181009/detail.html

[IndianaGreen]

25. Sources: Huckaby Claims Cantu Death 'An Accident'

Sources: Huckaby Claims Cantu Death 'An Accident'

New Search Warrants Issued In Cantu Case

TRACY, Calif. -- KCRA 3 has learned that investigators close to the case said Melissa Huckaby admitted Tuesday that Sandra Cantu's death was an accident.

Investigators also told KCRA 3 that Huckaby said she wrote the note she said she found the day after Cantu's disappearance.

http://www.kcra.com/news/19181009/detail.html

[Tikki]

49. I doubt if one can commit...

rape with a foreign object by accident.


Tikki

[rollingrock]

19. Total BS

no way in hell someone like her could have been capable of this act.

she is being framed or protecting someone. and the cops may be in on it.

[DoctorMyEyes]

20. WTF?

I know what smells like bullshit. People claiming that a woman isn't capable of committing horrendous crimes on her own.

[rollingrock]

24. I said a woman like her

this isn't some nutcase escaped from the mental hospital or some known pedophile.

[zerox]

28. Only nutcases escaped from the mental hospital or known pedophiles commit heinous crimes?

Are you serious?

[rollingrock]

32. She is INNOCENT

until proven guilty.

you see, that's how a free and democratic society is supposed to work.

[zerox]

34. You are arguing that it is impossible for her to be guilty, not that she may be presumed innocent.

"no way in hell someone like her could have been capable of this act." In this country, we judge people based on the facts of the case, not conjecture and opinion.

Your statement is based on nothing but opinion of who she is, what she looks like, and what your preconception of a criminal is.

[rollingrock]

36. Correct.

It is impossible for anyone to be guilty of a crime...until they are proven innocent.

99% of the responses on this thread are already presuming guilt and calling for her head, which seems to be just fine to you, else you'd be jumping on them instead of me.

[zerox]

37. No, it isn't.

People are proven guilty of crimes in this country all the time--proven against the presumption of innocence. Most people in this thread leave open the possibility of innocence or guilt--you alone declare that there is simply no possible way she could ever be guilty, and you do so only because of your own prejudices.

[Alcibiades]

33. I know a little bit about these kinds of cases

Most folks who commit these crimes are not mentally ill, and you certainly don't have to be a "known" pedophile to commit this kind of offense. Some of the worst known pedophiles are also known to have gotten away with their offenses for many years before getting caught.

Most pedophiles are manipulative, and capable of crocodile tears--emotional manipulation is part of their stock in trade. Maybe she's innocent (doubt it!), but there's nothing about her that says she couldn't have done this.

[Arugula Latte]

42. That's what is hard for me to grasp.

How could someone who would do something like this not be mentally ill? How could a sane person wake up and think ... "Hhmmm, I think I'll slaughter my daughter's friend and stuff her in a suitcase" ?

I'm not saying you're wrong, I just don't get that mindset. It seems you'd have to be nuts almost by definition.

[Alcibiades]

46. "nuts" is a peculiar legal concept

If true, I'm sure she'd meet the layman's standard for nuts. Legally, she's not nuts, because it would seem she recognized the wrongfulness of her act, as evidenced by her desire to elude capture by hiding the body.

They are called "sexual predators" for a reason. Many folks who know these forts of "people" report that they seemed normal, but that is in part because they cultivate normality--it enables them to conduct their crimes without fear. Certainly a damaged human being. Be glad you don't have to deal with these kinds of people, and that you don't understand them. Once you understand them, you wish you didn't, or so I hear.

[TorchTheWitch]

47. She admitted it

TRACY, Calif. -- Melissa Huckaby admitted that Sandra Cantu's death was an accident, authorities said Tuesday.

Investigators also told KCRA 3 that Huckaby said she wrote the note she said she found at her mailbox the day after Cantu's disappearance.

Watch: Huckaby Tells Investigators Cantu Death 'An Accident' http://www.kcra.com/video/19181739/index.html

Authorities said the note contained the words "Cantu," "suitcase" and "water." The word suitcase was misspelled, and there were two street names, including the word Whitehall.

Two new search warrants were issued Tuesday in relation to the case.

more: http://www.kcra.com/news/19181009/detail.html

[LanternWaste]

55. What leads you to believe she is innocent...

What leads you to believe she is innocent and is incapable of having done the crime?

[IndianaGreen]

22. If convicted, she should fry!

A horrible and senseless crime committed on the most innocent amongst us.

[DoctorMyEyes]

23. What's wrong in Tracy?

Isn't that supposed to be a relatively small community? Tracy is the same place that teenager who was being tortured for over a year escaped his captors. I think his aunt, a husband and wife and a neighbor have all been charged in that case.

I have noticed too, that unlike the Casey Anthony case in Florida the law enforcement officials and prosecutors in Tracy are pretty cagey about divulging pre-trial information to the public.

[Odin2005]

29. Croc tears. Fry her.

[rollingrock]

31. This is why many innocents are on death row in this country

they are guilty until proven innocent.

[Bluebear]

40. Especially with that poster.

[NeoConsSuck]

44. And you've served on how many juries?

I shudder to think.

[Fire_Medic_Dave]

39. Someone else that should be shot in the head.

After her conviction of course.

David

[Forkboy]

43. Some people in this thread sound just as deranged, and ten times more bloodthirtsy.

[closeupready]

48. Welcome to the new and improved DU!

:sarcasm:

[Javaman]

45. sunday school teacher. nt

[carlyhippy]

53. Something freakin strange going on in Tracy

I was just on Topix, and there was a story about a Tracy substitute teacher pleading not guilty to 12 counts of child molestation......Tracy is where that poor kid was found after being shackled up in a home for over a year, a plastic surgeon is accused of molesting his patients, now the Sandra Cantu tragedy.....I would be freakin out if I lived there.

[Name removed]

54. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.