GUILTY CA - Emma Posadas-Espinoza, 58, found murdered, La Habra, 21 July 2014

bflocket

Well-Known Member
Joined
Jul 29, 2011
Messages
1,278
Reaction score
1,033
I'm not from California. Actually, the closest I've been to actually being IN California was when I stepped out to smoke a cigarette while changing planes on the way to Hawaii.
I just said that because I'm sure that a "local" would better access to info (i.e. print media, local TV, etc) and could provide more/better info on this.



A resident of La Habra who was walking his dog found a woman's body hidden in bushes on 7/21/2014 (a Monday). The man also stated that his dog was "interested" in the area where she was found the Friday (7/18) before she was found.

She was identified as Emma Posadas-Espinoza, of Lompoc. Her son hadn't seen her for a while and reported her missing on the day that her body was found. She was a social worker that was well liked in her neighborhood, which was about 200-mi (roughly 3½-hrs driving time) from where she was found. Her car (2013 Acura sedan) is missing.



Like I said, I don't know much about CA. I'd seen a couple stories about Emma's death on the net. I originally learned about her death on ihavevanished.com.
It just didn't really grab my attention until I realized how far La Habra was from Lompac.



Here are some of the stories that I know of:

http://www.whittierdailynews.com/ge...ing-tips-on-case-of-body-found-behind-carport
La Habra Police Seek Tips in Case of Body Found Behind Carport

http://www.ksby.com/news/la-habra-police-investigating-suspicious-death-of-lompoc-woman/
La Habra Police Investigate Death of Lomac Woman (with video)

http://www.keyt.com/news/neighbors-react-to-lompoc-womans-suspicious-death/27143204
Neighbors React to Lompoc Woman's Suspicious Death
 
When did she go missing?I can't fin that info in the articles?

Thanks for posting this!
 
Below is an interview with the victim's son. She's barely gone, and he's already said to the person who did this, 'I forgive you.'

Boy, I sure wouldn't be so forgiving, especially when it first happened. Maybe someday but not immediately.

Because her car is missing, it appears it COULD be a carjacking gone bad. :( Maybe there was someone stranded near her home that needed to get to Orange County.

JMHO
fran


Son Of Woman Found Dead In La Habra Bushes Speaks Out

http://www.keyt.com/news/son-of-woman-found-dead-in-la-habra-bushes-speaks-out/27161438
 
When did she go missing?I can't fin that info in the articles?

Thanks for posting this!

I don't think they know that yet. Apparently she may not see her (grown) child(ren) every day, but her son noted that something was up and reported her missing on the same day she was found.

It was probably before 7/18 if the dog acted funny at that spot then.
 
This is all very disturbing to me because I live in the Santa Maria area. The LE are not saying much about this case. The friends are still in shock. There are several prisons in the area and lots of gang activity. Maybe a carjacking? I would like to find more information. Orange County is about 3-4 hours from Lompoc. What the hell happened?
 
Here is a link to her obituary:

"Emma Posadas-Espinoza"
http://santamariatimes.com/lifestyl...cle_37433401-aa68-5233-907a-572921704a8c.html

I haven't been verified yet, but I am somewhat of an insider on this case--I have a distant connection to her family. Not that I have any information about her disappearance or about this case in general. I was really shocked and dismayed to hear about her death, though I mostly know her family, not Emma herself.

I don't know what she was doing in Orange County either, but she does have some links to Southern California. <modsnip>
 
My daughter went to High School with him. She said he was a real sweet guy, kind of quiet and worked out at the gym a lot and he also coached youth baseball. He was a Behavior therapist at a mental health facility and his Mom was a long time Mental Health counselor in our area and very well loved and respected in our community. That's why I'm so shocked as are most people in our town. It just seems so strange. The Mother and son were extremely close, according to all that knew them. How does this happen?
 
http://losangeles.cbslocal.com/2014/12/26/santa-maria-man-could-get-death-in-mothers-slaying/

A special circumstance allegation of murder for financial gain was also filed by the Orange County District Attorney’s Office, making it possible that Posadas-Espinoza could be sentenced to death...

La Habra police Sgt. Dave Crivelli said the woman was only clad in underwear, and had no signs of trauma, and authorities believe she was killed several days before her body was found covered by leaves and plants behind a carport.

http://www.keyt.com/news/santa-maria-man-accused-of-killing-mom-arraigned/30419510

Posadas-Espinoza was found partially unclothed and died from asphyxiation...

Espinoza is being held in the Orange County jail without bail. He is expected to appear back in court on Feb. 6.
 
Orange County Trial Delayed Until 2017 For Santa Maria Man Charged With Killing Mother

https://www.noozhawk.com/article/orange_county_trial_delayed_until_early_2017_for_santa_maria_man

The Orange County trial for a Santa Maria man charged with killing his mother has been postponed until early next year, an Orange County District Attorney's Office representative confirmed Friday.

Gabriel Antonio Espinoza, who marked his 32nd birthday last week in jail, was arrested months after his mother, Emma Posadas-Espinoza, was found dead in La Habra in July 2014.

During Friday’s pre-trial hearing, the planned trial start date of Oct. 28 was continued at the request of the defense, according to Roxi Fyad, the Orange County District Attorney’s Office spokesperson.

A pre-trial hearing was set for Jan. 6 with the jury trial now scheduled to begin Jan. 17, Fyad added.

Espinoza was charged with special circumstances of murder for financial gain.

If found guilty, Espinoza faces a sentence of life in state prison without the possibility of parole.

In Loving Memory of Emma Posadas-Espinoza - Facebook Page
 
Orange County Trial Delayed 2 Weeks For Santa Maria Man Charged With Killing Mother

https://www.noozhawk.com/article/orange_county_trial_delayed_santa_maria_man_charged_with_killing_mother

The planned Orange County trial for a Santa Maria man charged with killing his mother for financial gain has been delayed until the end of January.

Attorneys for Gabriel Antonio Espinoza, 32, and the prosecution team met in Orange County Superior Court on Friday for a pre-trial hearing.

In Friday's court appearance, another pre-trial hearing was planned for Jan. 27, and the jury trial now is scheduled to start Jan. 30, according to a representative for the Orange County District Attorney’s Office.
 
Orange County Trial Starts For Santa Maria Man Accused of Killing Mother

https://www.noozhawk.com/article/orange_county_trial_starts_for_santa_maria_man_accused_of_killing_mother

Opening arguments occurred Wednesday in the Orange County Superior Court trial of a Santa Maria man charged with killing his mother two years ago, according to the Orange County District Attorney's Office .

The trial of Gabriel Espinoza, 32, began this week with jury selection at the Orange County Central Justice Center in Santa Ana.

Espinoza is charged with the death of his mother, Emma Posadas-Espinoza, who was found dead in La Habra in July 2014.
 
Jury deliberating in case of man accused of killing his mother, whose body found in La Habra

http://www.ocregister.com/articles/espinoza-745423-mother-posadas.html

The prosecution alleges that Espinoza planned to kill his estranged mother so that he could collect more than $429,000 from her savings and life insurance policy. The defense, however, says authorities have the wrong suspect.

In his closing argument, Senior Deputy District Attorney Troy Pino said Espinoza crept into his mother’s bedroom in Lompoc while she was sleeping and “squeezed the life out of her.” Her official caused of death was asphyxiation by chest compression, he said.

“It’s not a quick gunshot or a stab wound in anger, it’s up close and personal,” Pino said.

Pino said Espinoza loaded his mother’s body into the trunk of her new Acura sedan, brought along his dog, Raider, and then drove roughly three hours south to La Habra, where he dumped the body near an apartment complex where he used to live.

Espinoza’s defense attorney, Frederick Fascenelli, said evidence points to a different suspect. At the time of her death, Posadas-Espinoza was having an affair with her best friend’s husband, he said.

Fascenelli said the friend, who worked as an administrator at a prison, used her prison contacts to hire someone to kill Posadas-Espinoza after she found out about the affair. He said the friend had acted suspicious after Posadas-Espinoza’s death.

At one point, she laughed with a police investigator during an interview and later claimed that she had called friends and family out of concern when Posadas-Espinoza was missing, though phone records show no such calls, he said.

The women has not been charged with any crime in connection with Posadas-Espinoza’s death.
 
Santa Maria man convicted of killing his mother

http://www.sanluisobispo.com/news/local/article136375998.html

A jury found a Santa Maria man guilty of murdering his mother and dumping her body in La Habra more than two years ago.

The Orange County Superior Court jury reached the verdict Friday in the case of Gabriel Espinoza, 32, after a trial that lasted more than four weeks. He was convicted of killing of his mother, Emma Posadas-Espinoza, 58, of Lompoc for financial purposes.

He is scheduled to be sentenced June 2 and faces a maximum of 25 years to life in state prison, Orange County officials said.
 
http://orangecountyda.org/civica/press/display.asp?layout=2&Entry=5425

A man was sentenced to 25 years to life in state prison today for killing his mother in her home and disposing of the victim’s body in La Habra.

https://www.noozhawk.com/article/santa_maria_man_sentenced_for_killing_mom_dumping_body_in_orange_county

At the sentencing hearing, the victim’s sister, whose name was not released, delivered a victim-impact statement, the Orange County District Attorney’s Office said Friday in a news release.

The woman shared how her sister came from humble beginnings as a daughter of Spanish-speaking farm workers, but learned and eventually mastered English. Emma Posadas-Espinoza graduated with honors while earning bachelor’s and master’s degree.

“I can’t imagine the fear and excruciating pain she endured in the final moments of her life... She should be alive today still,” the sister said.
 

Members online

Online statistics

Members online
174
Guests online
2,266
Total visitors
2,440

Forum statistics

Threads
589,984
Messages
17,928,651
Members
228,032
Latest member
Taylor Sage
Back
Top