An arrest has been made!

[chicagofa13]

FYI for those of us late sleepers who missed all the AM stuff, Fox News is supposed to have a piece on it coming up. No idea on the detail it will involve.

 

[chicagofa13]

Someone mentioned earlier about the possibility of ... nasty movies... being the motive. Would that explain the FBI being involved?

It's times like this I wish we in California had sunshine laws similar to Florida's.

They must know something if she was charged with PC187(a).

I was told by a friend whose child was missing and murdered that the FBI can come in on any case when someone under 18 is missing. Of course, just what she said so I can't verify 100 percent. Local LE can ask for help also.

IMO it wouldn't be hard in a case like this to have a kidnap charge added. Holding someone against their will is pretty easy to do when an 8 y/o is involved.

 

[arielilane]

We will also broadcast a special report on the developments in this case Saturday evening between 7:00 and 8:00. KRON 4's Kimberlee Sakamoto will live blog during that same time right here on KRON4.com
http://www.kron.com/

 

[chicagofa13]

I wonder what date the pond was actually filled with water? It sounded like it was empty the actual day that Sandra disappeared. I doubt that Melissa would have put the suitcase into an empty pond....so if Sandra was killed within minutes of meeting her killer, that means that Melissa had to conceal her body for awhile.

I apologize if this issue was addressed in another thread...there are so many posts, I am getting lost sometimes!

Check the irrigation pond thread. IIRC the pond was full that day, but I may be mixed up also.

 

[panthera]

FYI for those of us late sleepers who missed all the AM stuff, Fox News is supposed to have a piece on it coming up. No idea on the detail it will involve.

It wasn't much on their update. Why do we always have breaking news on the weekend when Nancy or JVM's shows aren't "live"???!!! :waitasec:

 

[tiredofthis]

Mental Problems - Then why the he** was she allowed to teach Sunday School?

You don't always know who has mental problems.

 

[Manny]

I just love that guy. He He. He's a real NO-nonsense guy.... No BS coming from or being accepted by him!
From the above link: Sheneman said: "Professionally, while we're confident and pleased an arrest has been made, it will not reverse what happened. There's no joy in this."
At this morning's press conference, his cell phone alarm went off. He'd been up for 24 hours. He didn't recognize his own alarm, he was so bleary! He asked people to check their cell phones. Then he quipped "Apparently I'm not up yet." And then he set it to snooze and it went off again. I laughed out loud.
Bravo, Sheneman! Great job! Now go get some sleep.

I agree, I also LOL when his cell went off.. he looked so distracted and then realized it was his alarm. Poor guy.

 

[ladybug]

Someone mentioned earlier about the possibility of ... nasty movies... being the motive. Would that explain the FBI being involved?

It's times like this I wish we in California had sunshine laws similar to Florida's.

They must know something if she was charged with PC187(a).

The FBI is called in to any abducted child investigation for three main reasons: a) Their resources are top notch; b) They are experienced professionals in child abduction and lend a lot of help and guidance to departments like Tracy that have little to none; c) If the abductor were to take her across state lines, it becomes a Federal crime, thus FBI jurisdiction.

As for knowing something to charge with a 187, they know the girl was murdered, they've linked Melissa to crime...In California we also have what is called the "Felony Murder Rule", which is that if a death occurs during the commission of a felony, the person committing the felony is held responsible and it's considered murder- you see this charge usually in a case where there is a conspiracy for a robbery or such and someone gets killed- ALL conspirators are responsible for the death weather or not they were there.

It could well be that they know Sandra was abducted and they know she would up dead. Even if they do not have a cause at this time or even if they do not know who directly caused the death, Felony Murder applies due to kidnapping.

 

[wandering]

Check the irrigation pond thread. IIRC the pond was full that day, but I may be mixed up also.

yes, I recall they were draining it in preparation for farming, that's when they found the suitcase.

 

[LinasK]

Arraignment will be at court in Manteca, CA per Sgt. Sheneman.

 

[tiredofthis]

Hers are the most evil eyes I believe I've ever seen. And she also has a masculine looking face complete with what appears to be a 5 o clock shadow.
I felt repelled when I saw her mug shot too! I hate knowing that this evil person was the last person Sandra ever made eye contact with. R.I.P. dear Sandra, no one will ever hurt you again. My prayers are with her family.

I don't think the masculine looking face has anything to do with why she killed Sandra.

She is evil, I will agree.

 

[Sharedspirit]

That really says a lot about the moral fiber of those farm workers. I'm sure they could use the money but won't take it....

That money could be put in a trust for them so that when the reality of what happened hits them, they can afford to get the mental health care they are going to need. I can't imagine what they are going through right now! I try to imagine myself in their shoes and can't begin to comprehend it.

 

[DollyPardonMe]

cliff notes
Sandra C. - Murderer ARRESTED
Melissa Chantel La**ess Hu**aby age 28
Married John Hu**aby (Divorce proceedings-on going)
Melissa Chantel La**ess
Birth Date: 23 Feb 1981
Birth County: Orange
West High School graduate from Sept 1 1995 to June 30, 1999
Melissa Hu**aby admitted to:

1) Owning the suitcase in which Sandra's body was found.

2) Seeing Sandra at the time she went missing (last known person to see her alive).

3) Going to the church during the time Sandra went missing.

4) Admitting she has frequented the dump site where Sandra's body was found in HER suitcase.

5) Having a note which details the exact location of Sandra's body.

6) Having no alibi at the time Sandra went missing unless she was seen at the church by someone else.

Christian S**clair, 49, (RUMORED TO BE MELISSA BOY FRIEND) (AGE DOES NOT MATCH UP IN MY BOOK) was arrested last week for obstructing the police investigation and has been described in court records as alcoholic and abusive.
A friend of Sinclair, David Sla**er, 44, whose home and cars were searched, was questioned by police last week. Sla**er admitted Sandra had been in his home several times. Another rumor is that F. Williams is Mellisa's BF and he recently beat her up?

Huckaby says she has spent some time on the farm near the irrigation ditch where Sandra C. body was discovered in suitcase

Huckaby said that she found a note the day after Cantu's disappearance. Found the note near Sandra C. trailer/home.

According to Huckaby, the note said, "Cantu, Suitcase, Water. The word 'suitcase' was misspelled, and there were two street names including the word 'Whitehall.'" Whitehall Road is exactly where Sandra was found.

The "murder weapon" that is still missing. Speculation: the blinds were removed from the Lawless home - i.e. the cord. and/or the blinds where removed from Slayter's trailer home.

Bamboo blinds were pulled from the mobile home.
http://www.kcra.com/news/19121818/detail.html#
Checked the Superior Court records in Orange County CA and she has 2 traffic violations.


Police said the have identified the murder site, however, they will not disclose this to the public at this time. Rumor has it -the location is the church and or shed at the church.

Police said they have no other suspects and no other arrest will be made at this time. Most people do not believe this.

Twenty-eight-year-old Melissa Chantel Hu**aby was arrested at 11:55 p.m. Friday on suspicion of kidnapping and killing 8-year-old Sandra C. The 28-year-old Hu**aby is a Sunday school teacher and the granddaughter of the pastor of Clover Road Baptist Church.
.
A few things we know about who Melissa is:

Huckaby is the granddaughter of Clifford Lane La**ess, pastor of the Clover Road Baptist Church, located just down the street from Sandra's house.

-Clifford Lane La**ess (77) and Connie (grandparents)
-Brian (47) -Judy's (49) (La**ess) parents they live 5 hours away
-2 younger brothers
-Adam (23) is in the military in Virginia
-Caleb (21) is in college in Long Beach
-She has at least 1 daughter


Melissa’s last myspace login was on 4/3/09. Her mood was set to "crazy". Her status was "~MEL to the ISSA~ is high on life! lol" It appears LE has not logged into her myspace account since the last login date was before Sandra was found.

Huckaby was booked into the San Joaquin County jail about 3:25 a.m. (6:25 a.m. ET), according to the sheriff's Web site. She faces charges of kidnapping and murder, and is set to appear in court Tuesday.

www.myspace.com/Cinderella888

http://s598.photobucket.com/albums/tt62/elepher50/LaShots/?action=view¤t=ML.jpg

Uncle - Lane "Brian" La**ess
Julianne (sister?)
Emily is Melissa's cousin. -"hoping my family will be okay" http://www.myspace.com/emi_supe
http://www.facebook.com/people/Melissa-Huckaby/1258777755

Huckaby was not at the first vigil for Sandra, but there was an indication from people at the second that she attended that one.

SHE WAS ARRESTED 2 TIMES IN THE PAST: she is the one who was hospitalized a few days ago and police sat outside the hospital just sitting there------sounds like this lady is mentally odd----she has some major issues---Sounds like police thought it was her and her suitcase on day one.

Huckaby was recently convicted for petty theft in San Joaquin County, and was scheduled to appear in court on April 17 to check in with a county mental health program as part of a three-year probation sentence.

According to court records, Huckaby had claimed she was not mentally competent to stand trial in the case. The judge ordered her to be examined by physicians. Later, it was determined that she was competent and she pleaded no contest.

In an interview with the local newspaper on Friday, Huckaby said someone else by the same name was charged for the November theft from a Target store.

Huckaby was also convicted by Superior Court in Los Angeles County in November of 2006 for a petty theft in Bellflower, records showed.

Huckaby said her suitcase had an Eddie Bauer logo and was waterproof and charcoal-trimmed. Those details matched a general description of the suitcase that Sandra's body was found inside.

Huckaby claimed it was packed with things to redo her classroom. (Sunday school teacher)

While Huckaby said she has spoken to authorities, she did not know if her missing suitcase was indeed the one that held the girl's body.

Huckaby said she was packing up the car to go do some work at the nearby church on March 27 — but ended up leaving the suitcase next to her car because she forgot to pack it. About 30 minutes later, when she realized she forgot it, she said she left her grandfather's church and went back to the mobile home park to retrieve her suitcase, but by then it was gone.

Huckaby said Sandra often played with her own daughter, and that Sandra had come over that day, but Huckaby said she told the girl to go away because she was too busy.

In a phone interview on Friday, Huckaby had told KPIX that Sandra visited her home March 27, the day she disappeared, to play with her 5-year-old daughter. Huckaby also said she had left a suitcase in the driveway that day, and that it was missing.
.
Huckaby was arrested at the Tracy Police Department, where she had gone voluntarily for questioning nearly five hours earlier, police spokesman Sgt. Tony Sh**eman said.
.
She was booked into custody at 2:49 a.m. Saturday at San Joaquin County Jail.

When she got to the church, Huckaby’s grandmother called and said she found her keys and cell phone. Huckaby said that’s when she realized she had left the $200 suitcase outside. When her family went out to get it, they said it was gone.

“So I talked to the assistant manager at the mobile home park and asked him to keep an eye out for this suitcase, someone took it,” Huckaby said. “I also told some older kids to look out for it. I didn’t think much then because, you know, kids were getting out of school and I thought that maybe someone, maybe someone walking by just took it.”

She called Tracy police intending to file a report, but decided to do it online. She never got around to it. Key word is called, however, police said no such call was made.

http://www.tracypress.com/pages/full...ead_story&open

Police found Sandra’s dead body in a black suitcase submerged in a dairy lagoon 2 miles north of the mobile home park.
.
Earlier Friday evening, FBI agents and police were seen at the Baptist church, where they loaded what looked like a fold-up bed into a crime scene van. They had searched the church on Monday.

Huckaby told the Tracy Press that she and her 5-year-old daughter had lived for the past year with her grandparents and that on March 27 Sandra had stopped by her house and asked to play with her daughter. Huckaby said she’d said no, because her daughter needed to pick up her toys and that Sandra went to another friend’s home.
.
Huckaby’s dark purple Kia SUV was towed and searched by police Tuesday night.
.
When she talked to the Tracy Press Friday, she said she wasn’t the same Melissa Huckaby who pleaded no contest Jan. 9 to a felony charge of second-degree commercial burglary and a misdemeanor charge of petty theft after being arrested in November 2008 for trying to steal something from Target. She had been examined by doctors and was deemed mentally competent to stand trial. She was due back in court next week for sentencing.

Huckaby was released Thursday from Sutter Tracy Community Hospital, where she spent several days in the intensive care unit for what she described as “internal bleeding.” Police were stationed at the hospital during her stay. (Suicide would be approx 3 days, ulcer would be at least 2 days, how can one be in intensive care and then go home??? Speculation is she swallowed her relatives Coumadin (warfarin) pills (blood thinners)
.
Police announced Friday a $32,000 reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the killer of Sandra Cantu, last seen in a surveillance video skipping down the street near her mobile home.

Target - Eddie Bauer Luggage $99 not 200

http://www.localcrimenews.com/lookup.php?jid=3301990
812 W Clover Rd Spc 57
Tracy , CA 95376-1712

Reported: 11/03/2008 by Crime Reporter No. 7195
Source: Tracy PD

F PC459 Burglary
F PC666 Petty Theft With Prior

Fundraiser for Sandra
http://www.tracypress.com/pages/ful...le-Briefs =&instance=home_news_bullets&open=&

Check out this video. It is the second one down on the left with 3 men standing in front of a shed. About 1 minute and 7 seconds into the video, the reporter says the note was found at Sandra's Home!
http://www.nbclosangeles.com/news/us_world/Man-Reported-at-Pond-Where-Tracy-Girl-Was-Found--.html

http://www.ktvu.com/video/19156648/index.html
10 am Sat. News Conference.

migrant farm workers who discovered body refused the reward money

NBC is reporting Huckaby was questioned by investigators a few months ago after taking a 7 year old to the park--7 year old came back with narcotics in her system. See the above video/phone interview with Melissa. Bottom line: speculation is police are looking for a sex tape child molesting video ring---searching the church roof top for a receiver etc. all angles are being looked at along with the connection to all the child molesters?? All rumors!

Not that it matters what High School this animal went to but I show her on Classmates as graduating from Brea-Olinda HS in Brea, CA sames dates.

 

[Steely Dan]

BB12 I didn't want to copy your whole post because it was so long but thanks a million! :thumb:

No it's because she looks evil and scary. If I passed her in the grocery store I would stiffen I suspect.

I would :sick: and then :runaway:

That really says a lot about the moral fiber of those farm workers. I'm sure they could use the money but won't take it....

I'm not so sure it's moral fiber as much as it is fear of INS. If they aren't American citizens they probably couldn't claim it anyway.

If the story about Sandra being drugged and sexually abused is true.....why in the heck was she allowed to be out, roaming that place, alone?? Why??

Why wouldn't she be shipped to another family member until the mom could sell the trailer and move. :furious:

It wasn't much on their update. Why do we always have breaking news on the weekend when Nancy or JVM's shows aren't "live"???!!! :waitasec:

I was p.o.'d about that too. However, it gives the producers a whole weekend to research and contact those involved so Monday they should have a lot more. :thumb:

The FBI is called in to any abducted child investigation for three main reasons: a) Their resources are top notch; b) They are experienced professionals in child abduction and lend a lot of help and guidance to departments like Tracy that have little to none; c) If the abductor were to take her across state lines, it becomes a Federal crime, thus FBI jurisdiction.

As for knowing something to charge with a 187, they know the girl was murdered, they've linked Melissa to crime...In California we also have what is called the "Felony Murder Rule", which is that if a death occurs during the commission of a felony, the person committing the felony is held responsible and it's considered murder- you see this charge usually in a case where there is a conspiracy for a robbery or such and someone gets killed- ALL conspirators are responsible for the death weather or not they were there.

It could well be that they know Sandra was abducted and they know she would up dead. Even if they do not have a cause at this time or even if they do not know who directly caused the death, Felony Murder applies due to kidnapping.

That's what I thought too.

 

[Steely Dan]

BTW, does anyone know if she is the one who wrote the note left at the memorial site?

 

[txsvicki]

Where's the pic of her looking masculine? I read back a bunch of pages and found the wild eyed looking pic, but not the other one.

Edited to add; Nevermind, I found it in Kat's post #212. I don't think the other wild eyes pic is her though.

 

[Sharedspirit]

BB12 I didn't want to copy your whole post because it was so long but thanks a million! :thumb:



I would :sick: and then :runaway:



I'm not so sure it's moral fiber as much as it is fear of INS. If they aren't American citizens they probably couldn't claim it anyway.



Why wouldn't she be shipped to another family member until the mom could sell the trailer and move. :furious:



I was p.o.'d about that too. However, it gives the producers a whole weekend to research and contact those involved so Monday they should have a lot more. :thumb:



That's what I thought too.

If this happened to my daughter, I wouldn't care if the migrant workers were from Mars! I'd want them to have the reward. If they were that afraid of INS, they could have hid the evidence even further. I'd hate to think that fear of INS would keep someone from reporting what they found in a case like this. That thought never even occured to me.

 

[chicagofa13]

I just saw Candice Delong, the FBI profiler on a San Fran TV station interview. She was talking about the odd aspects of this case and said normally the woman would work with a male partner, but that doesn't appear to be the case here at the moment, and this wasn't a sexually motivated crime.

Ok, I don't know if that was a slip up based on inside info she might have, or her guess, (which she pretty much stated as fact as if to rule out the male partner?). But I didn't think we had been told by LE this was NOT a sex crime.

Probably old news here but also saw video of Sandra's family saying they want DP.

 

[Kat]

TY chicagofa13, I, for one, am very happy to hear that Sandra's family hopes for the DP. I agree with them.

 

[chicagofa13]

yes, I recall they were draining it in preparation for farming, that's when they found the suitcase.

Apologies, I meant the day Sandra went missing it was already full.