Deceased/Not Found CA - Sierra LaMar, 15, Morgan Hill, 16 March 2012 #17 *A. Garcia-Torres guilty*

New Posts

Status
Not open for further replies.
Unless the 10:00 news ktvu I'll look for a link. I'm on my daughters iPad so it takes me a whule
 
Nothing new on 10pm news here. On either situation. Wife was at courtroom. She still looks like a baby.
 
As long as LE can convince the family at some point that Sierra is gone, I can understand the reluctance to accept it for a while. But they will need to be convinced, in the event that she is not found, as they will need to say so at a trial. The jury will be hearing about the "worst" of Sierra, who will be painted as an aggressive girl who might well get into a car with a man and then decide to take off on her own. Her twitter, etc. will be used against her, her references to drugs, sex, etc...if LE has a mostly circumstantial case as far as murder goes, it is vital that the family is convinced she is deceased and says so...

I hope she is found, of course, so this will not be a factor, as it would be tremendously difficult, if not impossible for parents to admit their child is dead if they are never found. I know it took LE a while to convince Carrie Culbertson's mother that they only way they would get a conviction is if Mom agreed that Carrie was dead, on the stand, which she did. And they did.

JMOJMO
 
Sierra's poor best friend is regretting not face-timing her the night before she went missing and feels guilty for smiling on her birthday (the friend that is). My heart breaks for this child and Sierra's other close friends. I really hope these girls are receiving infinite amounts of love and support from their family and administrators at school. I can't imagine how painful it would be to lose a best friend at the age of 15, heck I can't even imagine how i would deal with the loss of my best friend now. Sending lots of love and prayers their way!
 
thevineyarder said:
Sierra's poor best friend is regretting not face-timing her the night before she went missing and feels guilty for smiling on her birthday (the friend that is). My heart breaks for this child and Sierra's other close friends. I really hope these girls are receiving infinite amounts of love and support from their family and administrators at school. I can't imagine how painful it would be to lose a best friend at the age of 15, heck I can't even imagine how i would deal with the loss of my best friend now. Sending lots of love and prayers their way!
Click to expand...

Oh my gosh, that is so sad :(

Not just the loss of a bf, but how she was lost. It's more than anyone should ever have to go through.
 
thevineyarder said:
Sierra's poor best friend is regretting not face-timing her the night before she went missing and feels guilty for smiling on her birthday (the friend that is). My heart breaks for this child and Sierra's other close friends. I really hope these girls are receiving infinite amounts of love and support from their family and administrators at school. I can't imagine how painful it would be to lose a best friend at the age of 15, heck I can't even imagine how i would deal with the loss of my best friend now. Sending lots of love and prayers their way!
Click to expand...

What a terrible thing to deal with when you're fifteen. I feel for these girls. They are too young to have to deal with this stuff. They should be looking forward to dances and drivers' licenses, not mourning their friend.
 
Tuliptiptoe said:
Oh my gosh, that is so sad :(

Not just the loss of a bf, but how she was lost. It's more than anyone should ever have to go through.
Click to expand...

I was eight when a friend of mine, who was nine, was kidnapped and murdered. I think because I was so young it helped me get over it, if you know what I mean? I didn't have a lot of knowledge about the world, I just knew that this happened, but I thought it was a fluke. But obviously it has stayed with me, which is why I pay attention to these cases. I can't imagine being a young teenager and losing someone close to me like this. I really hope all these friends are receiving some counseling.
 
The worst part is her not being found, IMO...
I read that at her school they were told by admin to not give up, that she could still be alive :( I am not sure this is the best advice JMO...
 
Lava said:
I was eight when a friend of mine, who was nine, was kidnapped and murdered. I think because I was so young it helped me get over it, if you know what I mean? I didn't have a lot of knowledge about the world, I just knew that this happened, but I thought it was a fluke. But obviously it has stayed with me, which is why I pay attention to these cases. I can't imagine being a young teenager and losing someone close to me like this. I really hope all these friends are receiving some counseling.
Click to expand...

I'm very sorry you had to experience that. I do understand what you are saying, but reading "9 years old" made my eyes water.

I think I'm going to have a hard time sleeping tonight.
 
cluciano63 said:
The worst part is her not being found, IMO...
I read that at her school they were told by admin to not give up, that she could still be alive :( I am not sure this is the best advice JMO...
Click to expand...

I agree. The "what ifs", not being able to say goodbye, probably feeling nervous for their own safety.

I don't think that is the best advice either, LE seems pretty confident she has been murdered. I wonder if a counselor told them to say that? Seems odd, IMO.
 
Guys - I will start a new thread for you in the morning.

Salem
 
His DNA was found on her possessions. Her DNA was found in his car.

To me it is irrelevant what that DNA is.

This piece of information is powerful enough on its own, because according to him he didn't know her. He told his mum he drove past where she lived. That's it. So there was no reason to have his DNA on her things or her DNA in his car.

I was thinking what other reasons there could be. I thought if maybe she was buying drugs (this is only me thinking out loud) that would explain the DNA in his car. Was he seeing her and picked her up in his car? Did he know her? According to him no. (You would think that if he did and either of these were true he would maybe tell the police that instead of keeping silent when faced with kidnapping and murder charge, and could be facing the death penalty) If so both of either of these things would account for the DNA in his car - but to have DNA on both, speaks volumes.

If he didn't know her then why was his DNA found on her things in a bag that was placed in a dis-used shed. Everything was in the bag she needed, medication money, and her clothes she was wearing that day.

So unless she had another change of clothes in the bag and a spare inhaler and ran away with no money and left all her friends and family behind, to start a new life somewhere at 15 years old..... hmmmm. I don't think so.

Will be interesting to see what the DNA and other evidence is, but it must be pretty damning and indicates that Sierra is deceased for them to charge him with kidnapping and murder with no body.

It is frustrating at the moment, and we can only go on what LE want released, but it sounds like they have done a fantastic job already, seems like they knew Sierra was possibly deceased within 12 days of her missing and had
found the suspect and had him under surveillance.

I don't blame him for keeping silent. He knows on this evidence alone he is up the creek with out a paddle and a big hole in the bottom of the boat.

just my opinion.
 
Depending upon what and where the DNA was...we may hear him decide that oh, yeah, he did know her and did happen to give her a ride that day...(I don't think it will work, but we've seen/heard other flip-flops like this.)

I know it not anything to rely on, but I did read elsewhere that supposedly LE actually believes she was dead that same day, which is what I also believe. I do not think this suspect had any way of maintaining her alive somewhere, even if so inclined. For Sierra's sake, I hope she was only alive a very short time indeed.

I totally have faith in LE and see no reason why they would hasten with the murder charge, when he could have been arrested just for the kidnapping, unless they are confident they can prove it. What would be the point? They could always have added the murder charge later, years later even, if she is eventually found.

But, that said, I do hope she is found prior to a trial; it is hard to know what a jury will do, and whether they family has come to accept that she is no alive by that time, which will be a necessity.

JMO
 
Cottontop said:
It's interesting to me that the mom remembers that her son went fishing the day after Sierra went missing. It's almost like a part of her "knows" on some level and that statement is her way of helping LE out. I mean, why say that publicly? And, how does she remember that it was the day after Sierra went missing, especially if it's something that he's done his whole life. Fishing, I mean.

By the way, I can't imagine being the public defender on this one. How can anyone try to get him off? I know it's their job, but as a human being, how do you try to set him free? If he gets an acquittal and later they find her remains and it's proof he did it, it's too late then. He can't be re-tried.

It's all so distorted and sad and I feel so sorry for Sierra and what she went through. My thoughts are with her family and what must be going through their minds.
Click to expand...

There are defense attorneys who cannot and will not take clients like this guy but for the most part when they do take these cases, they do what they are required to do professionally: Defend their client. That sometimes means getting the person off on a technicality even when they know the person may have committed heinous acts. If they can't get the charges dropped or reduced, and cannot get a plea bargain for their client, they go to court and do whatever the courts allow to get the person acquitted. If they cannot get acquittal, the try for the lightest sentence possible. It's their job and just the nature of it can make all defense attorneys appear sleazy even though not all defense attorneys are sleazy.

While a private attorney has the option of taking on a client or not taking them, public defenders do not typically have much of a voice in that regard. They often have to defend people that are guilty and that they know are guilty. It is their job and I certainly do not blame them for doing it. I do question those in private practice who take on cases like this because my way of thinking is why would anyone purposely want to be a part of helping such a client go free...but on the other hand, every defendant deserves their day in court and has the right to a defense, whether that be a public or a private attorney.

(I'm still reading at page 30-something, so I apologize if this post lands in the middle of a totally different discussion.)
 
Status
Not open for further replies.

DNASolves

Who is Escambia County John Doe (1989)?

Staff online

Members online

... and 199 more.
Total: 4,339 (members: 200, guests: 4,139)

Online statistics

Members online
200
Guests online
4,139
Total visitors
4,339
Totals may include hidden visitors.

Forum statistics

Threads
596,168
Messages
18,041,765
Members
229,920
Latest member
Jd171821
Back
Top