Angel Who Cares
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Part 5:
Chelsea King's Parents Talk About Their Loss
Last Update: 3/05 11:37 pm
<snipped>
In seven days, the King Family is forever changed. Holding on to hope through emotionally draining days while volunteers search for their missing 17 year old daughter, Chelsea, the emotional toll was far from over once her body was discovered near Lake Hodges and close to the path where she'd gone for a jog. "We want to celebrate how she lived her life and that was take each and every minute. Live it to its fullest," says Chelsea's Mother, Kelly King.
The day after her body is discovered, the King's were face to face with her accused murderer and rapist John Gardner as he faced the charges in court. "If you were given the opportunity to sit in the courtroom and physically watch, you would also understand the amount of cowardice in that person," says Chelsea's Dad, Brent King.
Chelsea's parents say they hold Gardner's Mother responsible for their daughter's death as well. "If you know your child has done something wrong, tell somebody. So, absolutely," says Brent King. Gardner was staying at his Mother's house in the days before Chelsea disappeared. The home is blocks away from where the 17-year-old's body was found. Gardner is convicted of sexually assaulting a 13-year-old in the same home a decade ago. "Anyone who is a parent cannot in good conscience sit there and say, 'yes, it's okay to let this person live next door.' You cannot, You cannot tell me," says Chelsea's Dad.
Her parents both want the District Attorney to push for the death penalty in their daughter's case. "This is not a sickness that can be cured. There is only one way to cure it." Even with their loss, the Kings look to the future hoping to change the laws so other sex offenders don't get a second chance to destroy another life. "We've been given an opportunity to do something really good and she's given that to us in a way we would have never wanted. But we've got it and we're not gonna let her down," says Chelsea's Mother. The memorial service for Chelsea will be on March 13th. The public is invited.
Hope for Memorial Park
Backers of a name change of the park where Chelsea King began her fateful run are gathering support for the idea on Friday. A Facebook page and a Web page have been created to request that city officials rename the grounds as "Chelsea King Memorial Park."
Jogging Safety
Runners -- both adolescents and adults -- are adopting tighter rules on when and where they can safely train following the slaying of Poway High School senior Chelsea King. Vista High girls cross-country coach Sonia Rodriguez told The San Diego Union-Tribune that her team is no longer allowed to run alone or in rural areas. "I told them that the only way they can run is to run with someone else and they must stay in highly visible areas," she said. Rodriguez suggests her runners head to the gym if they can't find a running buddy and that they not use iPods because it could make them lose focus on their surroundings, the Union-Tribune reported. "I'm mad that now when I go for a run, I don't have to just worry about dogs and cars. Now, I have to worry that there may be some guy out there that could hurt me," Kate Garcia, a long-distance runner and vice president of the San Diego Track Club, told the newspaper.
Video: King Family Talks 2:22
Chelsea King's family talks about the week that will impact them every day for the rest of their lives. 3/5/10
http://www.sandiego6.com/mediacenter/local.aspx?videoid=753607@xetv.dayport.com&navCatId=5
FACEBOOK: Chelsea's Light
http://www.facebook.com/chelseaslight?ref=search&sid=659201198.2585892002..1
FACEBOOK: Chelsea King Memorial Park
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Renam...helsea-King-Memorial-Park/338902172098?ref=mf
Article:
http://www.sandiego6.com/news/local...-About-Their-Loss/L6htM0v5MkC5JEaRIIogfg.cspx
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Assaults on females prompt police safety tips
Friday, March 05, 2010
<snipped>
A composite sketch was released Friday of a man wanted for sexually assaulting a woman at knifepoint in Hemet Wednesday. At about 9:40 p.m. Wednesday, a 32-year-old woman walking on the 26800 block of Yale Street was lured by a suspect into a vacant lot where she was assaulted at knifepoint. Earlier the same day, police say the man depicted in the sketch tried to kidnap a 16-year-old girl in West Covina. The South Hills High School student told police she was walking home when a man in a Toyota Camry pulled up alongside her at Cortez Street near Prospero Drive and offered her a ride. When she declined, he got out and tried to force her into the car. He even slapped her on the face, but she fought back.
The recent abduction of 17-year-old Chelsea King ended with her death. A suspect was arrested and charged with assault and murder in that case.
Authorities are encouraging teenage girls to not only be aware of the surroundings but also to fight back if confronted in any way possible. The 16-year-old in West Covina did just that and got away. Police also suggest girls always walk in groups and face the direction of oncoming traffic so they won't be caught off guard. "We recommend you scream, make a lot of noise, try to draw attention from people that are around you so that they can focus on who is out there and what this problem is," said Lopez. "So it's good to use your cell phone immediately. Dial 911 immediately and get some help out there as quickly as you can."
Video: Assaults on females prompt police safety tips 1:58
http://abclocal.go.com/kabc/video?id=7314963
Article:
http://abclocal.go.com/kabc/story?section=news/local/los_angeles&id=7315009
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Keeping Sex Offenders Offline
Last Update: 3/05 6:07 pm
<snipped>
A California lawmaker has a new proposal that would require paroled sex offenders to add their e-mail addresses and other on-line identification to the long list of information they provide to the state. The proposed law would also ban offenders from going on to social networking sites.
Last year the state of New York passed a similar law after their officials found more than 3 thousand sex offenders from that state on sites like Facebook. Now one of our lawmakers says we're overdue for the same kind of protection for our kids. We know these are hunting grounds for those individuals who are looking for their next victim.
California State Senator George Runner said shock and sadness over tragedies such as the brutal murder of 17 year old Chelsea King have motivated him to propose a new law designed to keep predators away from kids. He said California State lawmakers have not been tough enough on sex offenders. "The tragedy down there in San Diego is an example of a legislature that failed to move," said Runner.
Runner's bill will be argued in Sacramento at the end of this month. He believes the biggest hurdle to its passage is the public safety committee, which he said has traditionally failed to get tough on sex offenders.
Video: Keeping Sex Offenders Offline 3/5/10 ~ 2:20
http://www.kpsplocal2.com/mediacenter/local.aspx?videoId=10050@kpsp.web.entriq.net&navCatId=15
Article:
http://www.kpsplocal2.com/Content/T...Offenders-Offline/Du4HqAtIh06wzBmG2xDlfQ.cspx
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Woman describes encounter with Gardner at RB park
Posted: Mar 05, 2010 9:56 PM EST
Updated: Mar 05, 2010 9:56 PM EST
<snipped>
John Albert Gardner may have returned to the scene of the crime hours before he was arrested on Sunday. That's according to a new witness who's talking to News 8. Becky Sangha's chilling account of coming face to face with Chelsea King's accused killer started as she drove into the park. She spotted an inebriated man stumbling up an embankment, who later accosted her along a trail. "To realize you were that close to someone that evil is something that doesn't sit well inside you," Sangha said.
The Escondido resident was finishing a Sunday afternoon walk along the trail bordering Lake Hodges with her five-year-old daughter and four dogs when she came face to face with Chelsea King's alleged killer. "I heard the crackling in the bushes first," she said. She says the man appeared drunk and was dressed in a red shirt and black pants, wet from the waist down as if he'd just come out of the lake. He started to advance toward Sangha and her family. "His body was kind of forward and he was walking very quickly and directly toward us. It made me uncomfortable. I got alarmed," she said.
The man came as close as 10 or 15 feet as Sangha gathered her daughter and dogs and hurried away, she said. "I kept eye contact with him the whole time. He finally sat down, but he kept watching us," she said. "I don't know what his intentions were that day." But her instincts were confirmed that night when she saw on the news that John Gardner had been arrested for Chelsea King's murder. "I jumped out of bed and I said that's the guy, that is the guy who made me feel so uncomfortable. That's him," she said.
Sangha contacted authorities, and on Monday took search teams to the locations she'd spotted Gardner. The next day Chelsea's body was discovered near the lake in a shallow grave. "It made me feel sick, especially having my daughter with me that day. My gut reaction was to get her out of bed and keep her close to me," Sangha said.
Authorities told Sangha she did two things that could potentially have saved her life - the fact she made and maintained eye contact and that that she was accompanied by her dogs. Sangha says she's dedicated to making public parks safe for everybody to enjoy. As part of the effort to raise awareness about park safety, a special event called "Finish Chelsea's Run - Take Back the Parks" is scheduled at Lake Hodges on Saturday, March 20 at 9 a.m.
Video: Woman describes encounter with Gardner at RB park 2:43
http://www.760kfmb.com/global/video...pFormat=flv&clipId1=4599350&at1=News&h1=Woman describes encounter with Gardner at RB park&flvUri=&partnerclipid=
Article:
http://www.760kfmb.com/Global/story.asp?S=12093983
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System Failed Chelsea King, Advocates Say
3/5/10 - Updated: 1 hour 22 minutes ago
<snipped>
A Houston crime victim advocate said steps must be taken to prevent other girls from being victimized. "The sad reality is, you have to try to take a negative and turn it into a positive, so that there won't be any more Chelsea Kings that have to be needlessly and brutally murdered for no reason other than the systematic failure," Andy Kahan told AOL News. "That is the real quest now -- to ensure she didn't die in vain." "America's Most Wanted" host John Walsh told Fox News on Thursday that he spoke with President Barack Obama about the case. "His response and outlook on it is the same as mine," Walsh said. "How could this guy be out there and if he is out there, why isn't he being watched more closely?"
A psychiatrist recommended that Gardner be given the maximum sentence of at least 10 years in prison because he showed no remorse and was a "continued danger to underage girls in the society." Nevertheless, San Diego County prosecutors agreed to lesser charges to spare the victim the ordeal of testifying. "It is extremely rare for a psychiatrist to make a recommendation, particularly of a maximum sentence. Normally you are dealing with people who are more treatment-oriented, so it is pretty telling that the psychiatrist said that this guy was a danger and will be a danger and deserves the maximum punishment," Kahan said. "That recommendation should been taken wholeheartedly as gospel, but, unfortunately, the prosecutor ignored it."
King's parents said they are determined to see that laws are changed to help prevent their tragedy from befalling another family. "How many times do our daughters need to be raped before we put these monsters behind bars forever?" Kelly King said Thursday on CNN's "Larry King Live."
Kahan said that it is great that the Kings want to take proactive steps, but he is skeptical about how effective new laws can be. He believes the only way to stop sex offenders from attacking new victims is to lock them up for a long time. "It is time we need to start hammering the people with lengthy sentences, particularly those that molest the most vulnerable members of our society -- our children," Kahan said. "I get sick and tired of naming state laws after victims of child molesters. Think about all your state laws. You got Jessica's Law, Megan's Law, Ashley's Law, the Amber Hagerman Act, etc., etc. It's pretty sad that we continue to name those laws after dead children who were taken from known offenders."
Article:
http://www.aolnews.com/crime/article/did-system-fail-slain-california-teen-chelsea-king/19385884
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REGION: Chelsea King case raises awareness among runners
Always be aware of your surroundings, authorities say
Posted: March 5, 2010 7:20 pm
<snipped>
The killing of Poway teen Chelsea King has special significance among runners in North County, who now say they are taking precautions when they jog along the region's picturesque but often isolated trails. Law enforcement officials have also urged caution for runners, especially those who exercise alone. Bill Martin, who coaches nearly 200 runners in North County, said he sent out an e-mail to team members reminding them of safety tips. He said he often runs the trails south of Lake Hodges where Chelsea disappeared last week and where a body believed to be hers was recovered Tuesday. "It breaks my heart what happened there," Martin said.
Some of the tips are:
-- Don't run at night.
-- Always have an ID.
-- Don't wear headphones.
*More Tips At Link!
Article:
http://www.nctimes.com/news/local/sdcounty/article_b108f8a2-810b-5f40-9ce9-21b11b17e69f.html
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New Revelations About John Gardner From Family Member
Last Update: 3/05 11:37 pm
<snipped>
We are learning more about Chelsea King's suspected murderer, John Albert Gardner III. One of Gardner's relatives phoned into a Los Angeles radio talk show and gave an in depth talk about the man now behind bars. "He was impulsive and prone to violent outburst," the unidentified man said in a 26-minute exchange. "I was in shock I couldn't believe what I was hearing."
The man poured his heart out on the John and Ken radio show, telling listeners the FBI interviewed him, and just a couple of weeks ago he and Gardner got into a very bad argument. The relative said he kicked John out of his grandmother's Lake Elsinore home where he had been staying. "There may be other victims out there. Some of this info needs to be shared every dot needs to be connected," he said on the air. Gardner's relative believes he is behind other attempted abductions in Lake Elsinore and Rancho Bernardo. He even believes it's possible John has something to do with missing Escondido teen, Amber Dubois. He said, "I hope not. I hope not. But at this point and time..."
Earlier Incidents Probed
Gardner was charged with sex crimes against two teenage girls about a decade earlier. Even after pleading guilty to some of the charges, he was back on the streets after spending less than six years behind bars.
Blank says if the case had gone to trial Gardner could have been sentenced to decades behind bars. Gardner was originally charged with three counts of using force to perform lewd acts on the 13 year old, one count of false imprisonment, and a fifth count for molesting a second girl who was 14-years-old at the time. Even after being charged, Gardner was quickly out on $50,000 bail and allowed on the streets for more than four months before his bail was revoked according to court document. Blank says he would expect the bail to be set at $250,000 with the serious nature of the charges if it was granted at all. "Why he was out on that kind of bail is another question."
*Much More At Link!
Chelsea King
Chelsea King
John Albert Gardner
AUDIO: Listen to Gardner relative on the John and Ken Show (8.5MB)
http://www.sandiego6.com/media/lib/...-4226-8aad-e8ea738a1109/Gardner_Interview.mp3
Video: Relative Speaks 3:25
We are learning more about Chelsea King's suspected murderer, John Albert Gardner. 3/6/10
http://www.sandiego6.com/mediacenter/local.aspx?videoId=753627@xetv.dayport.com&navCatId=5
Video: How Chelsea King's Story is Affecting You? 1:25
Viewers share the personal impact of the Chelsea King murder on their lives on Facebook.com/SanDiego6. 3/6/2010
http://www.sandiego6.com/mediacenter/local.aspx?videoId=753778@xetv.dayport.com&navCatId=5
Video: John Gardner's Prior Cases 3:06
More questions are still being raised about why the man accused of killing Chelsea King was given such a light sentence in his prior case. 3/4/10
http://www.sandiego6.com/mediacenter/local.aspx?videoId=753117@xetv.dayport.com&navCatId=5
Video: Changing Laws 3:14
The Chelsea King tragedy has many people now wanting to change our sex offender laws. 3/4/10
http://www.sandiego6.com/mediacenter/local.aspx?videoId=753094@xetv.dayport.com&navCatId=5
Video: Missing Teen 2:52
The reward for information leading to the discovery of Amber Dubois, the 14-year-old Escondido high school student, has been upped to $60,000. 3/4/09
http://www.sandiego6.com/mediacenter/local.aspx?videoId=585850@xetv.dayport.com&navCatId=5
Video: John Gardner in Court 4:14
John Gardner faced the parents of his alleged murder victim, Chelsea King, as he appeared in court to be arraigned. 3/3/10
http://www.sandiego6.com/mediacenter/local.aspx?videoId=752610@xetv.dayport.com&navCatId=5
Video: Chelsea King Murder Suspect in Court 28:23
John Gardner III enters a plea in the murder of 17-year-old Chelsea King. 3/3/10
http://www.sandiego6.com/mediacenter/local.aspx?videoId=752524@xetv.dayport.com&navCatId=5
Video: Sex Offender Arrested 0:23
A convicted sex offender is back behind bars after being chased down by the father of a girl he approached in Del Mar. 3/3/10
http://www.sandiego6.com/mediacenter/local.aspx?videoId=752601@xetv.dayport.com&navCatId=5
Video: Gardner Family Home Vandalized 0:39
Vandals lash out at the mother of the suspect in Chelsea King's murder. They painted a message on the garage of her Rancho Bernardo home. 3/3/10
http://www.sandiego6.com/mediacenter/local.aspx?videoId=752373@xetv.dayport.com&navCatId=5
Video: Back to School 0:59
Students returned to Poway High for the first time since Chelsea King first disappeared on Thursday. 3/3/10
http://www.sandiego6.com/mediacenter/local.aspx?videoId=752603@xetv.dayport.com&navCatId=5
Video: San Diego 6 Webcast 3/3/10 5:12
John Gardner enters plea in murder of Chelsea King, Mayor Sanders comments on UCSD racial tensions, man caught with marijuna hidden in spare tire,
http://www.sandiego6.com/mediacenter/local.aspx?videoId=752525@xetv.dayport.com&navCatId=5
Video: Chelsea's Classmates Coping 2:56
The principal from Chelsea King's school talks about how her classmates are dealing with the death of the popular student. 3/3/10
http://www.sandiego6.com/mediacenter/local.aspx?videoId=752335@xetv.dayport.com&navCatId=5
Video: Remembering Chelsea 5:41
Family, friends and those who never met Chelsea King are mourning her loss. Thousands of people, moved by her story, came out to remember the local teenager. 3/2/10
http://www.sandiego6.com/mediacenter/local.aspx?videoId=752131@xetv.dayport.com&navCatId=5
Video: Chelsea King's Body Discovered 31:22
The Sheriff's Department announces that the teen's body has been found in a shallow grave at Lake Hodges. 3/2/10
http://www.sandiego6.com/mediacenter/local.aspx?videoId=752047@xetv.dayport.com&navCatId=5
Video: Vigil for Chelsea King 3:41
A vigil will be held Tuesday night for missing Poway teen Chelsea King. 3/2/10
http://www.sandiego6.com/mediacenter/local.aspx?videoId=751963@xetv.dayport.com&navCatId=5
Video: Remains Found 1:51
The suspect accused of killing and raping Chelsea King is set to be arraigned but many say he should never have been walking the streets. 3/2/10
http://www.sandiego6.com/mediacenter/local.aspx?videoId=752108@xetv.dayport.com&navCatId=5
Video: Missing Teen News Conference 13:11
The Sheriff's Department holds a news conference concerning the disappearance of 17-year-old Chelsea King of Poway. 3/1/10
http://www.sandiego6.com/mediacenter/local.aspx?videoId=751523@xetv.dayport.com&navCatId=5
Video: Holding Out Hope 5:50
The search continues for a missing Poway teenager, and a sex offender suspect is arrested and is now facing murder charges. 3/1/10
http://www.sandiego6.com/mediacenter/local.aspx?videoId=751610@xetv.dayport.com&navCatId=5
Video: Missing Teen Arrest 3:09
A registered sex offender has been arrested in the case of missing Poway teenager Chelsea King. 3/1/10
http://www.sandiego6.com/mediacenter/local.aspx?videoId=751522@xetv.dayport.com&navCatId=5
Video: Missing Poway Teen 3:07
The San Diego County Sheriff's Department has made an arrest in the disappearance of 17-year old Chelsea King. 02/28/2010
http://www.sandiego6.com/mediacenter/local.aspx?videoId=751088@xetv.dayport.com&navCatId=5
Video: Missing Girl Search 2:59
The search for Chelsea King. 02/27/2010
http://www.sandiego6.com/mediacenter/local.aspx?videoId=750844@xetv.dayport.com&navCatId=5
Video: Searching for Missing People 5:23
Private investigator Patrick Schneeman shares the strategies behind the searches for Chelsea King and the McStay families.
http://www.sandiego6.com/mediacenter/local.aspx?videoId=750796@xetv.dayport.com&navCatId=5
Video: Missing Teen 2:58
Authorities and volunteers continue to search for a Poway High School student who went missing while jogging. 2/26/10
http://www.sandiego6.com/mediacenter/local.aspx?videoId=750663@xetv.dayport.com&navCatId=5
Slideshow: Chelsea King 1-13
http://www.sandiego6.com/Photo.aspx?content_id=29c032cd-f4aa-415d-b27f-bf2dadb7c7be&i=4
Read the John Gardner criminal complaint (1.6MB)
http://www.sandiego6.com/media/lib/...b4ab9a900be5/CD225886_John_Albert_Gardner.pdf
Article:
http://www.sandiego6.com/news/local...-Bernardo-jogging/zTLAKar0XUGyf78trbfHvg.cspx
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Symphony cancels date after loss of Chelsea
Saturday, March 6, 2010 at 12:04 a.m.
<snipped>
Poway High School’s wind symphony won’t be performing today at a band-and-orchestra festival in Oceanside. Grief over losing Chelsea King, an essential member of the brass section, was too much for the students. Whenever the symphony plays for the rest of the school year, the seat that Chelsea would have occupied as a French horn player will remain vacant. The 35-member symphony rehearsed Monday and Tuesday, hopeful that Chelsea, 17, would be found after she disappeared Feb. 25 at Rancho Bernardo Community Park. Tuesday afternoon, authorities believe they found Chelsea’s body at Lake Hodges, and her musician friends stopped practicing. “She is a very prominent part of our symphony,” band director Mike Cook said. “Missing her would have been a travesty.”
When Chelsea’s mother, Kelly King, learned that the wind symphony wouldn’t compete today in the El Camino High School North County Band and Orchestra Festival, she called Cook to tell him Chelsea would have wanted them to perform. But she understood that it might be too difficult.
Kelly King invited the symphony to play at Chelsea’s memorial service March 13, Cook said. “I think (playing at El Camino) would be a tough thing for them to do,” McCoy said. “But in my own personal opinion, I think that playing the memorial is going to be way more difficult.” Professional musician Mike McCoy volunteered to play Chelsea’s parts today, but Cook said the students weren’t ready to perform this weekend. Cook, who had been Chelsea’s band instructor since she was a freshman in 2007 at Poway High, said: “She was a bright young girl with budding talents who would never hurt a flea, never say anything bad about anybody. She was an amazing student to teach.”
Cook hasn’t decided which songs the band will play at Chelsea’s memorial service, but said whatever they choose will feature brass parts prominently. The service is set for 2 p.m. at Poway High’s stadium.
Article:
http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/2010/mar/06/symphony-cancels-appearance-after-loss-of-chelsea/
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Concerned Parents Can Track Child's Cell Phone
[Chelsea's parents found her missing car by tracking her cell phone
Updated 10:42 AM PST, Sat, Mar 6, 2010
<snipped>
Phone services that track cell phone locations are growing in popularity among concerned parents. Chelsea King’s parents found their daughter’s missing car by tracking her cell phone. The 17-year-old left her phone inside her BMW in Rancho Bernardo Community Park. Brent and Kelly King were able to track her phone using an AT&T Web site. Keith Donohue with Best Buy in Mission Valley said parents of younger children or of new drivers are most likely to pay for the feature. “You can actually go directly on the computer, shrink down on the map and zoom in on where the child is or very close proximity,” said Donohue.
AT&T and Verizon both offer tracking services. The cost for the feature runs between $10 and $15. “If you’re worried about your kids staying out too late at night or you’re worried they may not be telling you exactly where they’re going or you’re just concerned about their safety, it’s good to know where they are,” said Rainey Reitman with Privacy Rights Clearinghouse. But Reitman also said you should let your children know they are being tracked. “Kids have a right to know if parents are tracking them. We all want to know if we’re being tracked regardless of who’s doing it,” Reitman said.
The website services not only follow the movements of a phone but some will notify parents if the phone goes outside of a predetermined area. “If the child with the phone steps outside this parameter, it’s going to alert the parents,” said Donohue, who added that the carrier will notify parents with a text message. While parents have the option of paying for the service, police departments are able to access information. The information is generally taken from GPS or cellular tower signals.
Article:
http://www.nbcsandiego.com/news/tech/Concerned-Parents-Can-Track-Childs-Cell-Phone--86691517.html
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Picture emerges of suspect as deeply troubled
Saturday, March 6, 2010 at 12:04 a.m.
<snipped>
He was popular with girls and made fun of by classmates. He ran errands for neighbors and discovered outdoor sports. He could be moody and aggressive when he didn’t take his medication. By any measure, the adolescent years that accused killer John Albert Gardner III spent in this mountaintop village were the high-water mark of a deeply troubled life. He was never a standout at Rim of the World High School, the all-weather campus along state Route 18 overlooking the Los Angeles Basin. Many teachers and former students at the Home of the Fighting Scots don’t even remember him. But this is where Gardner, a 30-year-old convicted sex offender charged Wednesday with the murder of 17-year-old Chelsea King of Poway, also flourished.
It’s where he spent his formative years, where his mom bounced checks for the hockey equipment he needed, where he dated for the first time and where classmates teased him for being “dorky and unpopular.” This is where he excelled at pottery, listened to country music and sang in the high school choir. Those who knew Gardner considered him bright, intelligent and full of promise. But today Gardner is confronting life in prison — perhaps the death penalty — if he is convicted of killing Chelsea, the track star and French-horn player who went missing Feb. 25 while out for a jog at Lake Hodges. “The person that we knew and the person that they’re describing are two different people,” said one of Gardner’s former neighbors, who did not want her name published because she fears her business would suffer. “In my heart, if he did do these things, I think it was just because he gave up,” the woman said. “He got tired of asking for help.”
Gardner was living in the Los Angeles suburb of Lawndale in 1990 when his mother filed for divorce from his father. The family packed up and moved to this San Bernardino Mountain vacation retreat after her divorce became official. Catherine Jeannette Gardner also had two older daughters, then 17 and 18, from a previous marriage; she would have two more husbands before her son’s latest arrest. His parents’ separation caused him extreme anxiety, eventually leading to hospitalization and psychiatric treatment, court records say. The divorce records show Gardner’s father was ordered to pay $70 a month in child support. Even through the months leading up to their son’s 18th birthday, Gardner’s mother and father fought in court over money, custody and much more. “I have left message after message for John but I never hear from him,” his father wrote to a family court judge in November 1996. “My Christmas gift to John was returned even though I sent it to the correct address.”
While enrolled in public schools, Gardner was identified as an SED child, or seriously emotionally disturbed. A psychiatrist noted that lithium helped the boy’s bipolar disorder until he had to discontinue the medication because of side effects such as irritable bowel syndrome.
Up on the mountain, Gardner generally managed to stay out of trouble. He played baseball in the spring, skied through the winters and used a neighbor’s climbing wall. According to the divorce file, he even joined the law-enforcement component of the school’s regional-occupation program, which tries to match young people to suitable careers. Family friends said despite Gardner’s outward confidence and cheery disposition, he struggled through adolescence. He suffered dramatic mood swings and talked openly about needing help. “It seemed like his medications changed a lot, and we didn’t know if that was because of his mother or because he was seeing someone new” for treatment, said the neighbor and family friend, who also said Catherine Gardner worked as a mental-health administrator.
His first criminal conviction came in 1998, a year after he graduated from Rim of the World. Records show he was charged with disturbing the peace after showing up on the campus uninvited. Local officials recommended probation because of his clean record. Despite getting a break from prosecutors, Gardner had difficulty meeting adult responsibilities. He left the mountain in search of work, a career, someplace where, as his mother put it in court papers later, he could “contribute something meaningful back to society.” But friends said Gardner was slow to find his niche. He took assorted jobs before landing a part-time position at a San Diego sporting goods store, intermittently staying in touch with some friends from his high school years.
In the weeks before he turned 21, Gardner won a promotion at the Big 5 store in Mira Mesa to a full-time job, according to court records. He was singled out for his work ethic and dedication, and began dating a young co-worker. At the same time, however, his interest in younger girls got the better of him. On March 16, 2000, he picked up a pair of teenage girls on their way to school and took one of them to his mother’s Rancho Bernardo townhouse. As they watched a movie, he began rubbing the 13-year-old and, his sexual advances rebuffed, he beat and fondled the girl before she escaped. Gardner was arrested within minutes and eventually pleaded guilty to committing lewd acts with a minor. He was facing more than 10 years in prison, yet three young women wrote to the judge seeking leniency. “The first time that we went out I probably waited for about 4 hours for him to kiss me but after 4 hours of nothing I finally decided to kiss him,” former girlfriend Beth Melban wrote. “That is why I couldn’t believe he was being accused of forcing himself on a girl.” One psychiatrist said Gardner showed no remorse and suggested he be locked up as long as possible; another recommended probation and treatment for Gardner, even though he had admitted having sexual relations with two underage girls. Gardner was 21 when he was sentenced to six years in prison.
R.J. Donovan Correctional Facility is an overcrowded prison on Otay Mesa that often acts as a receiving barn for new convicts. Gardner arrived from San Diego County jail on Sept. 18, 2000. Three months later he was sent to the California Correctional Institution in Tehachapi. While he was there, his father — a self-employed “assembler” — declared bankruptcy in 2002, with $5 in his pocket and $227 spread across three checking accounts. In April 2005, Gardner was moved to Avenal State Prison in central California until he was paroled that September. After his release, Gardner was monitored like thousands of other sex offenders who make parole. He was ordered to register with local police wherever he lived. In January 2008, eight months before his parole case was closed, Gardner was “placed on a passive GPS caseload,” a prison spokeswoman said.
Prison officials could not provide details of Gardner’s time in state custody or discuss his parole term. Requests for public records of his case have not yet been processed. Two months after Gardner’s parole ended, his father died at age 64. The son kept a decidedly low profile outside prison, although he did receive a few traffic citations. He bounced around between Riverside and San Diego counties. Police now suspect he was spending time scouting young girls.
In January 2009, 14-year-old Amber Dubois of Escondido went missing from a street just two miles from where Gardner was living. Since his DNA was linked to Chelsea on Sunday, he has become a suspect in Amber’s case. Riverside County investigators are checking a report from October that a man matching Gardner’s description tried to abduct a 14-year-old girl on her way to school in Lake Elsinore, where Gardner also registered as a sex offender.
By early this year, many of the better things in Gardner’s life were falling apart. Within the span of a few weeks earlier this year, he lost his steadiest job and his girlfriend and also crashed his car, according to a family acquaintance in Running Springs.
Witnesses now say Gardner may have been stalking girls near Bernardo Heights Middle School on Feb. 24. The next day Chelsea was gone.
A yearbook photo of murder suspect John Albert Gardner III.
Article:
http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/2010/mar/06/deeply-troubled-picture-emerges-of-suspects-life/
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Parents of slain teen Chelsea King: 'Change has to be made'
March 5, 2010 3:59 p.m. EST
<snipped>
The parents of a California girl who was allegedly raped and killed by a registered sex offender are calling for tougher standards against repeat offenders. "How many times do our daughters need to be raped before we put these monsters behind bars forever?" said Kelly King, mother of 17-year-old Chelsea King, in an interview Thursday with CNN's "Larry King Live." "I just don't -- I don't get it. Change has to be made," she continued, "and I know that there are people out there that are trying to, you know, get this change in place."
On Wednesday, John Albert Gardner III, 30, a registered sex offender, was charged in the rape and murder of Chelsea, who lived in the San Diego area. Gardner, who is being represented by a public defender, was also charged Wednesday with assault with intent to commit rape in an attack on a jogger in December 2009. He pleaded not guilty to all charges. Gardner, of Lake Elsinore, California, will not be allowed to post bail.
If convicted, the charges against Gardner make him eligible for the death penalty, the San Diego County district attorney's office said Wednesday. The prosecutor's office said it has not determined whether it will seek capital punishment. For the Kings, there's no question. "I think the death penalty is a very appropriate punishment for this case," Kelly King. Brent King said he had "100 percent agreement" with his wife.
Article:
http://www.cnn.com/2010/CRIME/03/04/chelsea.king.parents/index.html?hpt=T2
:angel:
Chelsea King's Parents Talk About Their Loss
Last Update: 3/05 11:37 pm
<snipped>
In seven days, the King Family is forever changed. Holding on to hope through emotionally draining days while volunteers search for their missing 17 year old daughter, Chelsea, the emotional toll was far from over once her body was discovered near Lake Hodges and close to the path where she'd gone for a jog. "We want to celebrate how she lived her life and that was take each and every minute. Live it to its fullest," says Chelsea's Mother, Kelly King.
The day after her body is discovered, the King's were face to face with her accused murderer and rapist John Gardner as he faced the charges in court. "If you were given the opportunity to sit in the courtroom and physically watch, you would also understand the amount of cowardice in that person," says Chelsea's Dad, Brent King.
Chelsea's parents say they hold Gardner's Mother responsible for their daughter's death as well. "If you know your child has done something wrong, tell somebody. So, absolutely," says Brent King. Gardner was staying at his Mother's house in the days before Chelsea disappeared. The home is blocks away from where the 17-year-old's body was found. Gardner is convicted of sexually assaulting a 13-year-old in the same home a decade ago. "Anyone who is a parent cannot in good conscience sit there and say, 'yes, it's okay to let this person live next door.' You cannot, You cannot tell me," says Chelsea's Dad.
Her parents both want the District Attorney to push for the death penalty in their daughter's case. "This is not a sickness that can be cured. There is only one way to cure it." Even with their loss, the Kings look to the future hoping to change the laws so other sex offenders don't get a second chance to destroy another life. "We've been given an opportunity to do something really good and she's given that to us in a way we would have never wanted. But we've got it and we're not gonna let her down," says Chelsea's Mother. The memorial service for Chelsea will be on March 13th. The public is invited.
Hope for Memorial Park
Backers of a name change of the park where Chelsea King began her fateful run are gathering support for the idea on Friday. A Facebook page and a Web page have been created to request that city officials rename the grounds as "Chelsea King Memorial Park."
Jogging Safety
Runners -- both adolescents and adults -- are adopting tighter rules on when and where they can safely train following the slaying of Poway High School senior Chelsea King. Vista High girls cross-country coach Sonia Rodriguez told The San Diego Union-Tribune that her team is no longer allowed to run alone or in rural areas. "I told them that the only way they can run is to run with someone else and they must stay in highly visible areas," she said. Rodriguez suggests her runners head to the gym if they can't find a running buddy and that they not use iPods because it could make them lose focus on their surroundings, the Union-Tribune reported. "I'm mad that now when I go for a run, I don't have to just worry about dogs and cars. Now, I have to worry that there may be some guy out there that could hurt me," Kate Garcia, a long-distance runner and vice president of the San Diego Track Club, told the newspaper.
Video: King Family Talks 2:22
Chelsea King's family talks about the week that will impact them every day for the rest of their lives. 3/5/10
http://www.sandiego6.com/mediacenter/local.aspx?videoid=753607@xetv.dayport.com&navCatId=5
FACEBOOK: Chelsea's Light
http://www.facebook.com/chelseaslight?ref=search&sid=659201198.2585892002..1
FACEBOOK: Chelsea King Memorial Park
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Renam...helsea-King-Memorial-Park/338902172098?ref=mf
Article:
http://www.sandiego6.com/news/local...-About-Their-Loss/L6htM0v5MkC5JEaRIIogfg.cspx
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Assaults on females prompt police safety tips
Friday, March 05, 2010
<snipped>
A composite sketch was released Friday of a man wanted for sexually assaulting a woman at knifepoint in Hemet Wednesday. At about 9:40 p.m. Wednesday, a 32-year-old woman walking on the 26800 block of Yale Street was lured by a suspect into a vacant lot where she was assaulted at knifepoint. Earlier the same day, police say the man depicted in the sketch tried to kidnap a 16-year-old girl in West Covina. The South Hills High School student told police she was walking home when a man in a Toyota Camry pulled up alongside her at Cortez Street near Prospero Drive and offered her a ride. When she declined, he got out and tried to force her into the car. He even slapped her on the face, but she fought back.
The recent abduction of 17-year-old Chelsea King ended with her death. A suspect was arrested and charged with assault and murder in that case.
Authorities are encouraging teenage girls to not only be aware of the surroundings but also to fight back if confronted in any way possible. The 16-year-old in West Covina did just that and got away. Police also suggest girls always walk in groups and face the direction of oncoming traffic so they won't be caught off guard. "We recommend you scream, make a lot of noise, try to draw attention from people that are around you so that they can focus on who is out there and what this problem is," said Lopez. "So it's good to use your cell phone immediately. Dial 911 immediately and get some help out there as quickly as you can."
Video: Assaults on females prompt police safety tips 1:58
http://abclocal.go.com/kabc/video?id=7314963
Article:
http://abclocal.go.com/kabc/story?section=news/local/los_angeles&id=7315009
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Keeping Sex Offenders Offline
Last Update: 3/05 6:07 pm
<snipped>
A California lawmaker has a new proposal that would require paroled sex offenders to add their e-mail addresses and other on-line identification to the long list of information they provide to the state. The proposed law would also ban offenders from going on to social networking sites.
Last year the state of New York passed a similar law after their officials found more than 3 thousand sex offenders from that state on sites like Facebook. Now one of our lawmakers says we're overdue for the same kind of protection for our kids. We know these are hunting grounds for those individuals who are looking for their next victim.
California State Senator George Runner said shock and sadness over tragedies such as the brutal murder of 17 year old Chelsea King have motivated him to propose a new law designed to keep predators away from kids. He said California State lawmakers have not been tough enough on sex offenders. "The tragedy down there in San Diego is an example of a legislature that failed to move," said Runner.
Runner's bill will be argued in Sacramento at the end of this month. He believes the biggest hurdle to its passage is the public safety committee, which he said has traditionally failed to get tough on sex offenders.
Video: Keeping Sex Offenders Offline 3/5/10 ~ 2:20
http://www.kpsplocal2.com/mediacenter/local.aspx?videoId=10050@kpsp.web.entriq.net&navCatId=15
Article:
http://www.kpsplocal2.com/Content/T...Offenders-Offline/Du4HqAtIh06wzBmG2xDlfQ.cspx
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Woman describes encounter with Gardner at RB park
Posted: Mar 05, 2010 9:56 PM EST
Updated: Mar 05, 2010 9:56 PM EST
<snipped>
John Albert Gardner may have returned to the scene of the crime hours before he was arrested on Sunday. That's according to a new witness who's talking to News 8. Becky Sangha's chilling account of coming face to face with Chelsea King's accused killer started as she drove into the park. She spotted an inebriated man stumbling up an embankment, who later accosted her along a trail. "To realize you were that close to someone that evil is something that doesn't sit well inside you," Sangha said.
The Escondido resident was finishing a Sunday afternoon walk along the trail bordering Lake Hodges with her five-year-old daughter and four dogs when she came face to face with Chelsea King's alleged killer. "I heard the crackling in the bushes first," she said. She says the man appeared drunk and was dressed in a red shirt and black pants, wet from the waist down as if he'd just come out of the lake. He started to advance toward Sangha and her family. "His body was kind of forward and he was walking very quickly and directly toward us. It made me uncomfortable. I got alarmed," she said.
The man came as close as 10 or 15 feet as Sangha gathered her daughter and dogs and hurried away, she said. "I kept eye contact with him the whole time. He finally sat down, but he kept watching us," she said. "I don't know what his intentions were that day." But her instincts were confirmed that night when she saw on the news that John Gardner had been arrested for Chelsea King's murder. "I jumped out of bed and I said that's the guy, that is the guy who made me feel so uncomfortable. That's him," she said.
Sangha contacted authorities, and on Monday took search teams to the locations she'd spotted Gardner. The next day Chelsea's body was discovered near the lake in a shallow grave. "It made me feel sick, especially having my daughter with me that day. My gut reaction was to get her out of bed and keep her close to me," Sangha said.
Authorities told Sangha she did two things that could potentially have saved her life - the fact she made and maintained eye contact and that that she was accompanied by her dogs. Sangha says she's dedicated to making public parks safe for everybody to enjoy. As part of the effort to raise awareness about park safety, a special event called "Finish Chelsea's Run - Take Back the Parks" is scheduled at Lake Hodges on Saturday, March 20 at 9 a.m.
Video: Woman describes encounter with Gardner at RB park 2:43
http://www.760kfmb.com/global/video...pFormat=flv&clipId1=4599350&at1=News&h1=Woman describes encounter with Gardner at RB park&flvUri=&partnerclipid=
Article:
http://www.760kfmb.com/Global/story.asp?S=12093983
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System Failed Chelsea King, Advocates Say
3/5/10 - Updated: 1 hour 22 minutes ago
<snipped>
A Houston crime victim advocate said steps must be taken to prevent other girls from being victimized. "The sad reality is, you have to try to take a negative and turn it into a positive, so that there won't be any more Chelsea Kings that have to be needlessly and brutally murdered for no reason other than the systematic failure," Andy Kahan told AOL News. "That is the real quest now -- to ensure she didn't die in vain." "America's Most Wanted" host John Walsh told Fox News on Thursday that he spoke with President Barack Obama about the case. "His response and outlook on it is the same as mine," Walsh said. "How could this guy be out there and if he is out there, why isn't he being watched more closely?"
A psychiatrist recommended that Gardner be given the maximum sentence of at least 10 years in prison because he showed no remorse and was a "continued danger to underage girls in the society." Nevertheless, San Diego County prosecutors agreed to lesser charges to spare the victim the ordeal of testifying. "It is extremely rare for a psychiatrist to make a recommendation, particularly of a maximum sentence. Normally you are dealing with people who are more treatment-oriented, so it is pretty telling that the psychiatrist said that this guy was a danger and will be a danger and deserves the maximum punishment," Kahan said. "That recommendation should been taken wholeheartedly as gospel, but, unfortunately, the prosecutor ignored it."
King's parents said they are determined to see that laws are changed to help prevent their tragedy from befalling another family. "How many times do our daughters need to be raped before we put these monsters behind bars forever?" Kelly King said Thursday on CNN's "Larry King Live."
Kahan said that it is great that the Kings want to take proactive steps, but he is skeptical about how effective new laws can be. He believes the only way to stop sex offenders from attacking new victims is to lock them up for a long time. "It is time we need to start hammering the people with lengthy sentences, particularly those that molest the most vulnerable members of our society -- our children," Kahan said. "I get sick and tired of naming state laws after victims of child molesters. Think about all your state laws. You got Jessica's Law, Megan's Law, Ashley's Law, the Amber Hagerman Act, etc., etc. It's pretty sad that we continue to name those laws after dead children who were taken from known offenders."
Article:
http://www.aolnews.com/crime/article/did-system-fail-slain-california-teen-chelsea-king/19385884
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REGION: Chelsea King case raises awareness among runners
Always be aware of your surroundings, authorities say
Posted: March 5, 2010 7:20 pm
<snipped>
The killing of Poway teen Chelsea King has special significance among runners in North County, who now say they are taking precautions when they jog along the region's picturesque but often isolated trails. Law enforcement officials have also urged caution for runners, especially those who exercise alone. Bill Martin, who coaches nearly 200 runners in North County, said he sent out an e-mail to team members reminding them of safety tips. He said he often runs the trails south of Lake Hodges where Chelsea disappeared last week and where a body believed to be hers was recovered Tuesday. "It breaks my heart what happened there," Martin said.
Some of the tips are:
-- Don't run at night.
-- Always have an ID.
-- Don't wear headphones.
*More Tips At Link!
Article:
http://www.nctimes.com/news/local/sdcounty/article_b108f8a2-810b-5f40-9ce9-21b11b17e69f.html
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New Revelations About John Gardner From Family Member
Last Update: 3/05 11:37 pm
<snipped>
We are learning more about Chelsea King's suspected murderer, John Albert Gardner III. One of Gardner's relatives phoned into a Los Angeles radio talk show and gave an in depth talk about the man now behind bars. "He was impulsive and prone to violent outburst," the unidentified man said in a 26-minute exchange. "I was in shock I couldn't believe what I was hearing."
The man poured his heart out on the John and Ken radio show, telling listeners the FBI interviewed him, and just a couple of weeks ago he and Gardner got into a very bad argument. The relative said he kicked John out of his grandmother's Lake Elsinore home where he had been staying. "There may be other victims out there. Some of this info needs to be shared every dot needs to be connected," he said on the air. Gardner's relative believes he is behind other attempted abductions in Lake Elsinore and Rancho Bernardo. He even believes it's possible John has something to do with missing Escondido teen, Amber Dubois. He said, "I hope not. I hope not. But at this point and time..."
Earlier Incidents Probed
Gardner was charged with sex crimes against two teenage girls about a decade earlier. Even after pleading guilty to some of the charges, he was back on the streets after spending less than six years behind bars.
Blank says if the case had gone to trial Gardner could have been sentenced to decades behind bars. Gardner was originally charged with three counts of using force to perform lewd acts on the 13 year old, one count of false imprisonment, and a fifth count for molesting a second girl who was 14-years-old at the time. Even after being charged, Gardner was quickly out on $50,000 bail and allowed on the streets for more than four months before his bail was revoked according to court document. Blank says he would expect the bail to be set at $250,000 with the serious nature of the charges if it was granted at all. "Why he was out on that kind of bail is another question."
*Much More At Link!
Chelsea King
Chelsea King
John Albert Gardner
AUDIO: Listen to Gardner relative on the John and Ken Show (8.5MB)
http://www.sandiego6.com/media/lib/...-4226-8aad-e8ea738a1109/Gardner_Interview.mp3
Video: Relative Speaks 3:25
We are learning more about Chelsea King's suspected murderer, John Albert Gardner. 3/6/10
http://www.sandiego6.com/mediacenter/local.aspx?videoId=753627@xetv.dayport.com&navCatId=5
Video: How Chelsea King's Story is Affecting You? 1:25
Viewers share the personal impact of the Chelsea King murder on their lives on Facebook.com/SanDiego6. 3/6/2010
http://www.sandiego6.com/mediacenter/local.aspx?videoId=753778@xetv.dayport.com&navCatId=5
Video: John Gardner's Prior Cases 3:06
More questions are still being raised about why the man accused of killing Chelsea King was given such a light sentence in his prior case. 3/4/10
http://www.sandiego6.com/mediacenter/local.aspx?videoId=753117@xetv.dayport.com&navCatId=5
Video: Changing Laws 3:14
The Chelsea King tragedy has many people now wanting to change our sex offender laws. 3/4/10
http://www.sandiego6.com/mediacenter/local.aspx?videoId=753094@xetv.dayport.com&navCatId=5
Video: Missing Teen 2:52
The reward for information leading to the discovery of Amber Dubois, the 14-year-old Escondido high school student, has been upped to $60,000. 3/4/09
http://www.sandiego6.com/mediacenter/local.aspx?videoId=585850@xetv.dayport.com&navCatId=5
Video: John Gardner in Court 4:14
John Gardner faced the parents of his alleged murder victim, Chelsea King, as he appeared in court to be arraigned. 3/3/10
http://www.sandiego6.com/mediacenter/local.aspx?videoId=752610@xetv.dayport.com&navCatId=5
Video: Chelsea King Murder Suspect in Court 28:23
John Gardner III enters a plea in the murder of 17-year-old Chelsea King. 3/3/10
http://www.sandiego6.com/mediacenter/local.aspx?videoId=752524@xetv.dayport.com&navCatId=5
Video: Sex Offender Arrested 0:23
A convicted sex offender is back behind bars after being chased down by the father of a girl he approached in Del Mar. 3/3/10
http://www.sandiego6.com/mediacenter/local.aspx?videoId=752601@xetv.dayport.com&navCatId=5
Video: Gardner Family Home Vandalized 0:39
Vandals lash out at the mother of the suspect in Chelsea King's murder. They painted a message on the garage of her Rancho Bernardo home. 3/3/10
http://www.sandiego6.com/mediacenter/local.aspx?videoId=752373@xetv.dayport.com&navCatId=5
Video: Back to School 0:59
Students returned to Poway High for the first time since Chelsea King first disappeared on Thursday. 3/3/10
http://www.sandiego6.com/mediacenter/local.aspx?videoId=752603@xetv.dayport.com&navCatId=5
Video: San Diego 6 Webcast 3/3/10 5:12
John Gardner enters plea in murder of Chelsea King, Mayor Sanders comments on UCSD racial tensions, man caught with marijuna hidden in spare tire,
http://www.sandiego6.com/mediacenter/local.aspx?videoId=752525@xetv.dayport.com&navCatId=5
Video: Chelsea's Classmates Coping 2:56
The principal from Chelsea King's school talks about how her classmates are dealing with the death of the popular student. 3/3/10
http://www.sandiego6.com/mediacenter/local.aspx?videoId=752335@xetv.dayport.com&navCatId=5
Video: Remembering Chelsea 5:41
Family, friends and those who never met Chelsea King are mourning her loss. Thousands of people, moved by her story, came out to remember the local teenager. 3/2/10
http://www.sandiego6.com/mediacenter/local.aspx?videoId=752131@xetv.dayport.com&navCatId=5
Video: Chelsea King's Body Discovered 31:22
The Sheriff's Department announces that the teen's body has been found in a shallow grave at Lake Hodges. 3/2/10
http://www.sandiego6.com/mediacenter/local.aspx?videoId=752047@xetv.dayport.com&navCatId=5
Video: Vigil for Chelsea King 3:41
A vigil will be held Tuesday night for missing Poway teen Chelsea King. 3/2/10
http://www.sandiego6.com/mediacenter/local.aspx?videoId=751963@xetv.dayport.com&navCatId=5
Video: Remains Found 1:51
The suspect accused of killing and raping Chelsea King is set to be arraigned but many say he should never have been walking the streets. 3/2/10
http://www.sandiego6.com/mediacenter/local.aspx?videoId=752108@xetv.dayport.com&navCatId=5
Video: Missing Teen News Conference 13:11
The Sheriff's Department holds a news conference concerning the disappearance of 17-year-old Chelsea King of Poway. 3/1/10
http://www.sandiego6.com/mediacenter/local.aspx?videoId=751523@xetv.dayport.com&navCatId=5
Video: Holding Out Hope 5:50
The search continues for a missing Poway teenager, and a sex offender suspect is arrested and is now facing murder charges. 3/1/10
http://www.sandiego6.com/mediacenter/local.aspx?videoId=751610@xetv.dayport.com&navCatId=5
Video: Missing Teen Arrest 3:09
A registered sex offender has been arrested in the case of missing Poway teenager Chelsea King. 3/1/10
http://www.sandiego6.com/mediacenter/local.aspx?videoId=751522@xetv.dayport.com&navCatId=5
Video: Missing Poway Teen 3:07
The San Diego County Sheriff's Department has made an arrest in the disappearance of 17-year old Chelsea King. 02/28/2010
http://www.sandiego6.com/mediacenter/local.aspx?videoId=751088@xetv.dayport.com&navCatId=5
Video: Missing Girl Search 2:59
The search for Chelsea King. 02/27/2010
http://www.sandiego6.com/mediacenter/local.aspx?videoId=750844@xetv.dayport.com&navCatId=5
Video: Searching for Missing People 5:23
Private investigator Patrick Schneeman shares the strategies behind the searches for Chelsea King and the McStay families.
http://www.sandiego6.com/mediacenter/local.aspx?videoId=750796@xetv.dayport.com&navCatId=5
Video: Missing Teen 2:58
Authorities and volunteers continue to search for a Poway High School student who went missing while jogging. 2/26/10
http://www.sandiego6.com/mediacenter/local.aspx?videoId=750663@xetv.dayport.com&navCatId=5
Slideshow: Chelsea King 1-13
http://www.sandiego6.com/Photo.aspx?content_id=29c032cd-f4aa-415d-b27f-bf2dadb7c7be&i=4
Read the John Gardner criminal complaint (1.6MB)
http://www.sandiego6.com/media/lib/...b4ab9a900be5/CD225886_John_Albert_Gardner.pdf
Article:
http://www.sandiego6.com/news/local...-Bernardo-jogging/zTLAKar0XUGyf78trbfHvg.cspx
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Symphony cancels date after loss of Chelsea
Saturday, March 6, 2010 at 12:04 a.m.
<snipped>
Poway High School’s wind symphony won’t be performing today at a band-and-orchestra festival in Oceanside. Grief over losing Chelsea King, an essential member of the brass section, was too much for the students. Whenever the symphony plays for the rest of the school year, the seat that Chelsea would have occupied as a French horn player will remain vacant. The 35-member symphony rehearsed Monday and Tuesday, hopeful that Chelsea, 17, would be found after she disappeared Feb. 25 at Rancho Bernardo Community Park. Tuesday afternoon, authorities believe they found Chelsea’s body at Lake Hodges, and her musician friends stopped practicing. “She is a very prominent part of our symphony,” band director Mike Cook said. “Missing her would have been a travesty.”
When Chelsea’s mother, Kelly King, learned that the wind symphony wouldn’t compete today in the El Camino High School North County Band and Orchestra Festival, she called Cook to tell him Chelsea would have wanted them to perform. But she understood that it might be too difficult.
Kelly King invited the symphony to play at Chelsea’s memorial service March 13, Cook said. “I think (playing at El Camino) would be a tough thing for them to do,” McCoy said. “But in my own personal opinion, I think that playing the memorial is going to be way more difficult.” Professional musician Mike McCoy volunteered to play Chelsea’s parts today, but Cook said the students weren’t ready to perform this weekend. Cook, who had been Chelsea’s band instructor since she was a freshman in 2007 at Poway High, said: “She was a bright young girl with budding talents who would never hurt a flea, never say anything bad about anybody. She was an amazing student to teach.”
Cook hasn’t decided which songs the band will play at Chelsea’s memorial service, but said whatever they choose will feature brass parts prominently. The service is set for 2 p.m. at Poway High’s stadium.
Article:
http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/2010/mar/06/symphony-cancels-appearance-after-loss-of-chelsea/
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Concerned Parents Can Track Child's Cell Phone
[Chelsea's parents found her missing car by tracking her cell phone
Updated 10:42 AM PST, Sat, Mar 6, 2010
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Phone services that track cell phone locations are growing in popularity among concerned parents. Chelsea King’s parents found their daughter’s missing car by tracking her cell phone. The 17-year-old left her phone inside her BMW in Rancho Bernardo Community Park. Brent and Kelly King were able to track her phone using an AT&T Web site. Keith Donohue with Best Buy in Mission Valley said parents of younger children or of new drivers are most likely to pay for the feature. “You can actually go directly on the computer, shrink down on the map and zoom in on where the child is or very close proximity,” said Donohue.
AT&T and Verizon both offer tracking services. The cost for the feature runs between $10 and $15. “If you’re worried about your kids staying out too late at night or you’re worried they may not be telling you exactly where they’re going or you’re just concerned about their safety, it’s good to know where they are,” said Rainey Reitman with Privacy Rights Clearinghouse. But Reitman also said you should let your children know they are being tracked. “Kids have a right to know if parents are tracking them. We all want to know if we’re being tracked regardless of who’s doing it,” Reitman said.
The website services not only follow the movements of a phone but some will notify parents if the phone goes outside of a predetermined area. “If the child with the phone steps outside this parameter, it’s going to alert the parents,” said Donohue, who added that the carrier will notify parents with a text message. While parents have the option of paying for the service, police departments are able to access information. The information is generally taken from GPS or cellular tower signals.
Article:
http://www.nbcsandiego.com/news/tech/Concerned-Parents-Can-Track-Childs-Cell-Phone--86691517.html
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Picture emerges of suspect as deeply troubled
Saturday, March 6, 2010 at 12:04 a.m.
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He was popular with girls and made fun of by classmates. He ran errands for neighbors and discovered outdoor sports. He could be moody and aggressive when he didn’t take his medication. By any measure, the adolescent years that accused killer John Albert Gardner III spent in this mountaintop village were the high-water mark of a deeply troubled life. He was never a standout at Rim of the World High School, the all-weather campus along state Route 18 overlooking the Los Angeles Basin. Many teachers and former students at the Home of the Fighting Scots don’t even remember him. But this is where Gardner, a 30-year-old convicted sex offender charged Wednesday with the murder of 17-year-old Chelsea King of Poway, also flourished.
It’s where he spent his formative years, where his mom bounced checks for the hockey equipment he needed, where he dated for the first time and where classmates teased him for being “dorky and unpopular.” This is where he excelled at pottery, listened to country music and sang in the high school choir. Those who knew Gardner considered him bright, intelligent and full of promise. But today Gardner is confronting life in prison — perhaps the death penalty — if he is convicted of killing Chelsea, the track star and French-horn player who went missing Feb. 25 while out for a jog at Lake Hodges. “The person that we knew and the person that they’re describing are two different people,” said one of Gardner’s former neighbors, who did not want her name published because she fears her business would suffer. “In my heart, if he did do these things, I think it was just because he gave up,” the woman said. “He got tired of asking for help.”
Gardner was living in the Los Angeles suburb of Lawndale in 1990 when his mother filed for divorce from his father. The family packed up and moved to this San Bernardino Mountain vacation retreat after her divorce became official. Catherine Jeannette Gardner also had two older daughters, then 17 and 18, from a previous marriage; she would have two more husbands before her son’s latest arrest. His parents’ separation caused him extreme anxiety, eventually leading to hospitalization and psychiatric treatment, court records say. The divorce records show Gardner’s father was ordered to pay $70 a month in child support. Even through the months leading up to their son’s 18th birthday, Gardner’s mother and father fought in court over money, custody and much more. “I have left message after message for John but I never hear from him,” his father wrote to a family court judge in November 1996. “My Christmas gift to John was returned even though I sent it to the correct address.”
While enrolled in public schools, Gardner was identified as an SED child, or seriously emotionally disturbed. A psychiatrist noted that lithium helped the boy’s bipolar disorder until he had to discontinue the medication because of side effects such as irritable bowel syndrome.
Up on the mountain, Gardner generally managed to stay out of trouble. He played baseball in the spring, skied through the winters and used a neighbor’s climbing wall. According to the divorce file, he even joined the law-enforcement component of the school’s regional-occupation program, which tries to match young people to suitable careers. Family friends said despite Gardner’s outward confidence and cheery disposition, he struggled through adolescence. He suffered dramatic mood swings and talked openly about needing help. “It seemed like his medications changed a lot, and we didn’t know if that was because of his mother or because he was seeing someone new” for treatment, said the neighbor and family friend, who also said Catherine Gardner worked as a mental-health administrator.
His first criminal conviction came in 1998, a year after he graduated from Rim of the World. Records show he was charged with disturbing the peace after showing up on the campus uninvited. Local officials recommended probation because of his clean record. Despite getting a break from prosecutors, Gardner had difficulty meeting adult responsibilities. He left the mountain in search of work, a career, someplace where, as his mother put it in court papers later, he could “contribute something meaningful back to society.” But friends said Gardner was slow to find his niche. He took assorted jobs before landing a part-time position at a San Diego sporting goods store, intermittently staying in touch with some friends from his high school years.
In the weeks before he turned 21, Gardner won a promotion at the Big 5 store in Mira Mesa to a full-time job, according to court records. He was singled out for his work ethic and dedication, and began dating a young co-worker. At the same time, however, his interest in younger girls got the better of him. On March 16, 2000, he picked up a pair of teenage girls on their way to school and took one of them to his mother’s Rancho Bernardo townhouse. As they watched a movie, he began rubbing the 13-year-old and, his sexual advances rebuffed, he beat and fondled the girl before she escaped. Gardner was arrested within minutes and eventually pleaded guilty to committing lewd acts with a minor. He was facing more than 10 years in prison, yet three young women wrote to the judge seeking leniency. “The first time that we went out I probably waited for about 4 hours for him to kiss me but after 4 hours of nothing I finally decided to kiss him,” former girlfriend Beth Melban wrote. “That is why I couldn’t believe he was being accused of forcing himself on a girl.” One psychiatrist said Gardner showed no remorse and suggested he be locked up as long as possible; another recommended probation and treatment for Gardner, even though he had admitted having sexual relations with two underage girls. Gardner was 21 when he was sentenced to six years in prison.
R.J. Donovan Correctional Facility is an overcrowded prison on Otay Mesa that often acts as a receiving barn for new convicts. Gardner arrived from San Diego County jail on Sept. 18, 2000. Three months later he was sent to the California Correctional Institution in Tehachapi. While he was there, his father — a self-employed “assembler” — declared bankruptcy in 2002, with $5 in his pocket and $227 spread across three checking accounts. In April 2005, Gardner was moved to Avenal State Prison in central California until he was paroled that September. After his release, Gardner was monitored like thousands of other sex offenders who make parole. He was ordered to register with local police wherever he lived. In January 2008, eight months before his parole case was closed, Gardner was “placed on a passive GPS caseload,” a prison spokeswoman said.
Prison officials could not provide details of Gardner’s time in state custody or discuss his parole term. Requests for public records of his case have not yet been processed. Two months after Gardner’s parole ended, his father died at age 64. The son kept a decidedly low profile outside prison, although he did receive a few traffic citations. He bounced around between Riverside and San Diego counties. Police now suspect he was spending time scouting young girls.
In January 2009, 14-year-old Amber Dubois of Escondido went missing from a street just two miles from where Gardner was living. Since his DNA was linked to Chelsea on Sunday, he has become a suspect in Amber’s case. Riverside County investigators are checking a report from October that a man matching Gardner’s description tried to abduct a 14-year-old girl on her way to school in Lake Elsinore, where Gardner also registered as a sex offender.
By early this year, many of the better things in Gardner’s life were falling apart. Within the span of a few weeks earlier this year, he lost his steadiest job and his girlfriend and also crashed his car, according to a family acquaintance in Running Springs.
Witnesses now say Gardner may have been stalking girls near Bernardo Heights Middle School on Feb. 24. The next day Chelsea was gone.
A yearbook photo of murder suspect John Albert Gardner III.
Article:
http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/2010/mar/06/deeply-troubled-picture-emerges-of-suspects-life/
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Parents of slain teen Chelsea King: 'Change has to be made'
March 5, 2010 3:59 p.m. EST
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The parents of a California girl who was allegedly raped and killed by a registered sex offender are calling for tougher standards against repeat offenders. "How many times do our daughters need to be raped before we put these monsters behind bars forever?" said Kelly King, mother of 17-year-old Chelsea King, in an interview Thursday with CNN's "Larry King Live." "I just don't -- I don't get it. Change has to be made," she continued, "and I know that there are people out there that are trying to, you know, get this change in place."
On Wednesday, John Albert Gardner III, 30, a registered sex offender, was charged in the rape and murder of Chelsea, who lived in the San Diego area. Gardner, who is being represented by a public defender, was also charged Wednesday with assault with intent to commit rape in an attack on a jogger in December 2009. He pleaded not guilty to all charges. Gardner, of Lake Elsinore, California, will not be allowed to post bail.
If convicted, the charges against Gardner make him eligible for the death penalty, the San Diego County district attorney's office said Wednesday. The prosecutor's office said it has not determined whether it will seek capital punishment. For the Kings, there's no question. "I think the death penalty is a very appropriate punishment for this case," Kelly King. Brent King said he had "100 percent agreement" with his wife.
Article:
http://www.cnn.com/2010/CRIME/03/04/chelsea.king.parents/index.html?hpt=T2
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