Why did Huckaby murder Sandra? What do you think?

[SeriouslySearching]

I havent read through all of this thread but I was wondering if there was ever any animosity between MH and Sandra's mom? If there was, in her sick mind this would have been the ultimate payback or revenge.

It was only stated by the Aunt that Sandra's mother and MH were not friends. Nothing saying there was any animosity or problems between them.

 

[SeriouslySearching]

There is no way I believe she "staged" the rape and molestation after the murder. The ME should have been able to determine which happened first because of the blood loss etc. I have to believe the decomp did not hinder them from determining there was a rape and molestation so this should also have been determined.

 

[doubletrouble]

I havent read through all of this thread but I was wondering if there was ever any animosity between MH and Sandra's mom? If there was, in her sick mind this would have been the ultimate payback or revenge.

a repeat CA maybe? :behindbar

 

[Salem]

Drug use IS used in some state courts as a "mitigating circumstance." Missouri is one, off the top of my head.

I'm not a lawyer. And my point wasn't to do anything other than to head off people who will jump on the idea of me saying Meth was involved was somehow trying to "lessen" the crime. I don't care what perps take, it ought never be considered as "softening" the crime and yet it is. I'm sure you can research it more if you're interested.

Silver~Bell - I'm not a lawyer either but I have read that alcohol and/or drugs MAY be a mitigating factor when trying to show INTENT to commit a crime, if intent is an element of the crime. 1st degree murder requires intent - it can be shown several different ways. If the defendant can show/convince the judge/jury that they were to intoxicated to FORM THE INTENT, then 1st degree may be dropped down to 2nd degree murder/manslaugher. Each state has their own rules for this so it really does depend on the state - just like you said. But typically drugs/alcohol will only be a mitigating factor in a crime that requires intent.

HTH,

Salem

 

[impatientredhead]

A criminal psychologist (a talking head) on HLN said yesterday that woman sex abusers will often reenact out their own childhood trauma on their victims.
And the killing could have been from all that rage that came from the reenactment coming to an head and she killed Sandra much like she wanted to kill her childhood abuser.

I think this is exactly what we will hear from the defense. That the accused was raped and abused in a church setting as a child. That like many victims of sexual abuse they are able to bury the memories of abuse until their child, especially a same sex one, becomes the age that the abuse began. They will say she began spiraling out of control as those memories came back. Add in that the accused's own child was to leave the next day with the accused's father (yes dad that is a bus you hear coming your way and it appears to have no brakes) and you have the "recreating her own abuse" victim defense. The location, the absolute rarity of a female on child sexual assualt ending in death. The lunatic way she has behaved in the aftermath. We will definitely see a victim/insanity claim.

To me the questions are will the state make a deal with her to avoid the death penalty, and with all the makings of a high high profile case how long until a non-public-defender attorney is at the helm of this ship.

 

[QNA]

I think there is a BIG difference between a person who accidentally commits a homicide out of negligence or recklessness and one who is a sociopath that gets pleasure from torturing and killing. So too should the differences be in the punishments.

...and remember, the how and why -the motive if you will, has not been revealed yet.

 

[petresq_algc]

I think it is a sick combination of being sexually motivated and having some type of antisocial personality disorder - but not insane. Her family stated that she knew right from wrong. This leads me to believe that she did & just didn't care. I know LE has stated that they aren't looking for any more suspects, but I believe they are just keeping things close to the vest. I think her boyfriend helped her (at least after the fact). Why else would he try to obstruct the investigation? If it is true that she drugged little girls in the past, I will be surprised if there isn't some type of child *advertiser censored* link. The fact that the church is thought to be the crime scene is extremely odd. It makes me think that she has some strange evil religious agenda...but that possibility is kind of "out there".

 

[JoeFromLB]

I think this is exactly what we will hear from the defense. That the accused was raped and abused in a church setting as a child. That like many victims of sexual abuse they are able to bury the memories of abuse until their child, especially a same sex one, becomes the age that the abuse began. They will say she began spiraling out of control as those memories came back. Add in that the accused's own child was to leave the next day with the accused's father (yes dad that is a bus you hear coming your way and it appears to have no brakes) and you have the "recreating her own abuse" victim defense. The location, the absolute rarity of a female on child sexual assualt ending in death. The lunatic way she has behaved in the aftermath. We will definitely see a victim/insanity claim.

To me the questions are will the state make a deal with her to avoid the death penalty, and with all the makings of a high high profile case how long until a non-public-defender attorney is at the helm of this ship.

I'm waiting for someone like Gloria Allred or a Mark Geragos to swoop in and the circus to begin. The extended family has money, I'm sure, and they'll all chip in to provide a "dream team" of sorts for MH.
Get ready folks, if this goes to trial, it's going to be a doozy.

 

[Sweetie_PI]

Worth a trip through the theory machine, in context of the 5 y.o scheduled to be gone, why Sandra was talking that Friday in recess about running away...

 

[Sweetie_PI]

I think the COURT and PRESS should start referring to the accused perp Melissa LAWLESS Huckaby as Melissa Lawless Huckaby who is divorced still using her married name... or at least Melissa Huckaby nee Lawless. It is incumbent on the MEDIA to work this out with dignity to all the Melissa Huckaby's out there, and there are a few... after all why should a perfectly innocent woman with an otherwise nice name have to change her name... one humanm being is already dead why should the identity of others be taken from them...on account of the LAWLESS Huckaby.

 

[SeriouslySearching]

I think there is a BIG difference between a person who accidentally commits a homicide out of negligence or recklessness and one who is a sociopath that gets pleasure from torturing and killing. So too should the differences be in the punishments.

...and remember, the how and why -the motive if you will, has not been revealed yet.

Hmmm...except the victim is equally as dead in either case.

To say this could be the result of any kind of accident is ridiculous, imo. Molestation and rape by foreign object (instrumentation) charges say this is no accident.

 

[paperwing]

Thanks for the extra info, Salem... I have to say I'm truly surprised that this is how things work (noting, as you say, it depends on the state as they're all different).

If ignorance of the law is no excuse it does seem odd that inebriation or drug use could be causative to the point of altering the severity of a conviction/sentence.

Many years ago, there were a couple of times where I'd been "under the influence" - which was stupid and reckless, but as out of it I may have been, it wouldn't have made me want to murder someone... It amazes me that "form of intent" can be based on drug/alcohol use - I'm not a lawyer, either (clearly), but it seems to me that there had to have been some sort of level of intent regardless. Being under the influence might just make it easier to follow through with something, not be the sole cause.

But the only absolute on this is how varied each state's laws are - so there isn't a definitive answer or outcome except on a state-by-state basis. It still surprises me, though...

I guess I just verify my confusion. : )

 

[paperwing]

Hmmm...except the victim is equally as dead in either case.

To say this could be the result of any kind of accident is ridiculous, imo. Molestation and rape by foreign object (instrumentation) charges say this is no accident.

Well said...

I'm not sure if we'll ever hear of a motive from Huckaby, and in my view, I don't really see how it would matter. Many, many people have been abused, have been depressed, on medication, had seemingly insurmountable difficulties in their lives - and they don't kill children.

I guess it matters for the legal process, but it will never make sense.

 

[Bobbisangel]

I have a feeling that Sandra was killed becuase she was going to tell her parents about being molested by Melissa.As there are reports of two other girls having to deal with that from Melissa.I alos think when we hear what came out during the autopsy.Some people here will drop their jaws as to what the autospy shows.I honestly feel Melissa acted alone. And no one knew about the monster she really was.:sick:

Do you have the link that talks about Melissa molesting other girls and drugging one? I keep hearing it but I haven't read it anywhere. I'd like to see what is being said. Thanks

 

[Bobbisangel]

I have been pondering this for the last few days and I just can't understand why she would do this to a little girl not much older than her own daughter. I have read here that she was depressed and suicidal even as young girl herself and wonder if possibly she was Gay. Just a thought, but if she came from a very religious family she may have been taught that homosexuality is wrong and felt BAD about herself and been struggling with her own sexuality. Than again I hope I am just thinking too much and I am wrong, for I pray Sandra was not sexually abused. I answered I do not know.

I wonder if you aren't right. I also noticed that she has problems maintaining relationships including her very short marriage. It doesn't have to be but problems in every relationship a person has is often a sign of childhood sexual abuse. It's just hard to tell what is wrong with this woman and why she did what she did. She may have wanted to mess around with Sandra and Sandra wasn't agreeable and threatened to tell her mom and dad. Maybe Melissa forced Sandra and then ended up killing her afterward so that she couldn't tell.

If this was all about sexual abuse I would guess that Sandra wasn't the first little girl that Melissa has done this to but didn't kill the others. She also could have gotten really rough with Sandra and some object damaged an organ which caused Sandra's death.

 

[Bobbisangel]

maybe one selection in the poll should be "it has not been proven she did", I guess that is too old fashion for folks that love to slurp up whatever local law enforcement says with no questions and toss the concept of innocent until proven guilty out the window. based on the above poll, the justice system has collapsed. these instant convictions should lead to relatively quick executions, should be no need for trials anymore.

We are taking a poll on a forum about crime. We aren't part of a jury that is going to have a impact on the rest of Melissa's life. Here we are allowed to give our opinions and to even voice what we think led up to this little girl's death...the why's of it.

We love to slurp up whatever local law enforcement says with no questions?
Right now that is all we have to "slurp up" as there isn't much info out there yet. I do believe that Melissa murdered little Sandra. I do believe that Sandra was raped with objects or an objects. Law Enforcement would know that from the ME. I personally think that there is a huge chance that it was an object used on Sandra that caused her death. Something was probably punctured up there and caused her death.

Why not just join in and share your thoughts about what happened and why?
I'm sure that you have some opinions about this terrible tragedy.

 

[passionflower]

IMO, MH had done this thing before but gently.......then her fedish got worse.......
her practising went to far this time. Just like men pedos, they start out like peeping Tom's and go alittle further,wilder until murder happens..........then it is a thrill and they get worse and worse.......just for the high of the crime............IMO

 

[txsvicki]

And too, the same as with some of the male criminals, maybe she didn't want anyone to be able to tell anything at all. Not to leave any witnesses. Supposedly, M. had already been questioned about the other little girl having drugs in her system since she must have been the last adult the child was around besides her parent. Then, her Target stealing was still an issue. Maybe she just didn't want any witnesses to her horrific urges.

 

[Winnow]

Window into mental health of Huckaby
Transcripts show suspect in Cantu case was making progress in court ordered program
By Scott Smith
Record Staff Writer
April 18, 2009 6:00 AM

STOCKTON - Melissa Huckaby told a mental-health worker she was doing "very, very well" less than three weeks before 8-year-old Sandra Cantu was killed, according to court transcripts obtained Friday by The Record.

The transcripts, which give a glimpse into 28-year-old Huckaby's mental-health history, come as her public defender seeks to remove Sandra's remains from a Tracy mausoleum for a second autopsy.

In Huckaby's last appearance in mental-health court March 6, her counselor reported to a judge that she was making progress. In fact, Huckaby said at the time that "she's doing great," transcripts say.

"You know, we really work on some deep, prudent issues," San Joaquin County Mental Health Services court liaison Margie Valdez said in the hearing. "She really participates with everything and that's really good for her. I want to see her come back in a month."

That's where Huckaby's progress ended.

She missed an April 3 hearing before San Joaquin County Superior Court Judge Richard Vlavianos.

On March 27, Sandra disappeared and was killed. On April 6, her body was found inside a suitcase.

Huckaby was arrested four days later and now stands accused in Sandra's death, charged with murder and the special circumstance of rape, kidnapping and lewd and lascivious acts with a child. Huckaby is eligible for a death sentence.

Court records show that Huckaby has a history of petty theft, a prelude to the alleged violence prosecutors say she committed against Sandra.

Huckaby was previously convicted of a November 2006 petty theft in Los Angeles County. She fell into the county court system following her Nov. 3, 2008, arrest for a petty theft at a Tracy Target store.

After her San Joaquin County arrest, a judge ordered two doctors to evaluate Huckaby. They agreed she was competent to stand trial but that there was evidence of mental illness, transcripts and public court records say without revealing a diagnosis.

Huckaby agreed to a yearlong program designed to keep the mentally ill out of jail or prison and to avoid unemployment and suicide. Prosecutors agreed to drop the petty theft count from her record if she completed the program, court papers say.

Bold added - Winnow
This is only the first part of the article...


http://www.recordnet.com/apps/pbcs.d...NEWS/904180324

 

[panthera]

(respectfully snipped)

If this was all about sexual abuse I would guess that Sandra wasn't the first little girl that Melissa has done this to but didn't kill the others. She also could have gotten really rough with Sandra and some object damaged an organ which caused Sandra's death.

(bolding mine) I'd think if this were the case, the ME would have been able to determine a COD without waiting for the toxicology results. MOO