When 9-year-old Sandra Cantu disappeared in March, Boni Driskill's voice cut through the fog of pain that surrounded the girl's family.
Driskill contacted Sandra's family shortly after the girl disappeared from her Tracy mobile home park. Driskill lost her daughter, Lacy Ferguson, in 2003, an innocent bystander in what authorities believe was a gang-related shooting at a south Modesto convenience store. Her killer has not been found.
Sandra's body was found in a suitcase in April. Melissa Huckaby, a neighbor of Sandra and her family, has been charged and is awaiting trial.
Modesto Bee - At center, Susan Levy, mother of Chandra Levy aids Boni Driskill during the start of the ceremony where everyone gathers and holds hands at the vigil honoring 2003 murder victim Lacy Ferguson at Paradise Park in Modesto, August. 24, 2009. (DEBBIE NODA/ dnoda@modbee.com)
"Somebody understood, somebody knew what we were feeling," said Sandra's grandfather, Joe Chavez. Others wanted to help, he said, but they hadn't experienced the same soul-crushing grief.
"(Boni) gave us comfort," said Sandra's mother, Maria Chavez. "She was there to support us."
On Monday evening, in a shady corner of Paradise Park in west Modesto, the Chavezes joined Driskill and other crime victims for a candlelight vigil to mark the sixth anniversary of Ferguson's death.
Joe Chavez said he and his family attended to show support for other crime victims' families. Some at the vigil still don't know who killed their loved ones.
Chavez said he couldn't talk about Sandra's case. But the Chavezes spoke freely about Driskill and the bond they've formed with her and other members of Wings of Protection. Susan Levy, mother of 2001 murder victim Chandra Levy, helped start the support group. Driskill joined a few years ago.
Joe Chavez said Driskill offered something that other people couldn't: true understanding. "It's all about experiencing the death and grief that never ends," he said.
Now Driskill is a friend of the Chavez family, calling regularly to check in and going on family outings, said Sandra's 21-year-old sister, Simone Chavez.
At Monday's vigil, family members of murder victims stood up one by one to say aloud the names of their loved ones. A gallery of loss stood nearby.
A poster-sized photo of Sandra Cantu was propped next to framed collages of Ferguson. The family of murder victim Nancy Arellano added a photo as well.
Cindy Arriola, whose nephew Chris Sisk was murdered in 2007, pressed reward fliers into hands.
A heart-shaped "Happy Birthday" balloon bobbed in one corner. It was for Ferguson's daughter, Haleigh, who turned 3 the day her mother was murdered.
The Chavezes did not stand up to say Sandra's name; a friend spoke on the family's behalf.
"It's hard for us to say anything because we're still too much involved in this loss, but we wanted to be here to support the other victims," Joe Chavez said after the vigil. "It's a club nobody wants to belong to."
Bee staff writer Leslie Albrecht can be reached at lalbrecht@modbee.com or 578-2378.
Last edited by Melinda on Fri Oct 30, 2009 12:15 pm; edited 1 time in total
Melinda Team Angels
Subject: Re: Sandra Cantu (9) R.I.P. Fri Oct 30, 2009 11:48 am
Tracy, California- A judge in the Sandra Cantu murder case has ordered a seal of the autopsy/toxicology report due to concerns over a public outrage. Like it wasn’t enough the facts already involved in this case. Now we have sealed evidence of the cause and manner of death due to a concern over public outrage? I wonder if they spared Sandra’s poor mother from the contents of the reports. What was so horrendous about the reports that would warrant a public outrage? Are they just doing this to save the community and the nation heartache? Or is it terrible news?
Melissa Huckaby stands charged with murder with special circumstances of rape with a foreign object, lewd and lavicous acts against a minor under fourteen and murder during the course of kidnapping. Investigators have stated that they believe Huckaby worked alone that there is no other suspects. It was reported that Huckaby swallowed three utility knife blades soon after investigators questioned her regarding Sandra. She was reported to of had to go to the hospital for internal bleeding. It has also been reported that Huckaby said that Sandra’s death was an accident. At her arraignment she didnt enter a plea. She sobbed during that court appearance. Her defense wanted to have the body of Sandra exhumed a mere day or so after she was drawn by horse and carraige to her bodies final resting place. Just a day or so after. It was reported that they changed their minds due to the forensic tissue and evidence preserved by investigators. The only people who have come forward to defend Melissa is her family and ex husband. Well all that I have read or seen anyhow. Huckaby is a mother she was a Sunday school teacher.
There is another situation revolving around Huckaby that may cause some trouble for her. There is a family accusing her of taking there daughter to the “park” and returning her four hours later in a drug like state. The parents took there child to the emergency room for immediate care. Doctors uncovered the child had been drugged with a muscle relaxer. Doctors said it could cause black outs. Was this reported? It’s been said that investigators are going to link this to Sandra’s murder. They have asked the public of Tracy if any child has had inappropriate contact with Huckaby. Melissa Huckaby is a child predator. If I am wrong and she is covering for someone I will admit it. I dont think she is. Besides school teachers bedding down with teenagers this is the first female child predator I have heard of in my lifetime. I plan on following Huckaby through her arrest, trial, and conviction. For Sandra, for all the children for everyone to see that what a monster she is and that it is out there. This is the tip of the iceberg. We have been introduced to the new form of child predator. I will not candy coat this or blow merry sunshine for no one. I dont believe that Sandra or this child are just coincidences. Huckaby is where she needs to be behind bars. Away from innocent, naive, care free children. All of our children are safer with her locked behind bars. Alongside Shasta and Dylan Groene’s predator and all those other sick whack jobs who invade the privacy of our children. I for one am elated to see her off the streets. I will also be more then happy to report on her conviction and sentence.
To me it’s the most akward event since my existance or what I can remember of it anyhow. Melissa Huckaby is one of the most monsterous people I have ever had the misfortune of laying my eyes on. What she has done to the girl she drugged, and to Sandra and only God knows how many others she has victimized is unacceptable. I want to fully see her punished for her atrocities and vulgerness where our children are concerned. I will keep up to date on her journey through California’s legal system. Its interesting to say the least. How or why a mother could do that to another living being. Especially a child. A young child, one who was so free and full of life. Not just one child, it may not be the same circumstances as death, never the less what she did to the other girl is a pattern of abuse. I saw Huckaby’s mug shot her eyes say it all. You’d have to be blind not to see it. Please stay with me as we journey through the trial of Sandra Cantu’s murderer. After its all said and done and we’re good and dirty, we can wash ourselves clean of her filth and go on about our days free as daffodils. Huckaby, she will be long and forgotten to live a horrible meager existance inside a federal state prison. She may be forgotten But Sandra never will. God bless little Miss Sandra Cantu and her family all that were blessed by her presence God bless you all.
Last edited by Melinda on Fri Oct 30, 2009 11:55 am; edited 2 times in total
Melinda Team Angels
Subject: Re: Sandra Cantu (9) R.I.P. Fri Oct 30, 2009 11:49 am
Twenty-eight-year-old Melissa Huckaby not only kidnapped and murdered the beautiful 8-year old girl, Sandra Cantu, she also raped and molested the child.
This afternoon, the San Joaquin County Deputy District Attorney, Robert Himmelblau said that a murder charge against Huckaby could include rape with a foreign object, lewd and lacivious conduct with a child and kidnapping.
Himmelblau did not provide detail's surrounding the new charges rumoured to be a result of autopsy findings.
Wiretaps used in Sandra Cantu murder investigation July 14, 7:49 PM
Police said that while investigating the kidnap and murder of 8-year-old Sandra Cantu, they used telephone wiretaps to monitor calls of those who they believed were relevant to the case.
Authorities sent out letters to those who may have been recorded. The Stockton Record received a letter on Tuesday from the San Joaquin County District Attorney’s office telling them that their calls were some of those wiretapped.
The two numbers that were actually being monitored were suspect Melissa Huckaby’s cell phone and the phone of her grandparents, with whom she lived.
Huckaby’s grandmother, Connie Lawless said that she and a number of members of her church, where her husband is pastor, also received letters informing them of the wiretap.
According to the letter, calls were taped form April 8, two days after Sandra’s body was found, and continued until April 13.
Huckaby is now in custody charged with the little girl’s kidnap, rape, and murder. She has pleaded not guilty to the charges against her.
Last edited by Melinda on Fri Oct 30, 2009 11:59 am; edited 1 time in total
Melinda Team Angels
Subject: Re: Sandra Cantu (9) R.I.P. Fri Oct 30, 2009 11:52 am
Timeline in Sandra Cantu case 04/16/2009
Jul 20:Report: Grand jury convened in Sandra Cantu murder case Jul 6:Sandra Cantu case could go before grand jury, according to media reports May 22:Huckaby faces new charges of poisoning a 7-year-old girl and Hayward man May 20:Custody battle over daughter of suspect in the kidnap and killing of Sandra Cantu May 6:Reward to be given to farmworker who found suitcase containing Sandra Cantu's body May 5:Kidnap survivor who helped with Cantu case will need neck surgery Apr 7:Map: Slaying of Sandra Cantu, Tracy, Calif.Key events in the case
MARCH 27
Sandra Cantu is seen via surveillance video at 4 p.m. skipping toward her home in the Orchard Estates Mobile Home Park on West Clover Road in North Tracy. She's then seen walking away in another direction. Sandra's mother, Maria Chavez, reports Sandra missing about 8 p.m.
MARCH 28
Police announce Sandra's disappearance as a missing persons case. They say there is no evidence she was kidnapped or harmed, but a search begins.
MARCH 29
Hundreds of volunteers and dozens of law enforcement officers comb the area all day, going door-to-door and using divers, dogs, helicopters, horses and all-terrain vehicles. Cars coming in and out of the mobile home park are searched; fliers are posted all over the Bay Area.
MARCH 30
Police begin holding twice-daily news conferences to update the public. The case becomes a national news story. The Tracy school district sends a letter home to worried parents.
MARCH 31
Police serve search warrants on several residences in the mobile home park and impound vehicles to search for evidence.
APRIL 1
Police and volunteers begin combing through trash at Tracy dump. Police have received 500 tips about the case.
APRIL 2
Searchers spend most of the day on the Delta, and police say they think they're getting closer to solving the case.
APRIL 4
Sandra has been missing for a week. Another all-day, full-scale search takes place beginning at daylight.
APRIL 6
San Joaquin sheriff's dispatchers receive a call around 10 a.m. from someone reporting that a suspicious item has been found in an agricultural pond at a dairy farm on Whitehall Road. Investigators and media swarm to the site, where a large black rolling suitcase is found.
About 7:30 p.m., police confirm that they believe a body found inside the suitcase is Sandra's, based on the description of the clothes she was wearing when she disappeared.
Dental records later confirm the identity, and the Cantu family is notified.
A short time later, three ambulances respond to the mobile home park. It's believed that two female patients are transported. It's later reported that one of them was Melissa Huckaby, who later told reporters she experienced internal bleeding. Police are stationed at the hospital.
Nearly 100 community members gather at night for a candlelight vigil, where they cry, pray and mourn the little girl's death.
Police and FBI serve additional search warrants at 10 p.m. at the mobile home park and at the Clover Road Baptist Church, which is roped off with yellow crime scene tape.
APRIL 7
An autopsy is performed on Sandra about 9 a.m. but no cause of death is released. The number of tips received grows to 1,000. A reward fund grows to $26,000.
APRIL 8
Sandra's family speaks out for the first time since her body was found, calling the killer a "monster."
APRIL 9
Media outlets report that Huckaby says a black suitcase had been stolen from her driveway the same day Sandra disappeared. Huckaby makes conflicting statements on whether she told police about the missing suitcase. Police say no one reported a stolen suitcase from the park at that time.
At the request of Tracy police, Huckaby drives herself to the police station for further questioning. She is arrested just before midnight on suspicion of kidnapping and killing Sandra.
APRIL 10
The police interview with Huckaby lasts until about 1:30 a.m. She is booked into San Joaquin County jail, where she is being held without bail "under observation." Police hold a 10 a.m. news conference announcing arrest.
APRIL 11
The community is in shock over the news that a neighbor of Sandra's, a single mother and grandaughter of a pastor, is a suspect in the little girl's killing. Sandra's family members say they are glad but that they will never feel closure because they have to live their lives without Sandra. Melissa's family says they are shocked.
APRIL 12
Melissa Huckaby's family gathers on Easter Sunday at the Clover Road Baptist Church, which some media outlets say is where Sandra was killed. Police won't comment on the location of the murder. Huckaby's father, Brian Lawless, makes a public statement, saying that the family is trying to make sense of the accusations against his daughter. Family members describe her as a wonderful mother to her 5-year-old daughter.
APRIL 13
The San Joaquin County District Attorney's office tells members of the media that Huckaby to be charged with rape, making her eligible for the death penalty.
APRIL 14
Melissa Huckaby makes her first court appearance, where she sobs quietly in front of a packed courtroom. A trail of paper documents detail Huckaby's troubled past, including a divorce, financial problems and her petty criminal record. Her attorney wants her examined to be prescribed psychotropic medication. Meanwhile, investigators again search the mobile home where she was living and the church.
APRIL 15
Sandra's family holds a private service for their daughter. Her body is taken by horse-drawn carriage to the Tracy Mausoleum afterward.
APRIL 16
More than 3,000 people gather at West High gym in Tracy for a public memorial service for Sandra. A harpist plays tunes from Disney movies and flowers and stuffed animals cover the stage.
Melinda Team Angels
Subject: Re: Sandra Cantu (9) R.I.P. Fri Oct 30, 2009 11:53 am
Grand jury to decide if Huckaby will stand trial for Sandra Cantu murder July 3, 5:43 PM Beginning July 20, a secret grand jury is expected to convene to decide if Melissa Huckaby should stand trial for the kidnapping, rape, and murder of 8-year-old Sandra Cantu.
The proceeding will last about two weeks and take the place of Huckaby’s preliminary hearing scheduled for Sept. 24.
According to The Record, this would keep key facts of the case from the public until the accused murderer’s jury trial. Such facts may include Huckaby’s motive for the murder and exactly how Sandra was killed.
Huckaby, a Sunday school teacher and neighbor of Sandra’s is charged with kidnapping, rape with a foreign object, lewd and lascivious acts on a child under age 14, and murder. On June 12, she pleaded not guilty to the charges.
Huckaby faces a potential death sentence if convicted of the crimes.
Sandra Cantu: Huckaby grand jury duties done Thursday, August 6, 2009 By Express STOCKTON - A criminal grand jury concluded its deliberations Friday afternoon in the case of Melissa Huckaby, a Tracy woman accused in the kidnapping, rape and murder of 8-year-old Sandra Cantu. The grand jury’s decision to indict her - or not - will remain secret unless Huckaby, 28, is brought back to court for arraignment. The indictment would take the place of charges San Joaquin County prosecutors filed against her after her April 10 arrest.
Huckaby’s next hearing before San Joaquin County Superior Court Judge Linda Lofthus is scheduled for Sept. 8.
For the past two weeks, witnesses have been called to testify before the grand jury. If they return an indictment, the case will next go to a trial in open court. Huckaby is charged with slaying Sandra on March 27, the day the girl vanished. Huckaby and Sandra were both residents of Orchard Estates Mobile Home Park in Tracy. Farm workers found the girl’s body 10 days later in a suitcase two miles north of town.
Huckaby’s case was set for a September preliminary hearing. If the grand jury issues an indictment, the preliminary hearing won’t be held, and key details of the case will remain out of the public’s knowledge.
A judge’s gag order has kept investigators and prosecutors from explaining a possible motive for the killing and how Sandra died. Legal experts have suggested prosecutors took it to a grand jury, where proceedings are always secret, to quiet the public interest in an attempt to prevent moving the trial out of San Joaquin County
Tuesday, July 21, 2009 Grand Jury Meeting To Decide Melissa Huckaby’s Fate ~Huckaby booking photo~
As expected, the secret grand jury convened Monday and is expected to last two weeks. The grand jury will hear the evidence in the kidnapping, rape and murder of young Sandra Cantu. Huckaby’s preliminary hearing in open court was scheduled for September. The grand jury hearing takes the place of the preliminary hearing and shields the alleged motive and cause of Sandra’s death from the public.
It is the grand jury that will ultimately decide if there is sufficient evidence for Huckaby to stand trial on the charges.
Prosecutors may have chosen the secret grand jury route in order to quell the public interest in the case in an effort to avoid having the trial moved out of San Joaquin County.
It recently became known that authorities used wiretaps during their investigation.
8 year-old Sandra Cantu disappeared on March 27 from the mobile park home in Tracy where she lived. Her body was found about ten days later in a suitcase floating in an irrigation ditch.
STOCKTON, Calif. (Sept. 10) - Prosecutors said Thursday they will seek the death penalty for a Northern California woman charged with kidnapping, raping and killing an 8-year-old girl whose body was found stuffed in a suitcase.
Melissa Huckaby pleaded not guilty to the charges during a hearing Thursday in San Joaquin County Superior Court. She was indicted in July on charges of murdering her daughter's playmate, Sandra Cantu, and drugging two other people. The 28-year-old former Sunday school teacher showed no emotion as Deputy District Attorney Thomas Testa told the court his office intended to seek the death penalty. Sandra's family attended the hearing on Thursday, when Superior Court Judge Linda Lofthus denied Huckaby's request for a new attorney and scheduled another hearing Sept. 25. Testa said he is concerned about waiting too long to go to trial because younger witnesses he may call to testify will have a harder time remembering specifics about what happened.
2009 The Associated Press. The information contained in the AP news report may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or otherwise distributed without the prior written authority of The Associated Press. Active hyperlinks have been inserted by AOL.
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DA Seeks Death Penalty for Former Sunday School Teacher Melissa Huckaby Huckaby Is Charged With Brutal Murder, Rape of 8-Year-Old Sandra Cantu
Sept. 10, 2009
Melissa Huckaby, the California Sunday schoolteacher charged with kidnapping, raping and killing 8-year-old Sandra Cantu last March, could face the death penalty if convicted, prosecutors said today.
San Joaquin County District Attorney James P. Willett said in court today that he will seek capital punishment for 28-year-old Huckaby.
Huckaby, who was at the hearing, "showed no emotion" as Willett announced his intentions, but did say she wanted to fire her attorney, according to The Associated Press. Huckaby did not give a reason for her decision for wanting new representation.
In August, Huckaby broke down in tears when she was indicted in a Stockton, Calif., courtroom for the crimes against Cantu and on allegations of drugging two others. Huckaby had entered a not guilty plea in June.
The murder charge, which included the special circumstances of kidnapping, lewd and lascivious acts with a child and rape with a foreign object, made her eligible for the death penalty upon conviction.
The second-grader's body was found April 6, stuffed in a suitcase in an irrigation pond 10 days after she disappeared from the Orchard Estates Mobile Home Park in Tracy, Calif.
Huckaby's trial date has not yet been set.
At today's hearing, Huckaby had visible marks on her forehead, ABC News Sacramento affiliate KXTV reported. A prosecutor indicated Huckaby made the marks herself earlier in the day.
Huckaby, who lived with her grandparents and 5-year-old daughter, was a neighbor of Sandra's family in the mobile home park. Her grandfather is the pastor of a nearby church, which authorities searched in the days leading up to Huckaby's arrest.
Police have denied charges they mishandled the case.
Everyone connected to the Huckaby case, including police, potential witnesses and lawyers for both sides, have been silenced under a gag order. Autopsy results and most court motions also remain sealed, giving little information about what kind of evidence the state has against Huckaby or exactly how Sandra Cantu died
The Tracy Press, which helped break the news that Huckaby was a suspect in the Cantu case, has also reported that Huckaby is a "person of interest" in two 2007 arsons in La Palma, Calif., about 350 miles away from Tracy.
The court also canceled a hearing in April, originally requested by Huckaby's lawyers, who were seeking to have Sandra's body exhumed for a second autopsy. They withdrew the request last month and the prosecution's motion against the order was sealed.
Public defender Peter Fox told the San Francisco Chronicle that the deputy public defender handling the case was told by the county's chief medical examiner that "the relevant samples" on which the defense would conduct independent tests to determine whether the girl had been raped "were preserved," and were not interred with the girl's body in a mausoleum.
"It will not be necessary to disturb the child's remains," Fox told the Chronicle. "From a human point of view, certainly, it's nice not to have to do that."
The San Joaquin County grand jury indicted Huckaby on five counts: murder with the allegation of kidnapping; sex with a child 10 years old or younger; child abuse and endangerment; furnishing a harmful substance to a child; and to an adult.
STOCKTON — A trial date for the Tracy woman accused of killing and raping 8-year-old Sandra Cantu won't be set for at least a few more months.
"It's premature to set a trial date today," San Joaquin Superior Court Judge Linda Lofthus said Friday at Melissa Huckaby's hearing.
Parties will return to court Oct. 30 for a status report from the defense attorney, as well as another hearing Dec. 4, when a trial date may be set.
Deputy District Attorney Thomas Testa is anxious to set a date, saying some of the witnesses are children whose memories fade over time and the defense had ample time to prepare for trial. However, Huckaby's attorney, Sam Behar, had previously asked for more time, saying the capital murder case is complex.
To prove his point, Behar entered court Friday carting a dolly with six large boxes he said contained discovery materials — all the notes, police reports and other paperwork associated with the case that he has received so far.
Behar and Huckaby met privately with Lofthus for about an hour Friday, where Behar made his case against setting a trial date. Lofthus said she originally had hoped to set a trial date for March, but agreed to hold off.
Lofthus did not disclose Behar's arguments, but said, "I do not think they were unreasonable in any way."
Testa still insisted, however, that the a trial date be set, or at least a time frame outlined so he could line up witnesses and experts, many
who are booked months in advanced. He also must plan the trial around his other homicide cases.
He asked Lofthus "if we can pick a season" for the trial, drawing laughter from spectators in the courtroom and even a smile from Huckaby.
Lofthus said she didn't feel comfortable in setting a time frame yet. She said she wanted to make sure that both parties had a fair trial.
Huckaby, 28, has been charged with murder with three enhancements — kidnapping, lewd and lascivious acts on a child under 14 and rape by instrument — in connection with Sandra's death. A second count charges Huckaby with a sex crime with a child 10 years or younger.
Huckaby has pleaded not guilty. Prosecutors will seek the death penalty if she is convicted.
Huckaby, in a red prison jumpsuit and shackled at the waist, wrist and feet, sat quietly throughout the proceedings. She laughed and smiled with Behar at one point, when court was not yet in session.
Representatives from Huckaby's and Cantu's families sat quietly throughout the proceedings; some of Huckaby's family members cried. The families left the courtroom quickly after the hearing.
Sandra, who lived in the same mobile park as Huckaby and played with Huckaby's daughter, disappeared March 27. Her body was found April 6 inside a suitcase submerged in an irrigation pond not far from where they lived. Tracy police arrested Huckaby, a former Sunday school teacher, four days later.
A grand jury also indicted Huckaby on unrelated cases with a count of a child endangerment and furnishing a harmful substance to another Tracy girl and an additional count of furnishing a harmful substance to a 37-year-old Hayward man.
To help address Testa's concern about young witnesses not being able to recall events, Behar earlier in the hearing asked the judge to allow conditional exams in the case, which would allow witness testimony to be taped and replayed at trial, if necessary.
Testa called the conditional exam a ploy by the defense to delay the picking of trial date.
Behar became animated, raising his voice while he accused the prosecution of hurrying to pick a date without regards to his client's right to a fair trial.
Lofthus denied the request. Such exams are typically used when witnesses are elderly or ill, or cannot physically attend a trial.
At her last hearing, Huckaby tried to dump Behar as her attorney, but the judge denied her request. Lofthus ordered the transcript of that hearing sealed. Also sealed are the grand jury transcripts. In July, more than 70 witnesses testified in the secret proceedings, where the defendant does not attend. The grand jury handed down its five-count indictment July 31. Huckaby was arraigned on the indictment Aug. 17.
Huckaby is being held without bail San Joaquin County Jail.
Reach Sophia Kazmi at 925-847-2122. Follow her at twitter.com/sophiakazmi.
Last edited by Melinda on Fri Oct 30, 2009 12:19 pm; edited 2 times in total
Tree to be planted in Sandra Cantu's memory by Jennifer Wadsworth Jun 22, 2009 The family of 8-year-old murder victim Sandra Cantu will join city officials at a Tracy park on Wednesday to plant a tree in the girl’s memory.
Sandra’s favorite color was pink, so Tracy police Officer Irene Rose thought it fitting to make the memorial tree a pink crepe myrtle.
City workers will plant the seedling at Kenner Park , which lies right next to the school Sandra attended — Jacobsen Elementary School — before she was kidnapped, raped and killed on March 27.
At the base of the tree will rest a brass plaque engraved with Sandra’s birth and death dates and the inscription “In remembrance of Sandra Cantu.”
Sen. Barbara Boxer donated the 2-foot-tall tree and some money to help care for it for a couple years, according to the city. Tracy sign company Sign-a-Rama donated the plaque.
Crepe myrtles get to be about 15 to 20 feet tall, said city superintendent of parks Don Scholl. Once it takes root, he said it should last for decades.
The family wants Wednesdays’ dedication to stay low-key, said Rose. A representative from Boxer’s office should show up, as should several city park commissioners, police and other local officials.
“The family, they wanted to keep it a local service,” Rose said. “They wanted a quiet memorial, but anyone from the public is welcome to come.”
Rose said she talks to the family every day, and said they’re holding up OK, but still struggling to cope with the loss.
“I think reality is now starting to set in more,” Rose said. “But the community has been very supportive.”
A Southern California family in May donated a playhouse in Sandra’s memory. The city, police and other members of the public gathered at Jacobson Elementary late last month to see the school install the pink-and-white house.
Also, a company called Landscape Structures, Inc., recently donated a $46,500 playground to the school. The company’s subcontractor, Ross Recreation, put up $4,000 to cover the cost of shipping and delivering the playground, according to the city. Construction is scheduled to start this summer.
Meanwhile, donations have continued to pour in for Sandra’s family, Rose said. To date, Tracy Crimestoppers has received nearly $40,000 in donations. Just this week, a local car club sent in some money for Sandra’s family raised from a recent memorial car show.
“People still want to help,” Rose said. “It’s very touching.”
Melinda Team Angels
Subject: Re: Sandra Cantu (9) R.I.P. Sun Nov 01, 2009 1:41 pm
Melissa Huckaby's attorney asks to dismiss indictment, gets help with defense
By Sophia Kazmi Contra Costa Times Posted: 10/30/2009 07:14:12 AM PDT Updated: 10/30/2009 03:15:55 PM PDT
STOCKTON — The defense of a Tracy woman accused of killing 8-year-old Sandra Cantu is getting some help, with an attorney experienced in defending high profile murder suspects joining the team.
Sam Behar, Melissa Huckaby's public defender, has enlisted the help of San Francisco attorney Michael Burt, who has been involved in defending suspects in high profile death penalty cases, including Richard Ramirez, Charles Ng and Lyle Menendez. Burt did not appear during a hearing for Huckaby in San Joaquin County Superior Court today, but will be at the defense table with Behar and Huckaby at the next court date Dec. 4, when a trial date could be set.
The money to fund Burt will come from a special fund within the Public Defender's Office in death penalty cases, said Robert Himelblau, spokesman for the San Joaquin County District Attorney's Office. He said it is not uncommon for the public defenders to seek private counsel as second chair.
Also today, Behar filed a motion to suppress evidence and a motion to dismiss the indictment charging Huckaby, 28, with rape and murder in connection with Sandra's death. Judge Linda Lofthus ordered those files sealed from public access because they contain information from the grand jury transcripts, which she also ordered sealed.
No arguments were made about those issues. Feb. 12 is the date set to start the motion to suppress, which examines how evidence was obtained. A date for the motion to dismiss has not yet been set.
Lofthus she said she sealed the records in the interest of a fair trial both sides, as well as privacy for Sandra's family and the victim in the drugging case. Those issues override the public's right to know, she said.
Huckaby has been indicted by a grand jury on murder with three enhancements — kidnapping, lewd and lascivious acts on a child under 14 and rape by instrument — in connection with the Sandra's death. A second count charges Huckaby with a sex crime with a child 10 years or younger.
Huckaby has also been indicted on two counts of furnishing a harmful substance and one count of child endangerment for two unrelated drugging cases involving another Tracy girl and a Hayward man.
She has pleaded not guilty to all counts. The San Joaquin County District Attorney's Office will seek the death penalty if Huckaby is convicted. A gag order prevents attorneys involved from publicly commenting.
Before the public hearing, Behar met privately with Lofthus for about five minutes to update her on his progress. In open court, she told prosecutor Thomas Testa and the public what she could about the brief discussion she had with Behar.
"I'm very pleased to reveal this. Mr. Behar is making tremendous progress," she said. Huckaby is his now his only case, she said, and he told her he is working on the case "more than 24/7."
Testa was not as impressed with the progress and reiterated what he has been saying along — set a trial date right away.
"Unlike Mr. Behar, I do have other cases, other special circumstances cases, that are percolating," he said.
Tracy police arrested Huckaby on April 10, four days after Sandra's body was found stuffed in a suitcase and submerged in a pond not far from the Orchard Estates Mobile Home Park, where Huckaby and Cantu lived.
Cantu, a second-grader, was last seen alive March 27. A 10-day search ensued that received national attention.
Before she was arrested, Huckaby told a Tracy newspaper that she owned a suitcase similar to the one Sandra was found in. Huckaby said her suitcase disappeared the same day Sandra did.
Subject: Re: Sandra Cantu (9) R.I.P. Sun Nov 01, 2009 1:41 pm
Sandra Cantu case: Read indictment against Melissa Huckaby October 31, 5:17 PM
On Friday, the woman accused of murdering 8-year-old Sandra Cantu was in court.
Melissa Huckaby is charged with the kidnap, rape, and murder of Tracy, Calif. girl, Sandra, 8, along with drugging another young girl and an adult male acquaintance.
Huckaby has pleaded not guilty to all of the charges against her.
Her next court appearance is Dec. 4.
Read about the five felony counts she has been charged with in the Indictment below:
It’s been seven months since 8-year-old Sandra Cantu went missing from her Tracy, California home. The last images of the pretty little girl, captured on video, show Sandra joyfully skipping through the trailer park where she lived. A week later her body was found stuffed in a suitcase and tossed into a drainage pond and Melissa Huckaby was arrested for Sandra’s kidnapping, rape with a foreign object, and murder.
San Francisco attorney Michael Burt has now joined Sam Baher for the defense. Burt is considered highly qualified as a death penalty attorney and has defended several high profile criminals including Lyle Menedez, Charles Ng, “Night Stalker" Richard Ramirez as well as others. Michael Burt’s resume may be found here. Burt’s fees will be paid from a special fund from the Public Defender’s Office.
In a hearing Friday, Sam Baher motion to dismiss the indictment against Huckaby as well as a motion to suppress evidence were ordered sealed by Judge Linda Lofthus as they contain information from the grand jury transcripts.
Prior to the hearing, Behar met privately with the judge and Lofthus told prosecutor Thomas Testa, “I’m very pleased to reveal this. Mr. Behar is making tremendous progress.” She also noted that Behar’s other cases are done and he is now working 24/7 on the Huckaby case.
Testa, who has been repeatedly frustrated by the defense delay tactics was unimpressed and said, “Unlike Mr. Behar, I do have other cases, other special circumstances cases that are percolating.”
It had been expected that Loftus would set a trial date during Friday's hearing however, Michael Burt was unavailable, and Huckaby’s public defender, Sam Behar, said he didn't feel comfortable going forward without him.
There will be another status hearing on December 4 and - as we have heard many times in the past - a trail date is expected to be set. Behar said Burt would be present for the hearing and will “be able to provide enough information” to choose a trial date.
A hearing on the motion to suppress evidence will be held February 12.
While Huckaby is entitled to a proper defense as our justice system dictates, I can’t help but believe that for Sandra’s family the lengthy wait for justice and closure must seem interminable.
Today Oct. 30th, a court hearing was held. Important development was the addition of attorney Michael Burt of San Francisco. Noted cases of his include, Richard Ramerez, Charles Ng and Lyle Menendez.
Burt will occupy the 2nd chair at the defense table in this death penalty case.
Motion for Dismissal...Denied
Next court date 12/4...possible trial date to be set.
Huckaby defense team bolstered High-profile death penalty attorney has ties to area
By Scott Smith Record Staff Writer
STOCKTON - The attorney for Melissa Huckaby of Tracy is expected to ask a judge today to toss the indictment that charges his client with the kidnapping, rape and murder of 8-year-old Sandra Cantu.
San Joaquin County Deputy Public Defender Sam Behar, in a second volley of court papers, is also attacking Tracy police investigators who arrested Huckaby, 28, after Sandra's body was found in April entombed in a black suitcase.
Behar now has a high-profile death penalty attorney with ties to San Joaquin County backing him in Huckaby's defense.
Michael Burt of San Francisco has led or assisted in the defenses of Lyle Menendez, Charles Ng, Richard Ramirez and Cary Stayner. Burt began his career in 1978 as an attorney with the San Joaquin County Public Defender's Office.
"He has a first-class reputation," Stockton attorney John Schick said. "He's not flashy or flamboyant, but he does his homework and presents himself very well."
Schick said he doesn't know Burt personally but has heard him give presentations on the death penalty at conferences. Burt is the kind of person jurors relate to well, Schick added.
Burt worked about two years in San Joaquin County. He left for the San Francisco Public Defender's Office, where he rose through the ranks over 23 years. Since 2003, he has been in solo private practice.
Burt did not respond to repeated calls seeking comment. A gag order prevents attorneys and other parties from talking publicly about Huckaby's case. Burt's résumé is posted online.
In Lyle Menendez's first trial, Burt was on the defense team that led a Los Angeles jury to hang 6-6. Menendez and his brother, Erik, were later convicted of the shotgun murders of their wealthy parents. Both are serving life prison sentences.
Burt fought Ng's extradition from Canada. Ng was sentenced to death in 1999 for 11 torture-murders in the tiny Calaveras County town of Wilseyville.
Burt also represented Ramirez - the serial killer convicted of 13 murders and known as the "Night Stalker" - who is on California's death row.
Stayner was convicted in 2001 of killing Carole Sund, her daughter Julie Sund, exchange student Silvina Pelosso and Yosemite National Institute employee Joie Armstrong.
Stockton attorney David Wellenbrock said he and Burt worked together in the San Joaquin County Public Defender's Office years ago.
"I think he's a good lawyer," Wellenbrock said. "He's a good researcher."
Burt will now assist Behar with Huckaby's defense in a case that rivals the bizarre trials Burt has worked on before.
Huckaby, who taught Sunday school at her grandfather's church, faces a death sentence. She is also accused of drugging a 7-year-old girl and a 37-year-old man.
Details of Huckaby's case - what killed Sandra and the instrument used in her alleged rape - remain a mystery to the public, because the judge has sealed the grand jury transcripts, the autopsy reports and other documents.
San Joaquin County Superior Court Judge Linda Lofthus set today's hearing to ask Behar in a closed hearing about the progress of his defense preparations. In a previous hearing, Behar asked for more time before Lofthus set a trial date.
The court would not release to The Record the motions Behar filed ahead of today's hearing. Behar is expected to ask Lofthus to seal them along with any response by San Joaquin County Deputy District Attorney Thomas Testa.
STOCKTON - The public won't get a glimpse into the arguments that attorneys for Melissa Huckaby make to undercut the case against her on charges she kidnapped, raped and murdered 8-year-old Sandra Cantu.
San Joaquin County Superior Court Judge Linda Lofthus in a Friday hearing ordered pretrial motions for Huckaby's defense team to be sealed. Lofthus said she wanted to protect the trial's integrity.
Lofthus also officially stated her reason for sealing more than 1,000 pages of grand jury transcripts of a hearing that ended with Huckaby's indictment. The charges make Huckaby eligible for a death sentence.
"I do not take that decision lightly," Lofthus said, adding that she has to balance the public's right to know details of the case with Huckaby's right to a fair trial and the privacy rights of Sandra's family.
Lofthus said she considered releasing part of the transcripts, but later decided that everything is "inextricably intertwined." It remains a mystery to the public how Sandra died and what instrument Huckaby allegedly used to rape the girl.
Huckaby, 28, looked at ease in the hearing, resting both of her elbows on the table. She once yawned and at another time smiled and quietly laughed along with light banter between attorneys and the judge.
Lofthus said she checked jail records and found three incident reports. Huckaby had a puzzled look on her face as if to say she didn't know what the judge was talking about.
Lofthus gave no details but said the incidents did not appear to be anything Huckaby did in an attempt to avoid coming to court.
Before the open hearing, Huckaby appeared in court with San Joaquin County Deputy Public Defender Sam Behar for a closed-door meeting with the judge. Lofthus wanted a progress report on Huckaby's defense before setting a trial date.
Lofthus then - in open court - complimented both the defense and prosecution for moving things along and predicted she would set the trial date at Huckaby's next hearing in early December.
Lofthus and the attorneys also set hearing dates to argue Behar's motion seeking to suppress evidence investigators collected and dismiss parts or all of the grand jury's findings.
Attorney Michael Burt was not in court Friday, but Behar announced that Burt, a star death penalty defense attorney from San Francisco, would be assisting in Huckaby's defense.
Burt would play a large role in arguing the pretrial motions, Behar said. Burt brings dedication, experience in death-penalty cases and access to experts in psychology, forensic evidence and other critical aspects of the case.
"He's the attorney's attorney," Behar said outside of court. "I and Ms. Huckaby are lucky to have him as a member of the team."
A Sunday school teacher accused of killing 8-year-old Tracy resident Sandra Cantu will face trial on Oct. 18, 2010. Melissa Huckaby is charged with the rape, kidnapping and slaying of Cantu. The girl disappeared March 27 from a trailer park where she lived, and her body was found stuffed in a suitcase that was pulled from an irrigation pond north of Tracy more than a week later. Her disappearance, the discovery of her body and her funeral drew national attention. So far, Huckaby's trial has not been moved out of San Joaquin County. Her attorney was out sick Friday, but co-counsel was representing her. Michael Burt, a noticed death penalty expert, is looking into having a hearing in February to suppress evidence and testimony before the case goes to trial. A grand jury indicted Huckaby in July in connection with Cantu's death. Huckaby claimed the suitcase in which Cantu was found matched one that was stolen from her. She also said she found a note the day after Cantu's disappearance. According to Huckaby, the note said, "Cantu, Suitcase, Water." The word "suitcase" was misspelled, and there were two street names, including the word 'Whitehall.'" Farm workers found the black, sealed suitcase while they were draining a pond near Bacchetti Road, about 2 miles from Orchard Estates. The area is full of agricultural fields, plowed land waiting to be planted and some irrigation ditches. It's adjacent to a dairy farm. Huckaby's 5-year-old daughter used to play with Cantu at Huckaby's home.
Melinda Team Angels
Subject: Re: Sandra Cantu (9) R.I.P. Sun Jan 10, 2010 6:29 am
Sandra Cantu: Trial set for Melissa Huckaby on October 18, 2010. California judge set the trial date for Melissa Huckaby for October 18, 2010.
TRACY, CA -- The family of Sandra Cantu will gather at a park in Tracy tonight on what would have been the child's 9th birthday.
The 8-year-old girl disappeared last March from her family's mobile home park, and her body was found ten days later in a suitcase that had been dumped in an irrigation ditch.
Sandra's family and friends will hold a memorial celebration for her at 7 p.m. at Robert Kenner Park in Tracy. Her family says they want to remember Sandra's happy spirit, and they're inviting the community to attend.
A neighbor and Sunday school teacher, Melissa Huckaby, has been accused of kidnapping, raping and murdering the child, and could face the death penalty if convicted.
Huckaby is due in court on March 29 for another hearing. Her trial is set to begin on October 18.
Robert Kenner Park is located at 1850 Kavanaugh Avenue in Tracy.
Subject: Re: Sandra Cantu (9) R.I.P. Sat Apr 10, 2010 4:38 am
Sandra Cantu update: Accused killer Melissa Huckaby due in court Monday March 28,2010
Sandra Cantu update: Accused killer Melissa Huckaby due in court Monday
Melissa Huckaby, the Sunday school teacher accused of killing Tracy, Calif. girl Sandra Cantu, is scheduled to appear in court on Monday.
Huckaby, who was a neighbor of the Cantu family, allegedly kidnapped Sandra on Mar. 27, raped her, and then murdered the little girl. She is accused of then stuffing the little girl’s lifeless body inside a suitcase and placing it near a drained irrigation ditch, which was discovered Apr. 6.
Huckaby, 29, is charged with the abduction, rape, and murder of 8-year-old Sandra.
According to KCBS, Huckaby’s attorney wanted to delay the scheduled evidence hearing, claiming results of an investigation into police misconduct regarding Huckaby have not yet been received.
If convicted of Sandra’s murder, Huckaby could face the death penalty. Her murder trial is scheduled to begin Oct. 18.
Subject: Re: Sandra Cantu (9) R.I.P. Sat Apr 10, 2010 4:39 am
Huckaby attorney granted more time By Scott Smith Record Staff Writer March 30, 2010 12:00 AM
STOCKTON - The attorney for Melissa Huckaby received a delay Monday for a hearing at which he is expected to argue that pieces of evidence investigators collected against his client should be kept out of her death-penalty trial.
Huckaby's appearance was strikingly different from the last time she stepped into a Stockton courtroom. The 29-year-old now has short, curly hair and has gained considerable weight since her arrest on charges she kidnapped, raped and murdered Sandra Cantu, 8, of Tracy, whose disappearance one year ago Saturday sparked a countywide search and gained national attention.
In her pervious hearing in the San Joaquin County Superior Court, Huckaby had long brown hair. At her April 2009 booking, the 5-foot 3-inch defendant weighed a slight 125 pounds.
During the hearing, Huckaby sat in court mostly expressionless. She continues to wear red clothes from the San Joaquin County Jail, indicating that she is a high-security inmate.
In the hearing, San Joaquin County Deputy Public Defender Sam Behar asked the judge for more time. He appears to be preparing an attack on investigators based on an allegation that a Tracy police detective violated Huckaby's rights.
San Joaquin County Deputy District Attorney Thomas Testa said he did not oppose the delay as long as it does not change the October trial date.
San Joaquin County Superior Court Judge Linda Lofthus granted Behar's request, setting Huckaby's next hearing for May 10. That's when attorneys and the judge will set a date for the suppression hearing.
Subject: Re: Sandra Cantu (9) R.I.P. Thu May 13, 2010 7:34 am
Melissa Huckaby Pleads Guilty to Sandra Cantu's Murder A former Sunday school teacher pleaded guilty today to the murder of 8-year-old Sandra Cantu, whose body was found stuffed in a suitcase more than a year ago, court officials said today.
In June, Melissa Huckaby, 28, pleaded not guilty to the second grader's murder after the little girl's body was found 10 days after she disappeared from the Orchard Estates Mobile Home Park in Tracy, Calif.
Today, nearly a year later, Huckaby, in a plea bargain, changed her plea to guilty on counts of first degree murder and kidnapping "with enhancements" in exchange for a sentence of 25 years to life without the possibility of parole. As part of the plea bargain, all other charges will be dropped.
Subject: Re: Sandra Cantu (9) R.I.P. Thu May 13, 2010 7:34 am
Melissa Huckaby Plea Bargain: Guilty In Murder Of Sandra Cantu (Video) Stockton, California
Melissa Huckaby of Tracy,Ca,. former Sunday School teacher, a mother and trusted friend and neighbor has pleaded guilty to kidnapping and murdering 8 year old Sandra Cantu.
Sandra Cantu went missing from her Mobile Home park in the spring of 2009. Her tiny body was found stuffed in a suitcase in an irrigation canal on April7, 2009.
Melissa Huckaby Plea Bargain: Guilty In Murder Of Sandra Cantu (Video)
Melissa Huckaby took a plea bargain to avoid the death penalty in the case of raped and murdered Sandra Cantu. She is scheduled to be sentenced on June 14, 2010 to a prison term of life without the possibility of parole. Huckaby plead guilty to murder and kidnapping; the San Joaquin County District Attorney’s office dropped the other charges.
Melissa Huckaby became a suspect shortly after Sandra Cantu went missing, in part due to her interview with several media outlets. She described how her suitcase was stolen from her driveway while filled with Sunday School supplies; she mentioned that Sandra was a playmate to her own daughter. She also stated she had filed a report on the stolen suitcase, which proved to be false.
Sandra Cantu’s body was discovered in the ’stolen’ suitcase, immersed in an irrigation ditch on April 7th and Huckaby was arrested the next day.
The disbelief among the public was amazing. The average persons reaction was “oh no..not a woman, there must have been a man involved, this is so rare”—almost no one wanted to believe that women pedophiles exist. So many were convinced that the evil of pedophilia is simply a male crime; it is not—pedophilia is not gender specific.
Women tend to get away with this crime because society finds it incredibly hard to believe that women, especially mothers, can be this sadistic, this brazen and brutal.
Women pedophiles are not that rare…think about it, look back over the past few years. They seem to be coming out of the wood work.
As part of a deal with prosecutors, all other charges — including two involving rape and lewd or lascivious conduct with a child under 14 — were dropped. Huckaby also had been charged with previously drugging a 7-year-old girl and a 37-year-old man, whom police believe she had been dating. Those charges also were dropped.
I have to admit I don’t understand plea deals, especially for crimes such as the rape and murder of Sandra Cantu. Rather than take responsibility, Melissa Huckaby wanted to avoid the death penalty—what about Sandra? I’m fairly certain this child didn’t want to die either, yet was shown no mercy, nor given a ‘plea’ deal by Huckaby.
The gag order issued by Judge Linda Lofthus is still in affect, so there has been no response from Sandra Cantu’s family on how they feel about any of this.
My own opinion is since pedophilia has such an enormous recidivism rate, and pedophiles appear to have no conscience, that the death penalty should always be on the table. I don’t think they should be allowed to relive their sadistic and perverted memories of raping children for one second. Perhaps I’d feel differently if they could have some kind of brain surgery to wipe out any memories of children, but that won’t ever happen either.
One thing I know for sure, we will never eradicate pedophilia until we start, and continue to hand down the severest form of punishment. Death should be a viable option for those that destroy or take a child’s life.
Do you have any thoughts on Melissa Huckaby Plea Bargain: Guilty In Murder Of Sandra Cantu? Please share them with us below the video. Is life without parole appropriate, or would you have preferred the death penalty?
Fri Oct 30, 2009 11:02 am
