Monday, January 24th:
*Pre Preliminary Hearing for both (@ 9am PT) - CA –
Roman Anthony Lopez (11) (last seen Saturday morning Jan. 11, 2020, found later in evening dead in a storage bin in the basement, Placerville) – death is being investigated as suspicious.
*Lindsay Marie Piper (38/now 39) “stepmother” arrested (2/3/21),
charged (2/4/21) & arraigned (2/9/21) with 1 count of willful cruelty to child possible injury/death & causing cruel & extreme pain for revenge & extortion of sadistic purpose, 1 count of torture & 1 count of willful poisoning/etc. food/etc. Plead not guilty. $1.3M bond.
Additional
charge (10/29/21) & arraigned (11/19/21) of murder. Plead not guilty.
Piper willfully & unlawfully mingled a poison & harmful substance with food, drink, medicine & pharmaceutical product & placed a poison & harmful substance in a spring, well, reservoir & public water supply.
*Jordon Thomas Piper (35/now 36) “father” arrested (2/3/21),
charged (2/4/21) & arraigned (2/9/21) with 1 count of child abuse likely to cause injury or death & causing cruel & extreme pain for revenge, extortion or sadistic purpose, 1 count of torture & 1 count with willfully failing to provide food, shelter & medical attention to the child. Plead not guilty. $1.05M bond.
Additional
charge (10/29/21) & arraigned (11/19/21) of murder. Plead not guilty.
Justin Brousseau is the aunt of M, 8, C, 4, and L, 3, who has custody of the 3 children that were staying with the Pipers. They too were malnourished. Bio dad Justin alleges there's also proof of child abuse of his three children in addition to Roman. Roman’s bio mom passed away 4/4/21.
Info on crime & court info from 2/4/21 to 10/29/21 reference post #902 here:
CA - Roman Anthony Lopez, 11, found deceased, poisoned , Placerville, 11 Jan 2020 *arrests*
11/19/21 Update: Deputy District Attorney Jay Linden said in court Friday that the decision to add the murder charge was based on new interviews with children who lived in the family’s home at the time of Roman’s death. Tasha Paris Chalfant, a Rocklin-based defense attorney told the judge it was inappropriate timing — nearly two years after the boy’s death & the start of the homicide investigation — for the prosecutor to add the most serious charge her client can face. She said in court that she questions the “credibility” of these interviews with witnesses who have been questioned by authorities three times. Linden told the judge that the interviews were conducted in the past month when the children were no longer under the control of the Pipers. El Dorado Superior Court Judge Vicki Ashworth granted the prosecution’s motion to add a murder charge against each defendant, adding such a serious charge can be added at any point of a criminal case ahead of trial. Both plead not guilty. The judge scheduled the defendants & the attorneys to return to court 12/17/21 for another pre-preliminary hearing.
12/17/21 Update: Attorneys for Pipers & Judge in chambers. Hearing continued to 1/24/22 @ 9am.