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

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kemo said:
From what I can tell, "Touch" DNA was found on Sierra's folded clothing that did not belong to Sierra. It was compared against the California data base of convicted felons and they got a "hit" with Torres, who lived only 7 miles away.

They checked out Torres' car and it was the red Jetta. Reviewing available video's, it was found that Torres' car was "in the area" around the time of the abduction. It is unclear how closely they tie him to the abduction site but the videos shoot down any other alibis. He was definitely "in the area".

A forensic examination of the Jetta turned up "touch" DNA that was "probably" Sierra's. A further study of other sex crimes in the area revealed that Torres could be "100%" linked forensically (we don't have the details) to one assault and is the prime suspect in two others.

That is pretty much the case. Good but not Rock Solid. The big problem is "touch" DNA. It is different from the DNA results were are used to based on blood or semen. It can degrade and give results that are far below the "Billion to one" matches we have come to expect. Sometimes there is real controversy as to whether or not the sample is even a match. You sometimes get "dueling expert witnesses" at trials.

"Touch" DNA is best when you get a "blind hit" with someone who is otherwise a good suspect: ties to the crime scene, history of similar crimes etc. The DNA on Sierra's clothing is compelling evidence if Torres has no other explanation how it got there.

The DNA found in the car is much less solid. Apparently there are fewer "matching points” and there are quite possibly many people in the general population besides Sierra that could have provided that DNA.

The big question is how solid a case does the DA really have? Finding the body would really help. One possibility would be to drop the charges on Sierra go after him for the sexual assault and get a very long prison sentence. That would buy a little time to investigate the case further. Advances in forensics may work in the prosecution's favor.
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If all they have is "Touch" DNA...

ATG must have believed he did a very good job of not leaving any evidence. I recall his mother telling the media that ATG told her "They don't have any evidence."

He must be confident he 1) hid the body extremely well, 2) didn't leave any "hard" DNA evidence (blood, semen, urine, etc) or fingerprints.

I bet he didn't think about touch DNA or surveillance cameras possibly being in the area. He probably assumed it was a camera free area being farmville.
 
katydid23 said:
You and me, both. The thought that she was taken at the end of her driveway is what kept me looking closer to home. But it still seems weird that it would be totally 'random.' Knowing that he drove by her bus stop every day makes me think he had seen her previously, at he had this possibility at the back of his sick mind for awhile. JMO
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Dosent the house next to them have junk cars and stuff in the back
i wonder if he was wandering around back there looking for scrap metal.
 
LBrennanVW said:
I got into this case a week or two behind when Sierra went missing so I think by then there wasn't much doubt that it was a nonfamily abduction. But recently, at the press conference with SS stating that they believed Sierra to be murdered, and then when Marlene spoke. It was sad, yes, how she struggled to hold herself together while she spoke. But then, when I watched it for a second time, I noticed it seemed she may not have washed her hair in a few days. The family has seemed pretty well put together, but then little details have begun to stick out of this family coming apart.
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Kinda weird but when I first watched the press conference I immediatly noticed that Marlene was almost staring dagers at the person who was speaking. I could completely identify because the speaker was using the word murder. I thought, wow, if that is not the saying "kill the messenger". Then when Marlene spoke my thoughts were true. She does not believe that Sierra is dead. This could mean that the evidence is really not a lot , as per the statements that the struggle was between DA and LE .

I can honestly say that if this were my daughter that was missing, I too, would be holding out complete hope that this one time, whatever evidence they think they had is wrong. I would want for my daughters remains to be taken care of how most people are when they leave this earth.
 
I am also going to throw out there just what if he did not act on his own.
Remember the very beginning when everyone was so stumped over the fact that the clothing was neatly folded? Why did they say it that way, could she have folded her own clothing ? All types of questions we had.

Last night as I watched my husband fold some of his laundry it occured to me.
He will fold his clothing but he folds it looser (is that a word?) than I do.
When I fold clothes-- it is folded neat , but tight, like you would find in a department store. So what if there were two people? I just wonder because of the speediness of this entire thing, how the purse and clothing were found , we now know "propped against a building with the clothing "neatly folded". What if all they have is the "touch DNA"

And where the heck are her shoes?????

Just all the many thoughts I have.
 
Hisimage said:
I am also going to throw out there just what if he did not act on his own.
Remember the very beginning when everyone was so stumped over the fact that the clothing was neatly folded? Why did they say it that way, could she have folded her own clothing ? All types of questions we had.

Last night as I watched my husband fold some of his laundry it occured to me.
He will fold his clothing but he folds it looser (is that a word?) than I do.
When I fold clothes-- it is folded neat , but tight, like you would find in a department store. So what if there were two people? I just wonder because of the speediness of this entire thing, how the purse and clothing were found , we now know "propped against a building with the clothing "neatly folded". What if all they have is the "touch DNA"

And where the heck are her shoes?????

Just all the many thoughts I have.
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Yes, for what reason would Sierra still have her shoes and not her clothes? Underware I can understand, it's the shoes that have me stumped.
 
They better have some really damning evidence and if that's what the defense is saying, I can't imagine what on earth they haven't disclosed. Don't they need to give up ALL their evidence?
 
thevineyarder said:
Approximately mid-way down her street, or at least that is where dogs lost her scent. Someone posted a screenshot of the map that pinpointed this location, I can't seem to find it...

So bold of him to go down her street, I wonder why he chose not to wait near her bus stop or outside of Paquita Espana?
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Thank you.

Hard to believe no one saw or heard anything. He must have caught her unaware, completely surprised her.
 
Secrett said:
Just in on twitter:

https://twitter.com/#!/newsdamian


Damian Trujillo ‏@newsdamian
Lawyer for Sierra Lamar murder suspect tells me evidence seems weak.No body. No murder weapon. No blood. No crime scene
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I don't know.. LE knows they get one shot at this. I don't think they'd jump the gun and lose face if they're wrong. I think it's the defense attorney bluffing, or he hasn't seen all of the evidence yet.
 
mamamia54 said:
They better have some really damning evidence and if that's what the defense is saying, I can't imagine what on earth they haven't disclosed. Don't they need to give up ALL their evidence?
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I would think they are suppose to give all evidence. Then again, I thought that is what next Thursday is for. Maybe he is just blowing smoke. Sigh, I really do hope they have something more than pictures of his car. I would be sure they would.

I just keep thinking about the struggle that LE has had with the DA. Something made them move in quick. My thoughts are that they were pretty sure he was going to strike again. I am beginning to believe somebody else might be involved. Maybe not in the kidnapping , but the cover up. Just what if it IS is wife. Maybe that is the reason for her bad mouthing Sierra so much. What if it was suppose to be a kidnapping/rape that went bad. He goes back, tells his sad story to her about some lady following him around and she helps cover up? Too much Lifetime movies????? LOL
 
mamamia54 said:
They better have some really damning evidence and if that's what the defense is saying, I can't imagine what on earth they haven't disclosed. Don't they need to give up ALL their evidence?
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They do need to turn it all over, but they have a discovery 'due date'--- And I don't think it is that time yet. I believe it is a 30 day window from the arraignment or something similar to that.
 
Fashionista_Gal said:
If Sierra has indeed passed, then I hope they DO have video of him driving on her street. They are going to need as much evidence as possible. I worry how this trial would go without a body. I really hope they evidence they have is strong enough. A video of him on her street would be pretty damning.

Here's a question, remember how the neighbor said something along the lines of "trust me, her family had nothing to do with this"? What do you think she meant by that? Do you think maybe she saw the red jetta or maybe knows someone else on the street has a video of the car driving by on the street?
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As I understand it, she is hotsteno, and a court reporter.
 
mamamia54 said:
They better have some really damning evidence and if that's what the defense is saying, I can't imagine what on earth they haven't disclosed. Don't they need to give up ALL their evidence?
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Not yet, at least not to the public. The DA probably knows a lot more than we do, as he is the one who has to decide to file. The investigation is still ongoing. Only thing thats changed is they have him in custody and have charged him with murder and kidnapping (so far).
 
mamamia54 said:
Yes, for what reason would Sierra still have her shoes and not her clothes? Underware I can understand, it's the shoes that have me stumped.
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Maybe he had the decency (although very unlikely with this sociopath) to not make her walk barefoot wherever it is that he took her and didn't feel the need to remove her shoes afterwards? As for the underwear, they stated that undergarments were found in the bag so this would include both a bra and underwear.
 
katydid23 said:
They do need to turn it all over, but they have a discovery 'due date'--- And I don't think it is that time yet. I believe it is a 30 day window from the arraignment or something similar to that.
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Correct. I don't know the discovery deadline, but until then it's not necessary for all evidence to be handed over to the defense.
 
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