Deceased/Not Found CA - Sierra LaMar, 15, Morgan Hill, 16 March 2012 #18 *A. Garcia-Torres guilty*

[LinasK]

Mrsu, only know a tip came in, stated at first off the road in the woods a body was found, then it was reported the garbage can in question was in the middle of one lane.

It's a two-lane frontage road to the freeway and there are wooded areas along it.

 

[Cottontop]

If Marc K. doesn't think Sierra is dead...where on earth does he think she is?
I don't think he gets inside info from LE...I think he is more there to work with parents and help them cope. But I am not sure it is helpful for anyone to be telling the parents she may be alive, when LE is going ahead with murder charges. JMO

Plus, even if he thinks she's not dead, his comments don't help the prosecution and the LE who have been working on this non-stop.

In my opinion, he, of course, can express to the parents his belief that she's not dead, but the public comment could have been skipped or he could have worded it in a different way. Right now it looks like, even he, doesn't have faith in the investigation in to her disappearance and the arrest of the personal responsible, even though I'm sure it's not what he meant.

Of course, his words could have been taken out of context, as we all know, news reporting in today's world isn't 100% accurate.

JMO

 

[LinasK]

you were off line yesterday afternoon. I wanted to ask you to take a drive and report back to us

I didn't see the article until this morning. The only time I'd have would be right now, it's close... BRB! Maybe I'll take a picture with my phone and post it.

 

[BeginnersLuck]

I'm sure they could pull her prints from all over her house.

Maybe the body is to decomposed to get prints?

 

[mamamia54]

So what? Now the autopsy is inconclusive as to IF the body is Sierra??

 

[JDB]

I didn't see the article until this morning. The only time I'd have would be right now, it's close because I'm leaving for the weekend... BRB! Maybe I'll take a picture with my phone and post it.

No is wanted u there yesterday ;-) now its to late. Have a great weekend . I stuck on call

 

[Cottontop]

Do we know if water searches in Santa Clara County were still going on today by the Sheriff's Department? If so, that says a lot.

 

[Tuliptiptoe]

Do we know if water searches in Santa Clara County were still going on today by the Sheriff's Department? If so, that says a lot.

They were at Uvas reservoir today and plan to continue water searches after the holiday weekend.

 

[Eileen730]

Very true. I agree. It's just that first it was a female, then they don't know gender, then it's a female adult, then it's "definitely not a child", which means it could be a teenager.

Because it's close and Sierra's case is so high profile and this body found has long dark hair, it seems like the first thing would be to rule out if it's her or not.

I'm wondering, as Sierra is only 15, would she even have fingerprints on file anywhere. I know they have her DNA profile, but not sure about fingerprints.

Maybe someone more experienced would know that.

Thanks for the discussion.

Well they can get her fingerprints from anything in her room or her home

 

[mamamia54]

They were at Uvas reservoir today and plan to continue water searches after the holiday weekend.

I don't know what they are searching for there, if the body yesterday was Sierra, would they still be searching today?

 

[Cottontop]

They were at Uvas reservoir today and plan to continue water searches after the holiday weekend.

So, that says a lot to me. They wouldn't be doing official water searches today if they believed the body found in Pleasanton is Sierra.

 

[Lera213]

do we have a scanner thread for Sierra?

 

[rosesfromangels]

Do we know if water searches in Santa Clara County were still going on today by the Sheriff's Department? If so, that says a lot.

Yes, they are back at Uvas. I guess that's where he went "fishing" alot.

 

[ozazure]

weather aside, he couldn't have seen her in the pool if this street view is accurate https://maps.google.com.au/maps?q=1...=uPfm58j8-oBWKFBFMVJEwA&cbp=11,217.27,,0,1.52

i think what he has said to his mother is accurate. he passed by her. that's all the info he needed, he liked the look of her and knew she was alone at that time every school day. he may be who she is referring to in those tweets, if his current plate included lucky, wow, would be some coincidence if it wasn't him! might never know unless LE can get his phone data from those dates and see if perhaps he was where Sierra may have been, going to and from school for example. i hope he had a phone!!

good chance she is at uvas given what he also told his mother. i bet he didn't count on her remembering and repeating that stuff so publicly, in my mind he was alibi building when he said those thing. if the evidence is weak (i'm not sure) he's pretty unlucky to get matched to it, matched in codis, have compatible trace(?) dna of sierra in his car, have been in the locations, and then voluntarily put himself in an appropriate place to dispose of her. more likely he's getting in early with his mother so she continues to believe him. i trust his mother, she was prepared to share her doubts and she is prepared to show her distress, not redirect it as anger. i hope she can help LE.

I am not too worried the evidence may be weak, this time a week ago they were saying sierra is alive and there is no POI. Obviously they do not feel obligated to disclose anything.

as for her shoes ... they may be something he could have disposed of more easily in places people suggested as alternates for the bag like dumpsters etc. They are smaller and less conspicuous in a bin than a bag, even if bright red. the early reports said grey shoes however. someone suggested he started to scatter her belongings and had to stop for some reason, stashing the majority to come back to finish, makes sense too.

 

[bgmiller5]

He is very accurate in what he said, imo. He is saying nothing that a defense attorney isn't already going to say anyway, and nothing that a parent in Marlene and Steve's position (and at one time, Mark Klass's) isn't already thinking.

As far as where Mark Klaas thinks SL is....where did anyone think Elizabeth Smart was?

 

[bgmiller5]

The Walnut Creek dispatch feels confident enough to say it isn't SL...

http://walnutcreek.patch.com/articles/body-found-in-trash-can-is-woman-not-sierra-lamar

 

[Cottontop]

Well they can get her fingerprints from anything in her room or her home

But how do they do that? There must be hundreds of fingerprints all around her home and room, etc. How do they pinpoint, "ah, these are hers."

 

[askfornina]

FULL TIMELINE:

CA Sierra Lamar, 15, Santa Clara County, 16 March 2012 timeline and media thread - Websleuths Crime Sleuthing Community


Wednesday, May 23, 2012

http://www.mercurynews.com/sierra-l...-suspect-being-investigated-three-2009-morgan

May 23 more @ link

Morgan Hill police on Wednesday said they are looking into the possibility Garcia Torres was involved in all three.

"The fact three of these happened in 2009 in such a short period of time, we're investigating and trying to see if he's responsible for all three," Morgan Hill police Sgt. Troy Hoefling said. "Very seldom do cases happen in such proximity (that) they are not related. But obviously we need to prove that."

http://losaltos.patch.com/articles/...ct-court-records-reveal-06670e88#pdf-10030186

May 23 PDF of court documents related to previous arrests of Antolin Garcia-Torres.

http://www.ktvu.com/news/news/crime-law/garcia-torres-be-charged-lamars-murder-arraignment/nPCrM/

May 23 more @ link

A 21-year-old Morgan Hill man who was to be charged with the murder of missing teenager Sierra LaMar was expected to appear in court on Thursday afternoon, according to the Santa Clara County District Attorney's Office.

Antolin Garcia-Torres, who was arrested Monday evening on suspicion of murder and kidnapping, was being held without bail at the Santa Clara County Main Jail on Wednesday. His arraignment was initially planned for Wednesday morning but was delayed, and he was scheduled to be arraigned at 1:30 p.m. Thursday.

http://www.mercurynews.com/sierra-l...s-continue-sierra-lamar-after-suspects-arrest

May 23 more @ link

Sheriff's divers Wednesday were scheduled to probe the Uvas Reservoir, 10 miles southwest of the unincorporated neighborhood off Palm and Dougherty avenues where Sierra vanished March 16. Sgt. Jose Cardoza said that will extend to other area waterways throughout the week.

The KlaasKids Foundation, which since the disappearance has spearheaded a civilian volunteer search based at Burnett Elementary School in Morgan Hill, also planned to search the area Wednesday.

http://www.nbcbayarea.com/video/#!/...Murder--Kidnap-in-Sierra-LaMar-Case/153387855

May 23 from video @ link

Reporter: Jeff Rosen walked out of his office to say there is enough evidence to send Antolin Garcia Torres to prison.

District Attorney Jeff Rosen: We're going to file the charges tomorrow at 1:30, and they'll become public then and the judge will read the charges to the defendant, and- uh, and we'll also release a statement of probable cause at that time which we'll make public, and that statement of probable cause will provide the reason and the basis for the charge or charges that we file.
~~
Reporter: Is there room for a plea deal if we find out where Sierra LaMar is?

District Attorney Jeff Rosen: There's nothing I can really say about that.

Reporter: Rosen could decide to go after the death penalty, or drop the murder charge until he gets more evidence.

http://www.ktvu.com/videos/news/morgan-hill-hundreds-of-volunteers-join-search-for/vHQxr/

May 23 from video @ link

Marlene: We're just not satisfied with somebody being taken into custody. We still want her back and we're never going to give up.

http://abclocal.go.com/kgo/video?id=8673992

May 23 from video @ link

Marlene: Just having all that involved and not seeing her body, um- there is- there is something about that. You know, this is- this is- still open ended. It's still a wide open case.

http://abclocal.go.com/kgo/video?id=8674525

May 23 from video @ link

Marlene: And I just pray that he release information to help our search and finding Sierra.

Steve: We want some information to help us. If we don't get it, we're not going to stop. We're going to continue with what we're doing and- you know, we're going to find her.
~~
Reporter: Sierra's sister says whether the suspect talks or not, he will not control her family.

Danielle: We can't let him haunt us that way, like- we can't give him that power.

http://abclocal.go.com/kgo/video?id=8674458

May 23 from video @ link

Danielle: There's no body or confession. We have to hold on to what we have left.

~~

Marlene: Sierra is not considered gone until she's brought back to us. And, you know, the- finding Sierra is - is still wide open- the case. And I'm not giving up.

~~

Steve: I still hold out hope that she's alive still, you know. There was some days where they weren't watching him- anything could have happened. Maybe he- you know, gave her to someone else who has her now or anything.

~~

Danielle: We have all those feelings- disgusted and shocked and- you know, surprised about his age- how young he is. That he has a family, you know.

Reporter: Mostly though, Danielle is just thinking about Sierra. Danielle misses her little sister and best friend.

Danielle: The good times we have, like- her laughing, her- you know, that kind of stuff. You know- that's what keeps me going.

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2012/05/23/BAVI1OMCJ3.DTL#ixzz1vj6TqSXg

May 23 more @ link

Marlene LaMar said her daughter, Sierra LaMar, would not have spent time with someone like Antolin Garcia-Torres, 21, the man Santa Clara County sheriff's investigators say kidnapped and killed her. Sierra was last seen March 16 in her home near Morgan Hill. Her body has not been found.

"This is not a person I would ever associate my daughter talking to or feeling comfortable entering a vehicle with," LaMar said at a news conference. "I've seen a lot of the friends that she's hung out with, and I would never guess that she would willingly get into a car with somebody."

http://www.kron4.com/Article.aspx?ArticleID=4214

May 23 from video @ link

Marlene: This person is definitely linked to her being missing because of the DNA uh-evidence. And I'm fully aware of what that means as far as pretty much being like an identification tag as far as proof that this person is linked to her abduction. I'm fully aware of that, but- like I said, this is a wide open case. We still haven't found her.

Reporter: She also said that investigators tipped her the day before the arrest was made that they were about to move in on this particular person.


http://www.ktvu.com/videos/news/morgan-hill-reservoir-search-taking-suspects-alibi/vHRDc/

May 23 from video @ link

Reporter: Sierra's father, Steve LaMar, says the area around Uvas reservoir is of special interest, because Garcia-Torres had reportedly been there.

Steve: Whether it's true or false, basically we're- we're going to use that as- as a hint, and- you know, help- help lead our searches.

http://abclocal.go.com/kgo/story?section=news/local/south_bay&id=8673979

May 23 more @ link

Sierra's family is hoping that Garcia-Torres tells detectives where they can find Sierra. But if not, at least at this point, the family says it is not willing to make any deals for that information.

There will be no search this Saturday at the request of Sierra's parents, who say they want the volunteers to have the holiday weekend off.

http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/26184891/vp/47532509#47532509

May 23 from video @ link

Marlene: We believe there is no proof right now that she's not out there and that's the number one priority- is still finding Sierra.
~~
Marlene: You never give up hope on your child with anything. That's part of being a parent.
~~
Marlene: It's in your best interest to come forward to help end this nightmare. Miracles do happen.

http://www.kionrightnow.com/story/1...n-after-sheriff-says-she-was-victim-of-murder

May 23 more @ link

Even though investigators now say Antolin Garcia-Torres killed the 15-year-old Morgan Hill girl, her friends don't want to believe it.

"We just all had our hopes up, hoping and praying that she's still going to be alive- they still have no proof that she isn't alive so hopes are still up," says V******* Reyes, Sierra's friend.

http://link.brightcove.com/services/player/bcpid1681730592?bctid=1650963179001

May 23 from video @ link

Q:..father?

Laura Torres: He's in jail. He has more than a- almost a year in jail.

Q: No- your son, Antolin.

Laura Torres: Oh, Antolin?

Q: Yeah, he-

Laura Torres: Oh yeah. Always be kind to baby- always- that's why I- all this is surprise to me. Why- he don't have friends that he can go drinking, and go doing drugs and everything and left the baby or his wife- no, they always, like- together. That's- why? Why that happens? What time he did something like that?

Q: Does he have another baby on the way?

Laura Torres: Yeah.

Q: Little boy or little girl?

Laura Torres: They don't know yet. She has-

Q: A little girl right now?

Laura Torres: Yeah, yeah.

Q: What is her name?

Laura Torres: E****.

Q: When you talked to him about this- you said, Antolin- did you do this or why are they questioning-

Laura Torres: I said 'Antolin, why? Why?' He said 'I don't know, Mom. I don't know. Just because I be in the wrong time passing there. It was my way to my job. I don't know why they're still doing that.' So, it's a surprise- but I say 'You know what? If you don't doing nothing, you trust yourself. If you don't do, why you have to be- to be worried?'

Q: What does your gut say?

Laura Torres: My-?

Q: What does your heart say?

Laura Torres: Oh, my heart- oh- I can say is just going to bust- I don't know.

http://www.ktvu.com/videos/news/morgan-hill-sierra-lamar-suspects-sisters-still-in/vHRDf/

May 23 from video @ link

Reporter: Lucero and Alondra Garcia shared photographs of their brother Antolin, who they affectionately call Ant. They describe him as social and friendly.

Alondra Garcia: I mean, it's hard to see him behind a cage. Behind- locked up thinking- we're thinking he's innocent.

Reporter: The Garcia sisters say ever since their brother was arrested for the kidnapping and murder of Sierra LaMar, they and their children have been taunted.

Lucero Garcia: And they're like oh-that's your uncle, that's your uncle on TV? You know, like- he's a murderer, this and that.

Reporter: We asked Lucero Garcia about her brothers past criminal record- Morgan Hill police tell us Antolin Garcia Torres was arrested in May of 2009.

Sgt. Troy Hoefling: He got in the way- of, uh- of the officers trying to arrest a felony- a wanted felony suspect.

Reporter: Court documents show a year later he was charged with unlawful sexual intercourse with a minor. The pair later married and had a child and are now expecting another. Court records show in June of 2010 Sheriff's deputies arrested Garcia-Torres for battery when he punched his sister's boyfriend during an argument. And now, police are linking him to at least one of three attacks on women in a Safeway parking lot back in 2009. Garcia-Torre's sisters don't believe these latest accusations.

Lucero Garcia: It feels surreal but I know him- growing up with him, and it just- the person that I see on TV is a totally different person than what I grew up with.

Reporter: We're told Garcia-Torre's mother visited him in jail today, his first court appearance is scheduled for tomorrow.

http://www.mercurynews.com/sierra-lamar/ci_20694502/family-considered-sierra-lamar-suspect-good-son

May 23 more @ link

His father is in jail, suspected of sexual abuse. His brother died of alcoholism. Antolin Garcia Torres was considered to be the good son, the one who was fiercely protective of his family, the one trying to work his way out of the cramped trailer in Morgan Hill he shared with four others, including his pregnant wife and toddler daughter.

"With everything that happened to us, he stayed real strong," his sister, Lucero Garcia, 26, said Wednesday. "He was trying to save up for his own place, especially with the new baby coming."

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2012/05/23/MN1P1OLN18.DTL

May 23 more @ link

Elizabeth Ruano, 19, who lives in the trailer next door, said Garcia-Torres and his family are quiet and keep to themselves. However, that was not the case with Garcia-Torres' previous home.

Before moving to the trailer park, Garcia-Torres and his family were thrown out of a Morgan Hill farmhouse in the summer of 2010 for keeping pit bulls on the property and allowing non-tenants to stay there, one of their landlords said. She spoke on condition of anonymity, saying she was concerned for her privacy.

"They were the nightmare that never ended," the landlord said.

Thursday, May 24, 2012

http://media.nbcbayarea.com/documents/ANTOLIN+GARCIA+TORRES+FELONY+COMPLAINT.pdf

May 24 Antolin Garcia-Torres Felony Complaint PDF

http://media.nbcbayarea.com/documents/ANTOLIN+GARCIA+TORRES+STATEMENT+OF+FACTS.pdf

May 24 Antolin Garcia-Torres Statement of Facts PDF

http://www.ktvu.com/videos/news/raw-video-sierra-lamar-murder-suspect-makes-first/vHRyP/

May 24 Raw Video Antolin Garcia-Torres makes first court appearance

http://www.nbcbayarea.com/news/local/Sierra-LaMar-Suspect-Charged-with-Murder-153760455.html

May 24 more @ link

A 21-year-old Morgan Hill man was charged Thursday with the murder and kidnap of Sierra LaMar Thursday afternoon in Santa Clara County Superior Court.
~~

Garcia-Torres, who is being held without bail, said nothing at the brief court hearing. He was ordered back on May 31, and was referred to the public defender's office. His family, including his mother and sister, attended.

Neither of the LaMar parents were present.

http://www.mercurynews.com/crime-co...d-killer-charged-murder-antolin-garcia-torres

May 24 more @ link

"Our investigation is continuing," District Attorney Jeff Rosen said outside the Hall of Justice. "My office and law enforcement, aided by many volunteers in this county, continue to devote all available resources to finding her body. We hope that will soon give her family some measure of peace."

While the charge makes Garcia Torres eligible for the death penalty, Rosen said he will not decide whether to pursue a capital case until his office completes a lengthy review, including a conversation with the suspect's lawyer and the victim's family.

A formal arraignment for the suspect was set for May 31.

http://www.kionrightnow.com/Global/story.asp?S=18620292

May 24 more @ link

In an effort to maximize the resources to locate Sierra, the Sheriff's Office is encouraging the community and rural property owners to continue searches of land, water shorelines, creeks, streams, private property wells, large containers and abandoned sheds or outhouse structures.

http://www.kron4.com/Article.aspx?ArticleID=4222

May 24 from video @ link

Sgt. Jose Cardoza: Detectives believe that the evidence that they have in this case is strong. It points to him and- and only to him as the primary suspect in this case.

Reporter: Sgt. Cardoza shrugs off recent comments made by Torre's family members regarding his innocence.

Sgt. Jose Cardoza: They are relatives of Mr. Garcia-Torres and- and, you know, they are entitled to their opinion.

Reporter: He talked about the evidence in the case.

Sgt. Jose Cardoza: You know, the main components that we have- her bag- inside that bag there was numerous items. What that yielded was Garcia-Torre's DNA on some of Sierra LaMar's property that was located a couple of days after she went missing. Um- Garcia-Torre's car. In Garcia-Torre's car, again, there's going to be several items in there. The various interviews- the hundreds of interviews that the detectives have done.

Reporter: Then there's the motive for what investigators are calling a stranger abduction of the Morgan Hill teen.

Sgt: Jose Cardoza: As far as the motive goes, uh- only Mr.Garcia-Torres would know that. When investigators asked him about Sierra LaMar, where she could be, her whereabouts-uh, he declined and refused to provide the information.

~~

Alondra Garcia: I don't think he's capable at all of doing something like that.
I don't really see him as that violent - you know, like- he's pretty mellow. So, he's not like a violent guy at all. He's a good guy. He's social. He likes- he likes fishing, he likes doing outdoor things, he's with his family a lot- you know, he's a hard worker. He works a lot, too. I don't think they have enough proof yet. Like, substantial proof. I think he's innocent, you know. What I have in my mind is innocent until proven guilty- but like, full- you know, full proven, you know?

~~

Marlene: The person that is in custody is linked with her being- you know, kidnapped which we pretty much suspected- as a mom, I suspected that from the day she went missing. And I'm- I was aware of that, but- you know, I still didn't give up back then and I'm not going to give up now until we find her and that's what this is all about.

http://www.nbcbayarea.com/video/#!/on-air/as-seen-on/Search-for-Sierra--Suspect-in-Court/153947515

May 24 from video @ link

Sheriff Laurie Smith: I believe we can. I believe we can. I believe we have strong evidence.

Reporter: Santa Clara County Sheriff Laurie Smith is convinced the prosecution has enough to convict Antolin Garcia-Torres in the kidnapping and murder of 15 year old Sierra LaMar. She says they're moving forward whether or not Sierra's body is found.

Sheriff Laurie Smith: It's not critical, but it would help. But more than that, it's important for the family. It's important for us. It's important for closure.

http://www.ktvu.com/videos/news/san-jose-suspect-charged-with-sierra-lamars-death/vHR49/

May 24 from video @ link

District Attorney Jeff Rosen: A few moments ago, we charged Antolin Garcia-Torres with murder, and the special circumstance of kidnapping Sierra LaMar.

Reporter: Outside court, Santa Clara County District Attorney Jeff Rosen says those charges make Garcia-Torres eligible for the death penalty.

~~

Reporter: Garcia Torre's wife remained silent as she left the court with family members.

Q: Did you know about the charges-

Lucero Garcia: Thank you very much. You can- you can direct yourself to Mr. Mandel, thank you.

http://abclocal.go.com/kgo/video?id=8675926

May 24 from video @ link

District Attorney Jeff Rosen: What I can say to you is that where we'll prove that case is in a court room, in front of a jury, with facts.

~~

Reporter: The suspect's family previously told ABC 7 news they believe Garcia-Torres is innocent and he told them he never knew Sierra LaMar. Today, they are not commenting.

Family member: The public defender just wants us to keep quiet and that's it.

http://www.kron4.com/Article.aspx?ArticleID=4232

May 24 from video @ link

District Attorney Jeff Rosen: I can tell you that we are carefully and painstakingly going through all of the evidence that we have thus far. I can tell you that we will do everything in our power to seek the truth, and to seek justice for Sierra LaMar.

Reporter: The DA was asked whether he will seek the death penalty in this case.

District Attorney Jeff Rosen: Uh, this charge- murder in the special circumstance of kidnapping- is a death penalty eligible charge. In the DA's office we have a protocol in making our decision as to whether to seek the death penalty, and we do that after reviewed all of the evidence in the case, after speaking with the victim's family, after going through- uh, aspects of the defendants life to inform our decision, and we also invite his attorney to speak with us before we make a final decision in that matter. So, that will be- uh, that process will take..

~~

Reporter: For the first time, we got a glimpse of his wife who is said to be at least 3 months pregnant. You can see her here wearing the white top and black skirt. She would only say that the public defender has instructed her not to talk. Torre's mom was also in the courtroom. As she walked to the car, I could tell that she had been crying. Her eyes were watery and bloodshot. When asked in Spanish if she had a message for her son, she responded that she's already given him that message. Garcia-Torre's sisters were also there, but they also did not say much. Here's what happened when I tried to ask questions.

Lucero Garcia: As much as we would love to talk, Mr. Mandel has advised us not to. Thank you. Please respect our decision.

Reporter: Were you able to speak with your brother, though?

Lucero Garcia: Please respect our decisions as a family. You can direct yourself to Mr. Mandel.

Reporter: How are you taking this?

Francine Sarmiento: We've been advised not to talk. Please go talk to Mr. Mandel.

http://abclocal.go.com/kgo/video?id=8676169

May 24 from video @ link

Reporter: Garcia-Torre's mother told me she feels good about today's hearing and maintains her son's innocence.

~~

Sgt. Jose Cardoza: We don't have information that Sierra ever left the area. So, we'll concentrate our efforts on locating her in the Morgan Hill and South County area.

http://www.ktvu.com/videos/news/san-jose-suspect-in-sierra-lamars-disappearance/vHR97/

May 24 from video @ link

Family member: Just- his public defender doesn't want us to talk.

District Attorney Jeff Rosen: We will aggressively seek justice here, as in all our cases- in a way that is fair, and treats everyone with respect.

http://www.morganhilltimes.com/news...cle_96981d5c-a605-11e1-be58-0019bb30f31a.html

May 24 more @ link

A large crowd of supporters of Sierra’s family, including a group of volunteers who have helped search for the missing teen since late March, gathered outside the courthouse after the hearing. Some carried large posters depicting Sierra’s face, with messages written on them such as, “Sierra we love u!”

“I have children, and a big heart, and I would love to have somebody to help me,” said Jennifer Stultz of San Jose, who has volunteered to search for Sierra for several weeks. “I’m not giving up hope that we can bring her home safe. I believe she’s alive.”

http://www.morganhilltimes.com/news...cle_79b21232-a606-11e1-b858-0019bb30f31a.html

May 24 more @ link

Rochelle Torres, who knows Garcia Torres (the two are not related) from when they attended Central together, doesn’t believe police got the right suspect.

“He was a sweetheart,” said Torres, 20, who graduated from Central in 2010. “I don’t think he did it. If you had a problem he’d be there and talk to you. He was always there if you needed somebody to talk to.”

Outside of school, Garcia Torres “liked to work,” and spent a lot of time with his infant and girlfriend at the time.

“I would never have expected him to be any part of this,” Rochelle Torres said.

http://www.morganhilltimes.com/news...cle_d2cbe470-a605-11e1-a837-001a4bcf6878.html

May 24 more @ link

After a suspect was arrested in connection with the disappearance of 15-year-old Sierra LaMar, the community’s reaction has ranged from shock to relief to sorrow.

As news circulated that Antolin Garcia Torres, 21 of Morgan Hill, was arrested and charged Thursday with murder and kidnapping, students at Sobrato High School where Sierra was a sophomore, were shaken.

Sobrato junior *advertiser censored***** Lunn, 17, said Tuesday that the latest news has had a profound effect on the student body.

“A lot of people were broken down about it,” Lunn said. “There was actually a girl that left my first-period class crying. A lot of people were already emotionally shocked by this.”

http://www.mercurynews.com/ci_20703482/crime-scene-investigation-under-way-pleasanton

May 24 more @ link

Police are investigating a body, possibly that of a woman, found inside a trash can in an upscale Pleasanton neighborhood Thursday.

The age and gender of the body have not yet been positively determined by the Alameda County Coroner's Office, and police offered no immediate details.

 

[cluciano63]

He is very accurate in what he said, imo. He is saying nothing that a defense attorney isn't already going to say anyway, and nothing that a parent in Marlene and Steve's position (and at one time, Mark Klass's) isn't already thinking.

As far as where Mark Klaas thinks SL is....where did anyone think Elizabeth Smart was?

But no one had been arrested for Elizabeth's murder...

 

[cluciano63]

But how do they do that? There must be hundreds of fingerprints all around her home and room, etc. How do they pinpoint, "ah, these are hers."

From her toothbrush, her hairbrush, personal items, her laptop, etc...