Huckaby's Family Speaks

[elle1919]

I am not taking up for MH, but we should remember that she has only been arrested not tried and convicted. If she is guilty her family has never seen this side of her nor suspected her of doing anything like this. They are only expressing their shock and if it were my son or daughter I would do the same. They don't want her convicted in the media before they can show the side of her they know. IMO

If it were my son or daughter I would not be speaking out right now. I would be praying and trying to understand what my child was accused of. My interests would be in the Cantu family and the horror that they must be feeling. I would be willing to bet that Sandra's mother woke up this morning wishing she could have just one more day with her daughter. I am sickened that Sandra is a victim of Melissa H.

I also trust Law Enforcement and believe with my whole heart that they have charged the correct person for the crime against this child so I have no problem voicing my disgust over what she did. But, these are just my personal feelings and I don't expect anyone else to feel the way I do. I love websleuths because there are so many people with so many different outlooks and opinions. I don't expect everyone to agree with me and probably wouldn't read here as often if they did!:innocent:

 

[Columbo]

From what I have seen of the story, I seem to recall when they were focusing on Pastor Lawless, someone from the church had said, attend our church, and you will see Pastor Lawless is a wonderful man,yet, an interview was made with one of the neighbors. The neighbor said that they had once attempted to attend church there, and were not made to feel very welcome,and made to feel very uncomfortable! Lawless lives in the same mobile home park as these people and Sandra Cantu's family, yet he speaks to none of his neighbors. Shouldn't a pastor be extending a friendly hand ?So, what's the deal ? If this is all true, no wonder the church has such a small congregation. With such a small group, how can they even afford to keep the church open ?

I totally agree with all that you say.
People have stated that there were never many cars in the church parking lot. Makes me wonder how they kept it going.

 

[LaLaw2000]

I have no idea what the pastor was thinking, stiletto's, but I do not understand having a service there either.

This morning when I looked at the video's of the family speaking, I immediately thought that the family was doing PR and damage control. Now is not the time to do that, IMO.

As for MH's 'rough patch' in her life, she created that rough patch meaning that she committed crimes. Now, I had no sympathy for George and Cindy making excuses for Casey. I recall reading here in more than a couple of posts that the family had to know that MH needed help. Yet she was placed in a position of trust in that church. Why did the family not get the help for MH that she so clearly needed?

I do not agree with not one, but 2 video's of MH's family being on TV (tape) trying to soften the image of a child killer who dumped her victim into putrid waters in a suitcase. It is what it is - a senseless murder of an innocent child. MH's family, IMO, could have waited until Sandra's family had her funeral and Memorial Service before before coming out in the public and saying how sweet MH was and that she had so much patience with children. I think this whole thing might have added insult to injury as another poster stated.

The victim here is Sandra. Not MH's poor family!! We do not know this family or how sincere they may or may not have been. PR and damage control, IMO.

 

[elle1919]

I have no idea what the pastor was thinking, stiletto's, but I do not understand having a service there either.

This morning when I looked at the video's of the family speaking, I immediately thought that the family was doing PR and damage control. Now is not the time to do that, IMO.

As for MH's 'rough patch' in her life, she created that rough patch meaning that she committed crimes. Now, I had no sympathy for George and Cindy making excuses for Casey. I recall reading here in more than a couple of posts that the family had to know that MH needed help. Yet she was placed in a position of trust in that church. Why did the family not get the help for MH that she so clearly needed?

I do not agree with not one, but 2 video's of MH's family being on TV (tape) trying to soften the image of a child killer who dumped her victim into putrid waters in a suitcase. It is what it is - a senseless murder of an innocent child. MH's family, IMO, could have waited until Sandra's family had her funeral and Memorial Service before before coming out in the public and saying how sweet MH was and that she had so much patience with children. I think this whole thing might have added insult to injury as another poster stated.

The victim here is Sandra. Not MH's poor family!! We do not know this family or how sincere they may or may not have been. PR and damage control, IMO.

Exactly how I feel and you made the same point I have been trying to get to all day.

 

[SeriouslySearching]

If her family had not spoken out...the press would be hounding them relentlessly (which they probably are anyway). I take it the rest of the family who was present in the video and attended services do not live in the area so they probably felt it was neccessary to speak while they were there. I can't blame them for the timing since Easter sunday happened to pop up so soon after the arrest.

I have seen the affects on a murderer's family and the way they are treated first hand. They didn't have any part in the murder and were horrified by the actions of their family member...yet people treated them equally as guilty. The open taunts, the horrific things people said to even the children, and the way they were shunned was so shocking to me.

 

[LaLaw2000]

Exactly how I feel and you made the same point I have been trying to get to all day.

Thanks, and I am so glad that LE and the FBI do not allow emotions to interfere with their jobs. The video's were emotions speaking out. I just had rather not seen her family on video trying to 'soften' the image of a child killer!

JMO, JMO.

 

[SeriouslySearching]

I don't feel they did any such thing! They were only saying it was the person they knew and they didn't recognize the other side of Melissa. They are in shock over this whole thing and it is all they said, imo. They were not perpetuating her lies or trying to cover up for what she has been charged with doing to Sandra.

 

[goofeegyrl]

If her family had not spoken out...the press would be hounding them relentlessly (which they probably are anyway). I take it the rest of the family who was present in the video and attended services do not live in the area so they probably felt it was neccessary to speak while they were there. I can't blame them for the timing since Easter sunday happened to pop up so soon after the arrest.

I have seen the affects on a murderer's family and the way they are treated first hand. They didn't have any part in the murder and were horrified by the actions of their family member...yet people treated them equally as guilty. The open taunts, the horrific things people said to even the children, and the way they were shunned was so shocking to me.

I wholeheartedly agree. While it is the Chavez family and Mr. Cantu (I am not sure if he has family, but certainly they are included here too if that is the case) that are the ones with the great loss here, the Lawless family are victims here too. And, they needed to make a statement, otherwise today's 24/7 media would have been making even more of a spectacle of it all. They were very respectful, saying it was not the time or place to talk about Melissa, that it was time to pray for Sandra and her family. From what I recall, they just said it was a difficult time for them and that they were in shock, they never tried to say anything about Melissa that was contrary to what has been reported, except that it was not the person they knew, which I am sure is the case.

That said, this is a very emotional case for everyone, including the general public, and we all have a right to our emotions and opinions about it.

 

[Columbo]

I don't feel they did any such thing! They were only saying it was the person they knew and they didn't recognize the other side of Melissa. They are in shock over this whole thing and it is all they said, imo. They were not perpetuating her lies or trying to cover up for what she has been charged with doing to Sandra.

I tend to agree with you, as long as they don't continue to defend her when the truth becomes obvious to them, and it has to, at some point. I know she is their sister, aunt, daughter, so they will love her no matter what.

 

[LaLaw2000]

I am certainly not saying that MH's family should not love her and stand by her.

 

[MCDRAW]

I really wished I was a member of a family where no one ever did anything wrong. From what I have read on this website guilt by association is a real thing. I already knew it was real but I kind of thought it was just a small town mentality. There are six kids in my family. One brother is a drug addict and thief. The other five of us are law abiding, hard working, members of Society. Yet, some people look down on my whole family because one brother made and still makes wrong choices. We have nothing to do with those choices. MH's family had nothing to do with her choices either. In my opinion that is what is wrong with this generation of kids, it's never their fault...it's their parents.

 

[SuziQ]

I don't feel they did any such thing! They were only saying it was the person they knew and they didn't recognize the other side of Melissa. They are in shock over this whole thing and it is all they said, imo. They were not perpetuating her lies or trying to cover up for what she has been charged with doing to Sandra.

ITA SS. The Lawless family is not stating that Melissa didn't this, they are merely stating that they are shocked that the Melissa they knew could be capable of this crime. I do not see any indication at this point that the Lawless family is "defending" Melissa.

And the Lawless family took it further. They thanked LE for treating them graciously during the investigation and wanted the truth to come out no matter what that truth is. IMO, Haleigh and Caylee's families could learn a thing or to from this.

 

[SeriouslySearching]

The A fam has shown us the absolute wrong way to handle things, imo. I still harbor ill feelings towards what they have done and continue to do. They will have to live with the fallout from their own actions.

The Lawless family has not done anything in comparison nor do I expect them to rush to Melissa's defense when the evidence is presented. I think they will be respectful of Sandra's memory and her family instead. I guess time will tell what kind of people they truly are on the inside.

 

[SuziQ]

I tend to agree with you, as long as they don't continue to defend her when the truth becomes obvious to them, and it has to, at some point. I know she is their sister, aunt, daughter, so they will love her no matter what.

Unless I missed something, I haven't heard the Lawless family state that Melinda is not responsible or could not have commited this crime. The only type of defense I see is that they didn't know Melissa was capable of killing a child. Now info could come out to prove that wrong. I'm not seeing it yet. The only thing I see is a family who's confused and looking for answers of their own.

 

[JDB]

The A fam has shown us the absolute wrong way to handle things, imo. I still harbor ill feelings towards what they have done and continue to do. They will have to live with the fallout from their own actions.

The Lawless family has not done anything in comparison nor do I expect them to rush to Melissa's defense when the evidence is presented. I think they will be respectful of Sandra's memory and her family instead. I guess time will tell what kind of people they truly are on the inside.

You know SS I am amazed that people are saying the Lawless fanily are not victims here also. I have not seen anything saying Melissa is innocent. I guess people are forgetting one thing . A families love is unconditional. How many times has our own kids done something we did not like. Does not mean we do not love them anymore
I forone have a step son that served 3 years for something he did in his teens . Was in the Calif. youth auth. Did not mean I quit loving him. But I never defended him for his actions.

 

[jblfelines]

We have heard from the Lawless family, which is Melissa's father's family. Where is her Mother and the Maternal family? She was living with her Paternal Grandparents.

 

[SeriouslySearching]

Excellent question, JBL.

 

[TripleA]

While I do not see the Lawless family as victims yet, I imagine that with the line of thinking that they are guilty somehow for speaking to the media and expressing condolences for Sandra's family, they could easily become victims. If LE is corect, and MH acted alone, then her family has every right to be treated with respect and not be treated as criminals.

I have been deemed guilty by association many times in my younger days, obviously not involving crimes as serious as murder, but I still know the feeling of being scrutinized and shunned based on the actions of a person I loved. Not fun.

Once again I find myself feeling the need to defend the innocent bystanders who seem to be accused and found guilty without any evidence required. How many people had their own thread? How many of them were accused of committing this heinous crime? How many of them had their lives picked apart? How many of them are sitting behind bars?

There is a fine line between sleuthing and smearing. Until any other member of the Lawless family is accused, tried and convicted, I will continue to feel pain for them as well as for Sandra's family. Don't you think that many of MH's family and friends are feeling guilty right now, and wondering what they could have done differently? Don't you think that they are feeling sadness because there is now a little girl in their family without a mother? No, it is not the exact same guilt and pain as Sandra's family isprobably feeling right now, but IMO it is just as valid.

 

[LaLaw2000]

The Lawless family is not guilty by association. All I have been saying is that just in MY own personal opinion, MH's family did not have to put out on national media that MH is sweet and has such patience with children. Sandra's family did not need to hear all of this from MH's family at this time. I am not bashing MH's family. I am just disagreeing with how they have spoken out when Sandra's family is still in such shock from losing her to murder. If Sandra had been MY child, I would not have wanted to see MH's family on TV making statements of how sweet Melissa was! JMO

 

[elle1919]

You know SS I am amazed that people are saying the Lawless fanily are not victims here also. I have not seen anything saying Melissa is innocent. I guess people are forgetting one thing . A families love is unconditional. How many times has our own kids done something we did not like. Does not mean we do not love them anymore
I forone have a step son that served 3 years for something he did in his teens . Was in the Calif. youth auth. Did not mean I quit loving him. But I never defended him for his actions.

I do not consider the Lawless family victims. Do you think they feel like the victim? There is no shame in loving their daughter, sister, grandaughter or however she is categorized by them. A families love should be unconditional. My posts in regards to this matter are that I feel it is not the proper time for Melissa's family to be doing damage control. I watched a 6 minute interview this morning where her family was saying what a loving mother she was and that the Melissa they knew WAS NOT capable of the crime she is being accused of. IN MY OPINION that lessens the culpability of the perpetrator of the crime. The Tracy police department arrested this woman for murder, I have faith in them and our judicial system and there will be a proper time for character statements about this woman to be given. It hurt my heart to imagine Sandra's mother watching tv this morning and perhaps seeing the same 6 minute interview that I watched. Her daughter is gone and won't be coming home ever again.