Huckaby's Family Speaks

[poco]

How come they were even allowed in the church- IMO I would think it will still be considered a crime scene and cordoned off. I can't believe the police allowed a bunch of people to go traipsing around in there!

 

[roller26]

I take what Melissa's family says with a grain of salt. This is a PR exercise IMO.

Of course, they are well-spoken, they're preachers.

Respectfully snipped:

Great point! Hadn't thought of that. ITA it was probably the best PR strategy.

 

[Lola]

Respectfully snipped:

Great point! Hadn't thought of that. ITA it was probably the best PR strategy.

Exactly and of course she also has children.

 

[twinkiesmom]

I agree with you. That is appalling. It's a lack of respect for the victim. WTH did they do that for? They could have relocated, or even had the service on the lawn outside.

What were they thinking? :waitasec:

I think they were reclaiming the space as a house of God on the holiest day of the year. Not letting evil have its day. Makes sense to me.

 

[nursebeeme]

It was stated around noon Sunday by LE that the murder occurred in the church.
I would hope that the Lawless family was informed before the public announcement was made, since it involves property they probably own or are legally liable for.
I couldn't go back in the church, but I sense vibes at places where violent deaths have occurred, even when I didn't know about it before hand.

Maria

link please. I did not see this

 

[nursebeeme]

This family, as they stated, had not even spoken to police yet and they are in shock and disbelief. They have not even seen Melissa yet and cannot believe she could do this. I bet we all have persons in our extended families who have hit a rough patch but does that mean we should think they will go out and murder a child?

I personally am not ready to throw them under the bus for speaking out or even celebrating services in the church. Is there a link to the fact that LE stated the murder took place in the church? I did not see that. As macabre as it may seem where else were they to go?

I hope when Melissa does get to see her family she tells them the truth.

What a sad day.

 

[SeekingJana]

link please. I did not see this

This info can be found in the threads in several places.
Here's one link. http://www.mercurynews.com/ci_12128530?source=most_viewed
You can find many more by going to Google, and typing in " Sandra Cantu" + killed in church.
This was initially reported yesterday around noon although some sites are updating with today's date, as it is the latest case news.

Maria

 

[stilettos]

I wish that the media had never asked or published how the Chavez' and Cantus' are feeling to be so close to Melissa's relatives. We can only imagine how they feel, and for the media to sensationalize it like that is really in poor taste. I guess it comes with the territory. I wish a network would pay for Sandra's family to stay at a fancy hotel or to go to New York or whatever they want like some of these other family's get. URRGGG!

I thought that the statements were very well done. I agree with SeekingJana that there does seem to be some denial going on. I know it was the Easter Sunday Service, but considering the extreme nature of what has happened there... I don't think I would have been able to go if I were a member of the congregation. I'm not sure if I would ever be able to go back if it is determined that the crime occurred there.

I agree that the family was respectful in the media. I can say that my church would NEVER hold a service in the building or on the property of a recent child murder, it would be moved elsewhere. Even if it had to be in the parking lot with canopies borrowed from the funeral home. Surprised me. I was wondering what in the world was that Pastor thinking?

 

[nursebeeme]

but there was no Le statement...only speculation. The Tracy press reports:

Sheneman said investigators have no motive for the slaying. Police declined to say where or how the girl was allegedly killed, though investigators said they believed she died very soon after she was last seen.

http://www.tracypress.com/pages/full_story?page_label=home&id=2306852-An+Easter+like+none+other&widget=push&article-An%20Easter%20like%20none%20other%20=&instance=home_news_lead_story&open

Police in Tracy, California, believe 8-year-old Sandra Cantu was murdered in the church where her accused killer served as a Sunday school teacher, according to CBS News

http://cbs13.com/local/sandra.cantu.2.983230.html

Unless there is another presser announcing something different than what they said saturday...that they knew where she was killed but would not disclose it.... I think that cbs report may have been speculation.

Not to say that it is uncorrect speculation but LE has released things thus far thru pressers and not leaks to the media. I also couldn't find anything on LE saying this at fox40 that has covered this case or KRON.

Add to that the family hadn't even spoken to police yet.

 

[Curious Wine]

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 ?

 

[nursebeeme]

seekingjana, what I really meant to say with the links above is that HOW, without having even spoken to law enforcement yet, could the family know the murder had been committed in the church? They couldn't even wrap their heads around the fact that their daughter did it....

They seemed in shock to me... and did what they do.... have church and pray.

Once all the details come out to them they themselves might be physically ill about the whole Easter Sunday thing...

My thoughts and prayers are with all the families. This is just horrible!

 

[elle1919]

I think it was very inappropriate to have Easter service at the church where the little girl was murdered. With so few members they could have had it somewhere else or just cancelled. I don't really see why the media wants some sort of statement from an alledged murderers family in the first place. What can they really say to make any difference at all since they didn't do the crime.

I really have to read up on how to maneuver around this website because I would have liked to have quoted a lot of other posts. txvicki, I soooo agree with you! I am going to be hung up by my toenails I am sure but I am really shocked by a lot of the posts in this thread.

I think it was totally inappropriate for the family of Melissa H. to be speaking to the press right now. I feel so so so horrified for the Cantu family that I want to write them a personal letter of apology. This little girl was murdered, murdered! Tracy police are leading the public to believe that she was murdered in the church...I am shocked that this family held services there. How disrepectful to the Cantu family! I would not step foot in that church. And how do you not know that your family member was capable of such an atrocity! It is just as unbelievable to me that the members of the Anthony family didn't know their daughter is a lying, murdering, sociopath.

Look I am not saying that the family members of Huckaby should be prosecuted....but something was obviously going on in that church and in that family. IN MY OPINION....and I am entitled to that....these people should not have come out on national tv to say such things as.....this is so unlike Melissa, she was such a kind mother, etc. etc. etc. What she was does not matter to me anymore, what she did matters....she took the life out of a beautiful, lively, child! She killed her and then stuffed her in a suitcase and dumped her in a retention pond. Then she called Sandra's mother to tell her that her suitcase was stolen on the day Sandra went missing! Sick.

I am sorry but I have no sympathy for Melissa H, her family should have waited for the pain of the Cantu family to subside just a bit.....if thats even possible....before they go on tv to do damage control for their church and for their family. My opinion only!

 

[gliving]

How come they were even allowed in the church- IMO I would think it will still be considered a crime scene and cordoned off. I can't believe the police allowed a bunch of people to go traipsing around in there!

That's what I was wondering! Thanks poco.

 

[Kat]

Last night, as I laid down and couldn't fall asleep, I thought of not only Sandra and her family, but of the Lawless family too.

I tried to put myself in their shoes. How would I feel if my own child, cousin, sister had commited such an atrocity?

I couldn't quite go there because it was too painful for me to imagine. I know myself, and know that I would until my last breath ask myself over and over, what could I have done to prevent this? What did I do wrong? What did I not see?

As far as the church service, I don't have an opinion one way or another. I do doubt that the Lawless family has followed media coverage for some reason, and I don't think LE would have shared that information if proved factual with their family. I do think, that they went to the place where they could find guidence and comfort for themselves and I was thankful to hear that they mentioned Sandra and her family in their words.

I am reserving my anger, my disgust for the one that is under arrest right now. JMHO

 

[wfgodot]

Whatever may turn out to be the case in re: the church as the site of the crime, the police have shown great interest in searching it multiple times.

I recall, on other threads, posts in which various people felt they could read into the looks and words of the pastor and his wife, guilt and participation. It became a witch-hunt, in effect, based merely on the feeling that, somehow, one can judge by appearances alone. This is not good sleuthing.

 

[SeriouslySearching]

Last night, as I laid down and couldn't fall asleep, I thought of not only Sandra and her family, but of the Lawless family too.

I tried to put myself in their shoes. How would I feel if my own child, cousin, sister had commited such an atrocity?

I couldn't quite go there because it was too painful for me to imagine. I know myself, and know that I would until my last breath ask myself over and over, what could I have done to prevent this? What did I do wrong? What did I not see?

As far as the church service, I don't have an opinion one way or another. I do doubt that the Lawless family has followed media coverage for some reason, and I don't think LE would have shared that information if proved factual with their family. I do think, that they went to the place where they could find guidence and comfort for themselves and I was thankful to hear that they mentioned Sandra and her family in their words.

I am reserving my anger, my disgust for the one that is under arrest right now. JMHO

(Bolded by me) It is exactly what Pastor Lawless said they had spent the past day or so asking themselves in private conversations. It was at the end of the short CBS video for those who need a link...it is located on the media thread.

I understand the anger towards Melissa because I am angry, too. I agree with you, Kat.

This family has not done anything remotely akin to the A fam in any way. They are not covering up, spewing her lies as truth, or saying she could not have killed Sandra. They are supporting Pastor Lawless, his wife, her father, and the rest of the family, imo. They are not throwing other people under the bus nor do I expect them to go down this road.

 

[Kat]

I did not know that SS, thank you.

 

[Columbo]

The Huckaby family has now given a new picture of Melissa to the media to show on tv. I couldn't find a link to the picture, but they showed it on KRON-TV this a.m.

I interpret this as being the family's attempt to show people that Melissa isn't really the monster she appears to be in her mug shot. Trying to see it from their point of view, I guess I can understand, at least right now when they are still in shock and denial.

Yesterday, Easter morning, I don't think the Huckabys (or Lawlesses) knew for sure that the church was where Sandra was killed. I don't think that info had come out yet, but they must have known it was the site of so many searches. That in itself would have made me too squeamish and upset to go into the church.

 

[MCDRAW]

I take what Melissa's family says with a grain of salt. This is a PR exercise IMO.

Of course, they are well-spoken, they're preachers. Surely they are in shock, but they are also in denial and when the dust clears they wil be in court supporting Melissa and trying to get her the best deal -- lightest sentence possible....too bad for the Cantu's they don't get that. They have lost their daughter and no matter what happens now, they are the losers.

I'm sure they are in shock and denial. You never want to believe someone you love is capable of such things. My brother is a drug addict and a thief. When he is arrested, we don't bail him out, we don't hire him attorneys. But people have still gotten angry with us because we do go to court with him, we accept phone calls and even send him money so he can buy soap, shampoo,toothpaste, underwear, etc. We love him. We know exactly what he is and we hate it, but we love him. Sandra's family will never fully recover. I really don't think it's fair to lump all of Melissa's family in with her. I'm sure they raised her to the best of their ability and they love her. Everybody has choices and she made hers. I hope she never sees the light of day again.

 

[waltzingmatilda]

The Huckaby family has now given a new picture of Melissa to the media to show on tv. I couldn't find a link to the picture, but they showed it on KRON-TV this a.m.

I interpret this as being the family's attempt to show people that Melissa isn't really the monster she appears to be in her mug shot. Trying to see it from their point of view, I guess I can understand, at least right now when they are still in shock and denial.

Yesterday, Easter morning, I don't think the Huckabys (or Lawlesses) knew for sure that the church was where Sandra was killed. I don't think that info had come out yet, but they must have known it was the site of so many searches. That in itself would have made me too squeamish and upset to go into the church.

I saw the pic on the Today Show this am. It was a much more attractive image than the mug shot.

I wonder how many attended services at the church yesterday morning. I would have chosen an alternative place of worship, but that's just me.