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Huckaby's Family Speaks On Arrest In Cantu Case
Granduncle Of Accused Is Pastor At Salinas Church
POSTED: 6:54 pm PDT April 11, 2009
UPDATED: 6:54 pm PDT April 11, 2009
<snipped>
Pastor Dewayne Harris is Huckaby's granduncle and a pastor at the Alisal Baptist Church in Salinas.
"He's OK. He's taking it hard of course," Harris said. "What do you do? Your 28-year-old daughter she winds up arrested."

He described her as a sweet girl, though quiet -- a big contrast to the picture painted by Huckaby's mug shot and the video of her being taken away by Tracy police early Saturday morning.
"I'm not relieved that it's a member of my family that's been arrested, but I am relieved that maybe they're getting close to closing the case," Harris said.

A public memorial service will be held at 1 p.m. Thursday at the Merrill F. West High School gym, which seats about 2,500 people.

Anyone wishing to reach Cantu's family may route condolences to the Tracy Police Department, which has assigned a liaison to work with relatives. Those wishing to make donations of money in the girl's memory are being asked to contact the Carole Sund/Carrington Foundation.

IMAGE: The FBI on Friday searched this small shed on the grounds of Clover Road Baptist Church.
http://www.kcra.com/image/19152744/detail.html

IMAGE: Melissa Huckaby
http://www.kcra.com/image/19155229/detail.html

Video: Tracy Police Discuss Arrest In Cantu Case
http://www.kcra.com/video/19156628/index.html

Video: Pastor's Granddaughter Arrested In Cantu's Death
http://www.kcra.com/video/19156380/index.html

Video: Thursday Memorial Planned For Sandra Cantu
http://www.kcra.com/video/19143729/index.html

Video: Home Videos Of Sandra Cantu
http://www.kcra.com/video/19081103/index.html

Article:
http://www.kcra.com/news/19158174/detail.html
 
Motive for Sandra Cantu's Murder a Mystery as Sunday School Teacher Charged
<snipped>
He said there are no other suspects in Sandra's murder and no other arrests will be made. He said detectives know where the crime took place, but he wouldn't say where.

Huckaby was taken into custody at 11:15 p.m. Friday night after a police interview, Sheneman said. She is being held without bail in the San Joaquin County Jail on charges she kidnapped and killed the second-grader. An arraignment is set for Tuesday.

She is on suicide watch in an observation cell, police said, and she is refusing to see visitors.

"(Huckaby) gave enough information to us during the course of the interview that probable cause was there to arrest her," Sheneman said, declining to say whether Huckaby confessed to the crime.

During the interrogation, Huckaby initially appeared "calm, cool, collected" but then became agitated and emotional, according to the sergeant. Later, she switched back to being calm, he said.

Article:
http://www.myfoxorlando.com/dpp/new...stery_as_Sunday_School_Teacher_Charged_861274
******************************************************************
Tracy Woman Arrested In Cantu Murder Case
Posted: 10:43 pm PDT April 9, 2009
Updated: 6:45 pm PDT April 11, 2009
<snipped>
Sheneman could not confirm that the killing happened at the mobile home park or if drugs were involved. He added that police had talked with Huckaby twice prior to Friday night.

&#8220;(Police focused on her because of) the fact that a lot of the statements she made to the Tracy Press were inconsistent with statements she had made to us in the initial canvas (by police of all the mobile home residents) and a short interview we had had with her earlier,&#8221; Sheneman said.

Local investigators and FBI technicians had seized Huckaby&#8217;s Kia SUV earlier in the week and meticulously searched it. Evidence teams had also searched the grounds of the church where her grandfather, Lane Lawless, is the pastor. Police were back at the church on Friday afternoon.

VIDEO: Huckaby Was Unlikely Suspect In Cantu Murder [Ken Pritchett]
http://www.ktvu.com/video/19158226/index.html

VIDEO: Residents Shocked At Identity Of Suspected Killer [Maureen Naylor]
http://www.ktvu.com/video/19158116/index.html

VIDEO: Highlights Of Tracy Police Saturday 10 a.m. News Conference On Huckaby Arrest
http://www.ktvu.com/video/19156648/index.html

VIDEO: Video Of Melissa Huckaby Being Taken To Jail
http://www.ktvu.com/video/19155633/index.html

SLIDESHOW: Images Of Missing Tracy 8-Year-Old Girl
http://www.ktvu.com/slideshow/news/19068177/detail.html

SLIDESHOW: A Town Prays For A Little Girl's Return
http://www.ktvu.com/slideshow/news/19065189/detail.html

Article:
http://www.ktvu.com/news/19144730/detail.html
******************************************************************
Slain girl's family express 'shock and disbelief' at neighbor's arrest
updated 6:30 p.m. EDT, Sat April 11, 2009
<snipped>
Asked whether authorities believe Sandra's death was planned, Sheneman said the question is "not something I can answer right now" but "we do have an indication." He said authorities have found where they believe the girl was killed, but would not divulge that location to reporters.
"I couldn't begin to theorize what her motive is," Sheneman said of Huckaby.

Huckaby was booked into the San Joaquin County Jail about 3:25 a.m. (6:25 a.m. ET), according to the county sheriff's Web site. She is set to appear in court Tuesday.

Police took Huckaby into custody about 11:15 p.m. Friday (2:15 a.m. ET Saturday), Sheneman said, but she chose to continue talking with them for more than two hours.

Authorities told Sandra's family of the arrest about 2:15 a.m. local time, he said. "They were in disbelief."

VIDEO: Sandra Cantu Investigation 1:22
http://www.cnn.com/2009/CRIME/04/11/california.girl.arrest/index.html?eref=ib_topstories#cnnSTCVideo

Article:
http://www.cnn.com/2009/CRIME/04/11/california.girl.arrest/index.html?eref=ib_topstories
******************************************************************
Family And Community Reacts to Cantu Murder Arrest
April 12, 2009
<snipped>
"We want to know why," said Angie Chavez, Sandra Cantu's aunt. It has been an emotional rollercoaster for the little girl's family. "If you imagine the worst possible loss that you've ever had, multiply it times ten and you might be kind of close to how we're feeling," said Chavez.


Chavez and her husband Joe Chavez say they have no idea why someone would kill an innocent child. Sandra's accused killer is Melissa Huckaby, a 28 year old mother and Sunday school teacher.

"She had to know what she was doing. She's a Sunday school teacher. What's the sixth commandment? Thou shall not kill. Come on, she taught it right?" said Joe Chavez, Sandra's uncle.

Article:
http://www.fox40.com/pages/landing_...acts-to-Cantu-Mur=1&blockID=264239&feedID=190
 
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090412/ap_on_re_us/girl_in_suitcase

FBI statistics show women are involved in just 7 percent of murders of any sort. Solo killings of children by women are even more unusual.
"It's very unusual for women to be involved in an abduction and murder of a child," said Candice DeLong, a retired FBI profiler based in San Francisco. "Sometimes we see this when the woman is working with a male partner. It does not appear to be the case this time. But this was not a sexually motivated crime."
 
http://www.mercurynews.com/topstories/ci_12128530


Updated: 04/12/2009 04:12:22 PM


The family of Melissa Huckaby preached of healing and forgiveness as they led an Easter service in their tiny Tracy church today, speaking for the first time about the 28-year-old murder suspect and the death of Sandra Cantu.

"People think we're going on business as usual," said Brett Lawless, Huckaby's uncle who delivered the sermon. "Nothing will be as usual after the events of the last 10 days. Not for the community, not for the church, not for our immediate family and certainly not for the family of Sandra Cantu."
Click to expand...
 
http://abclocal.go.com/kgo/story?section=news/local/east_bay&id=6757406

Sandra Cantu's family speaks out


By Amy Hollyfield

TRACY, CA (KGO) -- Sandra Cantu's relatives say it's tough to hear the suspect's family speak out on behalf of Melissa Huckaby.

SIGN-UP: Get breaking news sent to you

Sandra Cantu's mother and grandparents live at the mobile home park, and her aunt and uncle are staying there.
Story continues below
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They're still in shock about the arrest, knowing that the suspect's family is out also giving press conferences, and that is tough for them.

"Of course everybody believes their son or daughter is innocent of stuff in life you know if she did it she did it let the police dept determine if she did it," said Sandra Cantu's uncle Joe Chavez.

Chavez and his wife Angie spoke to reporters shortly after the Lawless family spoke. They live in Stockton, but they are helping Sandra's mother grieve.

They are staying in Sandra's home, which is just five doors down from the home of the accused killer.

"I want to go over there and beat the crap out of those people but I'm not going to do that, I'm going to hold back and let the law do its job," said Chavez.

Sandra's relatives want to clear out that even though Sandra played with the suspected killer's daughter, the mothers are not friends. They say they are all just as curious about the motives, and they won't probably hear that until the trial.

The Lawless family said today that they are praying for Sandra and Sandra's family.

Sandra's aunt said prayers are always nice, but it's hard to accept it from them.

Public Grieving Place:
Fry Memorial Chapel
550 South Central Avenue
Tracy, CA
Hours: 10-4 on Saturday, Sunday and Monday

Public Service for Sandra Cantu:
Thursday, April 16, 2009
1 p.m. - People are asked to arrive early since there will be limited parking
Merrill F. West High School
1775 West Lowell Avenue
Tracy, CA

The reward for information leading to an arrest in Sandra's case has risen to over $30,000.

Anyone with information is urged to call the Tracy Police at: 1-209-831-6TIP
 
http://abcnews.go.com/TheLaw/Story?id=7321954&page=2

No Known Motive in Teacher's Accused Slaying of Sandra Cantu
Families of Sandra Cantu and Accused Murderer Say They Are Shocked at Arrest of One of Their Own

Monday, April 13, 2009

This article gives information provided by those who knew Melissa H. on her life before the murder of Sandra, not a lot of info but worth a look.
 
Huckaby Remains Under Suicide Watch

TRACY, CA - The suspect in Sandra Cantu's murder, Sunday school teacher Melissa Huckaby, faces arraignment Tuesday on kidnap and murder charges.

Huckaby's relatives who was jailed on suspicion of killing the 8-year-old Tracy girl said the accusations against her do not sound like the person they know.

Melissa Huckaby's uncle Brett Lawless read a statement to reporters Sunday outside the Orchard Estates mobile home park where 8-year-old Sandra Cantu was last seen alive.

"We know that the information we've been given regarding the charges against Melissa Huckaby are completely out of character for her," he said. "We know that the (Cantu) family and the community have a great many questions -- and so do we."

~snip~


"We know that the church property has been the focus of some of the investigation and we are distressed that at the possibility that such a tragedy might have happened in a place of worship," Brett Lawless said.

But Melissa Huckaby's aunt Joni Hughes said the family had no indication from authorities that Sandra's murder happened on church grounds.

"We're very, very shocked. It's very out of character for Melissa. We love her dearly," a shaken Hughes said. Hughes described Huckaby as a "fantastic mother, very loving. It's just a great sadness for our family."

The family left the press conference and went to their nearby church. After the Easter service, Huckaby's father Brian Lawless spoke with the media about the charges facing his daughter.

"I have no idea how she got to this point," said Brian Lawless. "It is so out of character for everything before these past few days. I just really don't know how it came to this."

http://www.news10.net/news/local/story.aspx?storyid=57695&catid=2 (Bolded by me)
 
http://www.ktvu.com/news/19167988/detail.html#-

Prosecutors Consider Rape Charge; Death Penalty Possible

Posted: 11:25 am PDT April 13, 2009Updated: 1:20 pm PDT April 13, 2009
TRACY, Calif. -- Prosecutors Monday said they were considering rape and molestation allegations in murder of an 8-year-old Tracy girl, charges that could carry with them a possible death sentence.

Melissa Huckaby, 28, has been arrested on suspicion of kidnapping and murdering Sandra Cantu. She was being held without bail in the San Joaquin County jail awaiting her Tuesday arraignment.

San Joaquin County Deputy District Attorney Robert Himmelblau told The Associated Press Monday that a homicide charge against Huckaby could also include the special circumstances of rape with a foreign object, lewd and lacivious conduct with a child and murder in the course of a kidnapping.

Meanwhile, the Tracy Press has reported that Huckaby was under a suicide watch.

On Sunday, Huckaby's relatives said they still did not know why investigators suspect her of the crime. The family also said jail officials had denied their repeated requests to visit Huckaby, and that they have not spoken to her since the arrest.

Huckaby&#8217;s grandfather, Pastor Clifford Lawless of the Clover Road Baptist Church, spoke with residents and others Sunday outside the mobile home park where Cantu lived.

About 20 parishioners and an equal number of reporters filled the church's small, tidy sanctuary. Clifford Lawless and others offered prayers for Sandra's family.

Some churchgoers cried as Huckaby's uncle, 45-year-old Brett Lawless of Lakewood, gave a sermon preaching that faith was the only way to weather hardship.

"How can you look at a circumstance like this and have any hope for the future? I tell you, because I know who God is," he said.

The scene at churches that dot the rural community was similarly emotional.

About 400 parishioners, including members of the Cantu family, packed into the cafeteria of a local high school to hear Journey Christian Church Pastor Scott McFarland's Easter sermon.

Journey was one of more than a dozen local churches that mobilized its members on Sunday to pray and fast for the Cantu family. McFarland sent a special message to the Cantu family that, like Christ, Sandra's spirit had risen to heaven.

"Jesus is out of the tomb and Sandra is too," McFarland told The Associated Press after the sermon. "She's not in a grave, she's not in a suitcase. She's in heaven and celebrating the best Easter ever."

Meanwhile, Cantu&#8217;s family continued to wrestle with the emotions and grief her murder has churned up.

Sandra's uncle, Joe Chavez, said the arrest of his sister's neighbor had allowed some of his rage toward Huckaby's family to surface.

"I want to go over there and beat the crap out of those people, but I'm not going to do that," he said. "I just want to vent my anger but it's not in me."

The arrest sent shockwaves through the rural community where hundreds had searched for the missing girl just a week ago.

&#8220;Just about everyone we have ever spoken to has wished us well -- wished us luck in getting the guy who did this -- the monster who would do this,&#8221; said Police Sgt. Tony Sheneman. &#8220;Finding out -- one that it is a woman who is responsible for Sandra&#8217;s kidnapping and murder and then finding out it is a member of the community is another blow.&#8221;

&#8220;Finding out that it was someone Sandra&#8217;s family knew is a double blow. Our community will start to heal at some point. Today is going to be a very difficult day for everyone to be able to digest it,&#8221; Sheneman said.

Police Chief Janet Thiessen was visibly emotional when she told reporters of the arrest early Saturday and that information led investigators to believe Cantu was already dead by the time she was reported missing on March 27.

"I thank you (the media) for putting as much attention on this particular situation as you have; it has helped us bring Sandra home.

Again not in the way we would have hoped, but that was out of our hands shortly after she went missing,&#8221; Thiessen said.

"This is a terrible, terrible tragedy -- an act against a child," the chief added.

Meanwhile, the family of the slain girl set up a public memorial to her at Tracy&#8217;s Fry Memorial Chapel on Friday where local residents had the opportunity to leave their condolences and written thoughts about the young girl.

A public memorial service for Sandra Cantu is set for next Thursday, April 16, at 1 p.m. at West High School in Tracy.

Copyright 2009 by KTVU.com. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
 
Rape may be alleged in Sandra Cantu killing

TRACY, Calif. (AP) -- Prosecutors say they're considering rape and molestation allegations against the woman suspected of killing an 8-year-old Northern California girl and putting her body in a suitcase.

Twenty-eight-year-old Melissa Huckaby has been arrested on suspicion of kidnapping and murdering Sandra Cantu.

San Joaquin County Deputy District Attorney Robert Himmelblau told The Associated Press Monday that a homicide charge against Huckaby could also include the special circumstances of rape with a foreign object, lewd and lacivious conduct with a child and murder in the course of a kidnapping.

http://abclocal.go.com/kfsn/story?section=news/state&id=6755834
 
There is a new video of Melissa's dad and grandmother speaking to the press after their first visit with Melissa. It is also reported that she is no longer on suicide watch.

http://cbs13.com/video/?cid=6
 
http://www.recordnet.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20090413/A_NEWS/90413008

High-profile DA to prosecute suspect in Tracy girl&#8217;s slaying

A San Joaquin County deputy district attorney who has put two murderers on California&#8217;s death row said today he&#8217;ll prosecute Melissa Huckaby, a Tracy woman suspected of killing 8-year-old Sandra Cantu.

Prosecutor Thomas Testa said that in Tuesday&#8217;s court hearing &#8211; Huckaby&#8217;s first in this case since her Friday arrest &#8211; he will make a motion for the judge to issue a gag order.
 
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