GUILTY NY - Laura Garza, 25, Manhattan, 3 December 2008

[Wisteria]

I have been following this case for the past year and a half. I am glad the family will now have closure. I pray for the truth to come out.

 

[BeanE]

Michael Baden to do Laura's autopsy

Pathologist doing autopsy on remains of Laura Garza
Published: 2:00 AM - 04/30/10

One of America’s most accomplished forensic pathologists Thursday began studying the remains of Laura Garza, the 25-year-old Brooklyn woman whose remains were identified this week.

Dr. Michael Baden, a consultant to the state police and former chief New York City medical examiner, is conducting the autopsy at Albany Medical Center. The procedure could yield clues to the cause of her death.

http://www.recordonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20100430/NEWS/100429467/-1/SITEMAP

 

[BeanE]

05/03/2010 10:21 PM
Vigil Held For Missing Woman Last Seen At Manhattan Club

Article with video:
http://www.ny1.com/5-manhattan-news...for-missing-woman-last-seen-at-manhattan-club

 

[Texas Mist]

MIDDLETOWN, N.Y. (AP) — Two years after a Valley woman living in New York City disappeared after leaving a nightclub with a registered sex offender, the prime suspect in her death has yet to be charged.

http://www.brownsvilleherald.com/articles/middletown-120141-nyc-valley.html

 

[Texas Mist]

Michael Mele, no one forgot about Laura.

The prime suspect in the death of a Brooklyn woman two years ago will finally be indicted in connection with her disappearance, a published report said today.
......................
According to the Record Online, the Orange Country District Attorney will hold a press conference Wednesday to provide an update on the case, and the news report says Mele will be indicted in her death.

more here

http://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/loca...-Death-Will-Be-Indicted-Report-111478299.html

 

[Texas Mist]

Published: 12:03 PM - 12/08/10
Last updated: 12:11 PM - 12/08/10
GOSHEN - An Orange County grand jury has indicted Michael Mele on murder charges in connection with the death of Brooklynite Laura Garza.

two counts of second-degree murder
one count each of first-degree and second-degree manslaughter
four counts of tampering with physical evidence

presser at 2:30 ET today

http://www.recordonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20101208/NEWS/101209767

 

[LiveLaughLuv]

Sex offender Michael Mele indicted in Laura Garza murder; last seen leaving Chelsea club with her
BY Oren Yaniv AND John Lauinger
DAILY NEWS STAFF WRITERS

Originally Published:Wednesday, December 8th 2010, 2:42 PM
Updated: Wednesday, December 8th 2010, 9:50 PM




The serial molester seen leaving a Chelsea club with Brooklynite Laura Garza on the night she vanished was charged with her murder on Wednesday - two years after the crime.

Michael Mele, 25, of upstate Wallkill, was the prime suspect in Garza's disappearance from the start. He was indicted just weeks before he was to be sprung from prison on a charge of failing to change his address while on probation for a sex offense.

Prosecutors shed no light on how the dancer was slain on Dec.3, 2008. Orange County District Attorney Francis Phillips would not disclose a cause of death at a press conference announcing Mele had been indicted.

Still, Garza's family could not have been happier.



Read more: http://www.nydailynews.com/news/ny_...r_last_seen_leaving_chelse.html#ixzz17cG0hoiK

 

[LiveLaughLuv]

Sex Offender Is Indicted in Killing Two Years Ago
By AL BAKER
Published: December 8, 2010

Two years after a 25-year-old woman vanished after leaving a nightclub in Manhattan, the man who has long been considered by investigators to be the main suspect in the case has been indicted on murder charges, the authorities announced on Wednesday.

Michael Mele has been indicted in the death of Laura Garza, an aspiring dancer who disappeared in late 2008.

A grand jury in Goshen, N.Y., has indicted the suspect, Michael Mele, 25, on two counts of second-degree murder in connection with the death of Laura Garza, according to a news releasefrom the Orange County district attorney’s office. Mr. Mele, who is in state prison now, was also indicted on charges of first- and second-degree manslaughter and tampering with physical evidence, the statement said.

The developments came eight months after skeletal remains discovered on April 11 in a remote area of Pennsylvania were positively identified as those of Ms. Garza, an aspiring dancer who moved to Brooklyn from Texas in 2008 to look for work. She lived in Bay Ridge.

more
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/12/09/ny...arza.html?_r=1

Justice for Laura....finally

The wheels of justice sometimes turns slow but they turn none the less...JMHO

 

[Texas Mist]

Texas Family To Get Slain Woman's Remains

Updated: Tuesday, 22 Feb 2011, 8:21 AM EST
Published : Tuesday, 22 Feb 2011, 8:21 AM EST

WALKILL, N.Y. - The remains of a slain New York City woman will be returned to her family in Texas, more than two years after authorities say she was killed by an upstate man she met at a Manhattan nightclub.

more here

http://www.myfoxny.com/dpp/news/local_news/manhattan/Nightclub-Disappearance-20110222-apx

bless their hearts - waiting almost a year to get her back to Texas

 

[Shelby2]

04/08/2011 06:09 PM
Pretrial hearing held for Michael Mele
http://hudsonvalley.ynn.com/content/all_news/539442/pretrial-hearing-held-for-michael-mele/

I can't find info about the May hearing..

 

[fhc]

http://www.nydailynews.com/new-york...lub-article-1.1003328?localLinksEnabled=false

Trial begins in murder of Laura Garza, young Brooklyn woman who went missing from a Manhattan nightclub

A murder trial is getting under way for a registered sex offender accused of murdering an aspiring dancer from Texas whose body was found in Pennsylvania more than a year after she went missing in New York.

 

[epiphany]

Mele trial to start Monday

Snipped

Both prosecution and defense brought up the Casey Anthony murder case.

Grimmer noted that in the Anthony case, there was no cause of death determined. She asked if that single fact would prevent anyone from a finding of guilt no matter what the other evidence...

Ingrassia and Brown asked if, given the harsh media criticism of the jury after the Anthony acquittal on murder charges, any of the potential jurors would be concerned about having to explain an acquittal if that's how the Mele case shook out.

http://www.recordonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20120118/NEWS/201180352/-1/SITEMAP

 

[epiphany]

GOSHEN, N.Y. (AP) — A convicted sex offender who picked up an aspiring dancer from Texas at a Manhattan nightclub three years ago admitted Monday that he killed her in his upstate apartment because she became upset that he had a girlfriend.

Michael Mele, wearing a dark suit, unexpectedly pleaded guilty to charges of manslaughter and evidence tampering in the killing of 25-year-old Laura Garza. The plea came just before the start of his murder trial in Orange County court.

"Laura was in my apartment, and she saw a picture of a girl and female-related items that were my girlfriend's. She was upset ... she wanted to leave. I didn't want to drive back then," Mele said. "She got upset ... she started to get a little louder. I put my hand over her mouth and partially her nose, and shortly after that, she stopped yelling, stopped moving, and I realized something bad had happened."

http://hosted2.ap.org/PAWIC/APUSnew...ppearance/id-d02fdefb0bde46a4a93966ec29a29125

 

[MsFacetious]

This is an amazingly long sentence for manslaughter... I am relieved.
When I saw manslaughter I thought we would be talking about ten years or something.
And really... after that case in Florida that they brought up... without a cause of death... I can see why they took a plea.

http://hosted2.ap.org/PAWIC/APUSnew...ppearance/id-d02fdefb0bde46a4a93966ec29a29125

The judge agreed to sentence Mele to 23 years in prison on the manslaughter count and 16 months to four years for evidence tampering.

Sentencing is set for March 6.

----------------------------------------------------------------

"She's very upset. She's not happy with the 23 years. They wanted a jury to give him more. She's worried he'll get out before the 23 years," the friend said.

Garza's brother, Ivan Garza, said, "It's not justice."

Assistant District Attorney Kelle Grimmer declined to comment Monday on the case.

 

[epiphany]

IMO, Justice Was Not Served. The sentences will run concurrently. His attorney says he will be out by his 46th birthday.

He's a sexual predator. IMO, there would have been no plea deal had Garza been one of their own.

She got louder – it was justified, he said, but he tried to quiet her.

http://www.recordonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20120123/NEWS/120129901/-1/NEWS67

 

[epiphany]

Trials & Tribulations: Mele's father a much-commended officer

Before his 28-year policing career was cut short by an injury in 2004, William Mele compiled a praiseworthy stack of commendations for his work. He displayed an expertise about criminal investigation in complicated cases. So he wasn't just another parent, he was an experienced observer whom state police sought to interview as they focused on Mele's 23-year-old son, Michael, a sex offender from the Town of Wallkill.

http://www.recordonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20090327/COMM/903270346/-1/NEWS6701

 

[epiphany]

Mr. Ingrassia has defended thousands of individuals accused of crimes. He has successfully defended a number of high profile cases and his clients have included judges, attorneys, police officers, physicians as well as other individuals of various backgrounds. He has tried numerous cases to verdict before both Juries and Judges and he has obtained not guilty verdicts on a variety of charges including the following: DWI, Manslaughter, Criminally Negligent Homicide, Attempted Murder, Rape, Sexual Abuse, Unlawful Imprisonment, Assault, Resisting Arrest, Criminal Possession of Weapon, Defrauding the Government, Conspiracy, Official Misconduct and numerous other charges.

http://pview.findlaw.com/view/2750489_1

Good defense attorney.

 

[Amster]

Mr. Ingrassia has defended thousands of individuals accused of crimes. He has successfully defended a number of high profile cases and his clients have included judges, attorneys, police officers, physicians as well as other individuals of various backgrounds. He has tried numerous cases to verdict before both Juries and Judges and he has obtained not guilty verdicts on a variety of charges including the following: DWI, Manslaughter, Criminally Negligent Homicide, Attempted Murder, Rape, Sexual Abuse, Unlawful Imprisonment, Assault, Resisting Arrest, Criminal Possession of Weapon, Defrauding the Government, Conspiracy, Official Misconduct and numerous other charges.

http://pview.findlaw.com/view/2750489_1

Good defense attorney.

Sickening....

 

[dr dona]

crock o crap if one believes his lame explanation of what happened!!! I'd more likely guess she said no and he raped and strangled her.
SO's don't change their behaviors. prayers to Laura's family.

 

[Fairy1]

crock o crap if one believes his lame explanation of what happened!!! I'd more likely guess she said no and he raped and strangled her.
SO's don't change their behaviors. prayers to Laura's family.

I agree 100%. Why on earth would they ever even consider accepting his version of the events that led to Laura's murder?

What a sad miscarriage of justice. There's no doubt in my mind he will kill and rape again. What a shame.

My heart goes out to Laura's family. They must be horrified.