GUILTY OR - Cassandra Hodges, 4, Klamath Falls, June 2004

[dannyodie]

http://abclocal.go.com/kfsn/news/062804_nw_missing.html

 

[englishleigh]

Oh, no, what a beautiful little girl. Why are people so d--n mean????? :furious: Lord, please let them find her safe.

 

[Angie]

I guess I just don't understand the amber alert thing. Why wouldn't they issue a amber alert, regardless of what the circumstances may be....

 

[Lakergirl123]

The body has been found - mother's boyfriend has been arrested.
http://abclocal.go.com/kfsn/news/062904_nw_hodges.html

 

[dannyodie]

http://www.katu.com/news/story.asp?Id=68719seems like this childs mom is the culpret

 

[amandab]

Grrrrr - this makes me SO mad!!! How can anyone do that do a little bitty girl?

How any adult can do that to a child is beyond me.......makes me ill.........

 

[Angie]

This breaks my heart, the poor little innocent child who could not protect herself. What is wrong with these people????

 

[englishleigh]

OMGosh....how could anyone do that?? Especially her own MOTHER!!! People are sick. :banghead:

 

[blueclouds]

one more link

http://www.cnn.com/2004/US/West/06/29/missing.girl/index.html

 

[Ghostwheel]

I guess I just don't understand the amber alert thing. Why wouldn't they issue a amber alert, regardless of what the circumstances may be....

An amber alert if for when there is evidence of abduction, and when there is a description of the perp and the vehicle. None of those things were available here.

 

[Angie]

An amber alert if for when there is evidence of abduction, and when there is a description of the perp and the vehicle. None of those things were available here.

So you have to have a description of the perp and a vehicle. What if someone took your baby while you were sleeping??? Or someone took your baby while he/she was walking home from school or a friends house, then do they wait that 24hrs before calling it, by then it's always too late...... Why do they have to wait so long to call a amber alert even if the authorities think their is suspicion because of the family behavior or the story just seems fishy.

 

[Ghostwheel]

Most often, an Amber Alert is not called just because of a kidnapping. They need to have information that would help the public find the child. Each state has their own criteria for the Amber Alert, and in some states, it includes a description of the vehicle. In California it is:
Criteria for activating an AMBER ALERT

Law enforcement agencies ensure these conditions are met before activating an AMBER ALERT:

The investigating law enforcement agency confirms an abduction has occurred.
The victim is 17 years of age or younger, or has a proven mental or physical disability.
The victim is in imminent danger of serious injury or death.
There is information available that, if provided to the public, could assist in the child's safe recovery.

Sad to say, if all they have is a picture of a child, and the child is reported missing with no other information, an Amber Alert would not be considered useful. It was originally started because the case of Amber Hagerman had a neighbor witness her abduction (by being thrown into a pickup truck) and there was no way to let people know to look for this truck. (they couldn't have seen the little girl, but they could see the truck)

 

[Doyle]

The boyfriend of the Cassandra Hodges' mother may face the death penalty in connection with the little girl's death.
Erik Guillermo was arraigned in a Klamath County court by video on Thursday.

He pleaded not guilty to manslaughter and murder charges.
http://abclocal.go.com/kfsn/news/070904_nw_guillermo.html

 

[mysteriew]

The aggravated murder trial of a man accused of killing a 4-year-old girl has been set for 2007.

Erik Guillermo, 38, is charged with the June 2004 death of Cassandra Hodges, the daughter of his girlfriend.

Klamath County District Attorney Ed Caleb has said he plans to seek the death penalty when the trial begins on Jan. 9, 2007.
http://www.oregonlive.com/newsflash...ews-13/1136667243103240.xml&storylist=orlocal

 

[Bobbisangel]

Why in the world would it take this long to take this killer to trial? I don't get it. I think a year is a long time to wait but good grief this is really pushing it.

Think about this little girl's family and what this wait will do to them. They can't even begin to move ahead with their lives until this trial is over and this killer is put away for ever. It is like a wound just beginning to heal and then ripped open again. My heart sure goes out to them.

 

[OkieGranny]

From May 2006:

http://www.heraldandnews.com/news/l...cle_cd80fab4-8f86-5d35-a5d8-2b9514faae01.html

Amanda Hodges later admitted to investigators what happened and guided them to a forested area about 12 miles west of Klamath Falls. Circuit Court Judge Richard Rambo Tuesday sentenced the Klamath Falls woman to 18 1/2 years in prison for manslaughter, first-degree assault and other related charges for the June 25, 2004, incident...

The district attorney's office is now seeking the death penalty for Guillermo, who goes to trial Jan. 9, 2007. Hodges also pleaded no contest Tuesday to charges of murder.

Under a plea agreement, she will not be sentenced for that charge until after she testifies in Guillermo's trial. If she fulfills that obligation, she can withdraw her plea, and the murder charge will be dismissed.

Could not find any further MSM, but it looks like Guillermo pleaded to manslaughter and other charges. According to Oregon DOC records, he's incarcerated as of December 2006 with an earliest possible release date in August 9, 2026. No length of sentence specified.

Amanda Hodges has an earliest release date of November 3, 2022.

http://docpub.state.or.us/OOS/offenses.jsf