CA CA - Hugues de la Plaza, 36, San Francisco, 2 June 2007

[WHITEFANG]

"Expecting to commiserate, Melissa called the de la Plazas in France."

Referring to the detective, “He told me that he’d talked to Hugues’ parents, and all the pertinent people,” Melissa said.

So she was expecting they knew Hugues was dead when she called them and they would commiserate together.

She also said that it was one of the toughest things she ever had to do, that is, calling the de la Plazas with the news that Hugues was dead. Melissa, it can't be both.

 

[Steely Dan]

This case reminds me of the murder or Eddie Pieron - both handsome, well to do, girl-chasing types, both stabbed to death in their homes, neither had any enemies/lived a risky lifestyle or used drugs other than alcohol and maybe weed. Granted I don't think the two are connected AT ALL, but I'm wondering if the motives of the murderers may have been similar.

Eddie Pieron. Google it; interesting case if you've never read about it.

Just a theory to put out. Did he transmit a STD to someone who got angry he didn't tell her or worse she passed it on to her husband? :waitasec:

 

[thesaint]

Just a theory to put out. Did he transmit a STD to someone who got angry he didn't tell her or worse she passed it on to her husband? :waitasec:

I think shutterfly and others have noted the very tight timeline:

This bothers me....

If he was on the security cam at 2:06 am, and the murder happened at 2:38 when the neighbor heard the noises..that leaves 32 minutes for "something" to happen. Provided this wasn't a foiled motorcycle robbery attempt, how would whoever did this know he was at home? How did they know he would be awake, alone, and would answer the door? How did they know he would come to the door at all for them....or that he would come outside?

Maybe this wasn't so random.

And the most likely scenario--if you assume the police chased down whatever leads Hugues phone and internet records for that night provided--that Hugues spoke with someone either at the club or from the club via either an intermediary or some other manner (borrowed cell phone?) and that contact led to his death. That is, he was expecting whomever stabbed him to show up and thus opened the door, stepped outside and got stabbed.

 

[thesaint]

Another thing is, whomever it was, they either (or both) were not invited inside or did not want to go inside. Who does a person know whom they (i) would open the door for at 2:30 in the morning but (ii) wouldn't necessary want them coming inside (Hugue's apt is right freaking there) but would rather transact whatever business they had quickly out front? Drug deal.

 

[WHITEFANG]

"The de la Plazas made arrangements to come to San Francisco. Melissa wanted to make sure Hugues’ apartment was clean of his blood when his parents arrived; she began running interference with the bio-hazard crew."
It was a crime scene. Melissa, how did you let them in? Did you have a key, all along? You had been given the okay by the police to alter the setting? Melissa, can you respond to these questions? Is there some reason you will not? Just as you want to know what really happened, many others do, too. Obviously, you have the answers to some of our questions and we would appreciate your help.

 

[GoodAim]

It was said that the computer power cord was pulled at 2:38. Of course, that could happen during a struggle, or Hugues stumbling around after being stabbed, but it could also happen if someone who had strong positive feelings for Hugues showed up there and saw him looking for sex online. A crime of passion.

Could the door have been slammed 3 times because he opened it to the wrong person who stabbed him, Hugues pulled the door closed but it wasn't locked, and this was repeated 2 more times before the killer fled?

Hugues was apparently interrupted in eating his late snack. Early on I kept remembering a friend a of his quoted as saying that H was planning to somehow get a girl to sleep with that night. Was he leaning on the rail on the front deck and called out something to a girl that her boyfriend took offense to?

It sure could've been a drug deal gone bad or a pimp and prostitute that couldn't work things out with him cost-wise. But didn't he only have alcohol in his system --- like a .12, which isn't too drunk.... I'm not 100% convinced he was a heavy drug user or depressed, which seemed based on what his old girlfriend told investigators.

I agree with other posters who feel he might have locked the door behind the person after the third stab and staggered around the apartment not aware of how badly hurt he was. A lot of people describe a knife stab wound as feeling like a "punch". I'd guess it would've been hard for him to think straight, losing blood so quickly. It would be pretty amazing (acting on automatic before he lost TOO much blood) if he did lock the front door behind him, altho Melissa Nix was quoted as saying the back door just had a button anyone could've locked. That, however, doesn't seem to agree with the neighbor hearing thumps, 3 door slams, and a person running away out the front.

This is all speculative, but with no drugs in his system, I'd guess he got into trouble with his seeking sex, not drugs. My image of him going outside and leaning on the railing is a strong (imaginary) one I can't shake, yet that doesn't jibe with an uneaten snack on the counter. Unless he was starting to serve himself a meal and heard girls' voices outside or something that interested him enough to go outside and check out. Or call girl he had just arranged for on the computer ---- did LE find any evidence of that?

An excellent writer I just discovered, Michelle (on true crime diary) does a good article on this case as well as dozens of others. Don't know if we can posts links, so you could google her and her site. Wish we had new information.

 

[thesaint]

Again--of course Hugues wouldn't have had drugs in his system if he had arranged to acquire them and the deal went bad...

If Hugues had had drugs in his system, that would've meant he already had drugs and had no need to procure them at 2:30 in the morning.

Hugues was, what, 35 when this happened? Hugues had, apparently, a history of cocaine use. Cocaine users often end up in AA for drinking because drinking alcohol is a major trigger for many of them--they get drunk and want to use, they crave cocaine to give them a boost out of the alcohol-induced stupor. Alcohol and cocaine go together like chocolate and peanut butter, according to those who know such things. And Hugues was such a person.

It's Friday night, Hugues is out celebrating his promotion after a long day|week at work. He's out in a club where every other person is an experienced drug user and Hugues--drunk, maybe a bit down because of his date not turning out like he wanted, etc--decides to re-up on partying by scoring some coke and then finding someone to have sex with.

My guess is that if Hugues cocaine use was mostly in his past, he didn't have an active dealer arrangement and so had likely asked someone else at the club to arrange for it. Or maybe he did contact a prior dealer. But if it was the former, I can see how it would be difficult to investigate in that underground techno scene.

Those scenes are popular with people who aren't necessarily from the local city (especially people in the U.S. from other countries where such music scenes are mainstream) and often they aren't there in that new city for all that long. People come and go rather willy-nilly and no one really comments on or notices that so-and-so left town all of a sudden. And the prominence of drugs in that scene means everyone is suspicious of LE and wouldn't go out of there way to cooperate.

But, yeah, the lack of drugs in Hugues system in no way indicates that he hadn't arranged to obtain drugs at that late hour.

 

[WHITEFANG]

Hugues had plenty of money.
Silverware was missing. Who knew how much silverware he had? His parents? Why steal that?
Melissa, why did you take it upon yourself to have the crime scene cleaned? You had not been in a relationship with Hugues for 4 years, you said. It was scary that the detectives would try to pin the theory of suicide on you, right? You insisted you had not been with Hugues in so long, you could not possibly know his state of mind. Odd, you also said you knew Hugues and it was impossible that he committed suicide. Which is it, Melissa?
How did you feel when the "love of my life, my best friend, my baby-boy" was out romancing many others. Were you okay with it?

 

[WHITEFANG]

“He was stabbed in his neck,” Melissa points out. “His laryngeal nerve was injured. He was vocally paralyzed.”
Where did you find that information, Melissa? It is not in the ME's report.
He had $80 in cash on him at his autopsy.

 

[Steely Dan]

“He was stabbed in his neck,” Melissa points out. “His laryngeal nerve was injured. He was vocally paralyzed.”
Where did you find that information, Melissa? It is not in the ME's report.
He had $80 in cash on him at his autopsy.

Where is that quote from?


Can someone please direct me to an article that discusses the silverware and her cleaning the apt.? I can't find one.

Thanks

 

[WHITEFANG]

Go to SFBG politics blog and True Crime Diary

 

[Steely Dan]

“He was stabbed in his neck,” Melissa points out. “His laryngeal nerve was injured. He was vocally paralyzed.”
Where did you find that information, Melissa? It is not in the ME's report.
He had $80 in cash on him at his autopsy.

Go to SFBG politics blog and True Crime Diary

Thank you,

This is the page that comes up when I search de la plaza. http://www.sfbg.com/mt-other/mt-search.cgi?IncludeBlogs=4&search=de+la+plaza


There are a lot of articles there on him. Can you point me to one that has that info?

Thanks

 

[WHITEFANG]

Google these sentences

(Police reports show that some valuable silverware was missing from de la Plaza's apartment when his body was found.)

and "Melissa wanted to make sure Hugues’ apartment was clean of his blood when his parents arrived; she began running interference with the biohazard crew."

 

[Steely Dan]

Google these sentences

(Police reports show that some valuable silverware was missing from de la Plaza's apartment when his body was found.)

and "Melissa wanted to make sure Hugues’ apartment was clean of his blood when his parents arrived; she began running interference with the biohazard crew."

Thanks! :thumb:

After googling the first sentence this article showed up; http://www.sfbg.com/blogs/politics/2009/11/_footprints_poin_to_de_la_plaz.html

Was there some other motive, such as a need for cash? (Police reports show that some valuable silverware was missing from de la Plaza's apartment when his body was found.)

I believe that's true but I can't believe how stupid the rest of the media is in not making any mention of that. It seems to be very important. Especially considering his back door was locked. :waitasec:

The second sentence doesn't bring up anything.

ETA: here's an article: http://www.truecrimediary.com/index.cfm?page=cases&id=57

 

[Steely Dan]

I believe the haz mat team has nothing to do with the PD. The interference with the haz mat crew sounds worse than it is IMO. It could just mean that she was pushing them to clean up before Hughes parents showed up. I don't think "interference" may be the completely correct word. It seems contradictory that she wanted all the blood gone and yet tried to interfere with it's removal.

 

[blubuni99]

Here's another article;

respecfully snipped -

One other thing is that I've learned, from watching numerous Forensic Files, is that even after washing, blood residue can be found a lot of the time. :waitasec:

I thought that blood residue could be found too, if only washed with soap and water (Everything I Know about Forensics, I learned from Forensic Files marathons with my MOM! LOL) - unless the person used bleach. So to me, the theory that he WASHED the knife but there is no residue whatsoever does NOT ring true. AND I doubt that while he was bleeding to death, he took the TIME to bleach the knife.

THE OTHER THING that bothers me is that the SFPD act like just because they DIDN'T see anything on the camera, that MUST mean nobody was ever outside the apartment. AND ALSO them saying because he didn't call 911, it must have been self-inflicted wounds. I agree with the poster who said it looked like he looked around for something to stop the bleeding. In the picture where there is a blood trail to the sink and the cabinet is open, I thought, "maybe he had a First Aid kit under there..." Some people don't handle pressure situation very well - instead of thinking rationally, they are scattered and NOT THINKING AT ALL. Even in the best of situations (i.e. NOT DRUNK!)

I was wondering if whoever did it came in a window (or even the back door) but the more I look at the crime scene photos, the more I think it happened right outside his door - where the blood initially starts.

I have NO proof of this but I just thought, "what if it was his neighbor who did it..." LOL, like I said, I have no proof and no idea why I think that. But the man was married and while I didn't get a good look at his wife on the show, he WAS married and according to Oog's friend, Oog didn't care if the woman was married, divorced, single, or anything else - and I'm sure that if he DID sleep with a woman ONE time (or even 2 or 3 times) there probably wouldn't be pictures or messages hanging around - as Oog didn't seem like the sentimental type (to just keep mementos of his trysts with every woman) - therefore no proof. I'm just thinking out loud here.

 

[blubuni99]

ALSO
Why is there blood all over the laptop but not the phone? That's weird to me - because in the picture, the laptop is right next to the cell phone. Was the laptop moved prior to the photo being taken? The laptop seems to be the ONLY item with blood on it on that table.

 

[WHITEFANG]

A job working alongside Americans piqued his interest in the country, and he moved to New York in 1999. There he met Melissa, and for a while, the couple lived together in Brooklyn. Pictures from this time show a slim, darkly handsome young man with a well-developed sense of style and wry smile..

I agree about the word “interference.”

The fact that she took it upon herself to have his apartment cleaned is weird. Little things like how she accessed the place to let the crew in are easy to overlook, but many questions remain.

If she did have a key, that makes a big difference. She could have been waiting for him. She could have altered the computer record, the cell phone’s history, etc. Having her own key begs many questions. His folks were supposed to arrive that week, so she had it "sanitized" quickly. That is what the company she hired does. They don't just clean; they sanitize these kinds of horrific settings.


It seems strange that a former girlfriend, (even while he was alive she was his former girlfriend, and had been a "former" for 4 years, she said) someone who years before used to live with him, could be so committed, if their relationship was simply platonic. In fact, her feelings were so strong she moved to California, at least in part, to have another go at it with him. Bizarre! This means only six months before he was murdered, she was still extremely desirous of him. How is she not a suspect? Maybe she was. Maybe she's been cleared. But, something seems wrong here, very wrong, very strange.

 

[SunnieRN]

Hello guys!

I have some questions I hope someone might be able to answer for me...

1. Where was Michelle when this crime was committed? (Has it been confirmed by cell pings, etc.)

2. Who told her it happened, how did they tell her, what was the date and time that they told her?

3. When did she arrive, how did she arrive - in detail (flight info, etc.), and where did she first go to when she arrived, then where did she stay after she got there?

4. Was a handwriting analysis done on the note left by the laptop?

5. Has the dna been compared to Michelle's?

6. Who was his last call to/from? When was his last call to or from Michelle?

7. What were her calls like to and from him, have her cell phone records been investigated?

8. What did the compuer forensics find?

9. Did I miss something???

She stated it was a crime of passion, it was well known by all the friends the back door was always left unlocked, it would have been easy to lock the back door after one left, it was obvious the killer took the weapon with them (while smiling two times I watched her say it mind you), and there was no way it was suicide. She immediatly called the investigators and crime reporters to plant them with a seed of suicide, she then is the first to call the parents. She appears to be mocking the LE and everyone for not figuring this crime out. Has she immortalized him and her by attaching herself to him eternally and attaching herself to his family as they emnbrace her as they would not have before as they were broke up. Someone also took an expensive silverware set from the apartment - how odd they left a new laptop, cell phone and other expensive items and took something very personal like silverware. To remember a dinner shared maybe?

Just a few rambling thoughts... I would LOVE some feedback! Thanks!

Everything I stated is my opinion only and I am not making any allegations, just stating some curiosities and questions.

Fantastic post!!! I watched the video before reading this thread. The first time Melissa appeared on screen, the hair on the back of my neck stood up!

I know of two references.

Melissa said he admitted to doing coke, but he said he quit.

The ME report says Melissa was concerned about his mental health after she ended it. It says she found Hugues was drinking more and started using cocaine and seemed depressed. The report says she asked him if he had thought about suicide. Melissa adamantly denied the ME version.

Valuable silverware was missing from his apartment afterward. The computer, motorcycle, phone, and t.v. were left and silverware stolen.

The missing silverware makes this VERY personal. Also I takke it this silverware has never shown up at a pawn shop or other resale areas, taking away credence that it was a "robbery". As for Melissas word about drug use, I would prefer to see that confirmed by other sources.

"Expecting to commiserate, Melissa called the de la Plazas in France."

Referring to the detective, “He told me that he’d talked to Hugues’ parents, and all the pertinent people,” Melissa said.

So she was expecting they knew Hugues was dead when she called them and they would commiserate together.

She also said that it was one of the toughest things she ever had to do, that is, calling the de la Plazas with the news that Hugues was dead. Melissa, it can't be both.

Very good point. I missed this on the show.

Another thing is, whomever it was, they either (or both) were not invited inside or did not want to go inside. Who does a person know whom they (i) would open the door for at 2:30 in the morning but (ii) wouldn't necessary want them coming inside (Hugue's apt is right freaking there) but would rather transact whatever business they had quickly out front? Drug deal.

I think it is much more likely to have been a former lover. This crime shouts anger, revenge from the killer and trust from the victm. You sleep with enough people and someone will be pissed off. I would also like to know where Melissa was for certain. Her actions, reactions and emotions are suspicious, to say the least.

I wonder if the SDPD or the French delegation suspect her and are trying to gather additional evidence before charging her?

Please check out this link: http://www.sfbg.com/blogs/politics/2009/11/_footprints_poin_to_de_la_plaz.html

<snip>

2. The trial of bloody shoe prints

“The bloodshed evidence begins on the front door steps and sidewalk,” Ferenc notes. “Only one trail of dripped blood (the pattern indicates rapid, fairly active flow that in some areas in the scene rises to the level that one might expected with projected blood) is seen from the stairs to the front door. Although, throughout the interior scene the decedent’s own bloody shoeprints are seen, none are seen outside consistent with the decedent’s shoes not yet having walked through his own blood (If this gentleman had inflicted his own wounds in the kitchen area at the other end of the apartment and had walked bleeding to the front door, then one would expect bloody shoe prints and two trails of blood on the outside stairs and landing. Instead blood shoeprints and two trails of blood are seen in the kitchen and hallway indicating a single roundtrip into and out of the kitchen after his soles are bloodstained.). On the concrete wall adjacent to the stair case landing are occasional smaller drops of blood consistent with cast off from the arm movements of a knife being plunged and removed from the decedent."

"The presence of bloody shoeprints consistent with the decedent’s shoes and the absence, on the front stairs and/or front door verge, of expected bloody shoeprints that could belong to an assailant(s) strong suggests to me that his attacker(s) did not follow him back into his apartment," Ferenc observes. " (However, several photographs of the front room indicate that some items have moved. If the movement of these items is not attributable to emergency responders, then it would suggest that someone else moved things after bloodshed).”

and:

Because, aside from the fact that Ferenc’s conclusions are at odds with the “underminable” finding of SF Medical Examiner Dr. Venus Azar, they raises an intensely uncomfortable set of questions for the SFPD and SF residents:

If Hugues de la Plaza was murdered, then why?

Was it a crime of passion, perhaps on the part of the partner of one of the many women that the ever amorous de la Plaza had, allegedly, been meeting and seeing in the months prior to his death?


As well as much more! Has anyone been in contact with SFPD to ask about Melissa and her whereabouts during the time of the murder?

 

[WHITEFANG]

The ME report says that both the front and back doors were dead-bolt locked when the cops broke down the back door.

au contraire

“His back door is a just button lock,” Melissa says. “Someone closing it behind him could lock it.”