CA - Janet Kovacich, 27, Auburn, 8 Sept 1982

[chicoliving]

I have the feeling from the few articles I've read that he retired not long after this occured. One article mentioned "he was uncooperative" and I just can't see him sticking around long in light of this. dunno maybe he had steel ones and stayed on for years. I'll keep looking. lol now I want to know!

 

[chicoliving]

Oh, I'm gonna move this thread to the Trials forum.

 

[DEPUTYDAWG]

I have the feeling from the few articles I've read that he retired not long after this occured. One article mentioned "he was uncooperative" and I just can't see him sticking around long in light of this. dunno maybe he had steel ones and stayed on for years. I'll keep looking. lol now I want to know!

Chico,

Hmmmmmm.

I've got another LEO (not PCSO...but very familiar with them ) up there who has given me a few comments about it today, in general, but because of the gag order, he said anyone "in the know" isn't talking. That 's good to know and as it should be. But, word on the street, so to speak, is that they all think he did it and they've got something...finally.

FYI, Paul supposedly worked at CalExpo as recent as the early 2000's. I know a lot of officers (from several different agencies in the area) that work the State Fair gig for the 2+ weeks as extra income; take vacation from their agency and go work the fair. All the ones I know are commissioned officers, so I'm assuming (so take that for what it's worth) that Paul was then still using an active commission as a LEO. (What I don't know is whether CalExpo would hire just security guards, as well...not commissioned officers...to supplement the police force. I should find that out, as well. Because, IIRC, he'd have to keep up with his continuing education credits with POST in order to keep his commission active. Gotta be employed as a LEO to do that...IIRC, one can't have a lapse of more than 3 yrs before losing the commission.) Just thinking kinda outloud....

Very interesting....

P.S. and just thinking about the dynamics in the jail right now.

 

[chicoliving]

I'm sure the guards and deputies are remaining professional even though one of their own so to speak is behind bars. 20+ years is a long time and I wonder how many that were on the job then are still on the job now?

 

[DEPUTYDAWG]

I'm sure they're being professional...but it's gotta be strange, for them AND for him. However, he's got bigger things to worry about and this is his Round #2 in there.

 

[Niner]

Timeline (per Auburn Journal, March 28, 2007)

Sept 8, 1982 - Janet disappears after making appointment to enroll her kids in school (I wish they had given TIMES of this "disappearance"!!)

March, 2005 - Human remains set to the Dept of Justice Lab for DNA analysis

April, 2005 - Paul Kovachich Jr's parents' Lake of the Pines home searched by the FBI (I know that a dog was found buried there!)

July 28, 2005 - FBI searched the Kovacich's home a second time

July 30, 2005 - Paul R. Kovacich Jr. named a suspect in his wife's 1982 disappearance

July 6, 2006 - Paul arrested on a grand jury indictment and charged with murder

Jan. 23, 2007 - Suspected murderer posts property bond and is released from custody

March 22, 2007 - Kovacich re-arrested following a second grand jury decision, faces a possible death sentence for his wife's disappearance and presumed murder.
**
http://www.auburnjournal.com/articles/2007/03/28/news/top_stories/01kovacich28.txt?pg=3

 

[Niner]

like I said earlier - I'm going to be in court on April 10 - just informed my manager that I'll be taking the morning off! So HOPE that they have wi-fi in the court room, as I have laptop now!! :woohoo:

 

[DEPUTYDAWG]

like I said earlier - I'm going to be in court on April 10 - just informed my manager that I'll be taking the morning off! So HOPE that they have wi-fi in the court room, as I have laptop now!! :woohoo:

Niner,

That's great! However, I was just told his trial date has been postponed until April 17th now. (Guess he had a court appearance yesterday?)

DD

 

[MagicRose99]

Actually, it's the 19th:

<snip>
"The case is now on the court calendar for 8:30 a.m. April 19 for a trial-setting hearing."

http://www.auburnjournal.com/articles/2007/03/23/news/top_stories/06kovacich23.txt

 

[Niner]

oh shoot!! No way???!! Okay - I'll have to think of SOME excuse and change the date!! LOL!
Thanks for that update guys!! Appreciate it! But I will change the date with my manager - so all is not lost! Just glad I found out now! Thanks again!

 

[Niner]

wait a second... that article is from 3/25 - and the article I was reading is only 3 days old from 3/28... hmmm... which IS the right date?? I might have to research this - before I change the dates with my manager!!

 

[californiacarrie]

A few things:
Deputydawg, I believe Kovcich quit working for PCSO in late 1982/early 1983 - after having been on leave because he was a suspect in his wife's dissapearance.

Also, for those of you who don't know, his current girlfriend, Dixie King, is also a former sheriff.

Cicoliving: There are very few people at the jail, if any, who worked for PCSO when Kovacich worked there. In fact, there are not many deputy's left at all from that era. From what I've been told, most of them turned against him when he went under suspicion -so he doesn't have many friends left in the department. I also believe that I've read somewhere that a couple of witness' in this case are deputies who worked with him - and they are not testifying on his behalf.

Regarding all the new charges, I am thinking that they've got to have a pretty good witness account in order to be charging him with things such as rape, kidnapping, lying in wait, etc... Or maybe he confessed to someone and they've turned him in?

 

[Niner]

Regarding all the new charges, I am thinking that they've got to have a pretty good witness account in order to be charging him with things such as rape, kidnapping, lying in wait, etc... Or maybe he confessed to someone and they've turned him in?

Hey CalifroniaCarrie! I'm wondering if it isn't Dixie King, his girlfriend that might have "said" something...

Still going to court on the 10th! Since that was the last date published in the paper. IF ANYONE finds a different date - PLEASE post, k??!! :waitasec:

 

[californiacarrie]

Hey CalifroniaCarrie! I'm wondering if it isn't Dixie King, his girlfriend that might have "said" something...

Me too, although I think it would be awful neverwreaking to live in the same house with the man knowing that you've ratted him out.

 

[DEPUTYDAWG]

A few things:
Deputydawg, I believe Kovcich quit working for PCSO in late 1982/early 1983 - after having been on leave because he was a suspect in his wife's dissapearance.

Also, for those of you who don't know, his current girlfriend, Dixie King, is also a former sheriff.

Cicoliving: There are very few people at the jail, if any, who worked for PCSO when Kovacich worked there. In fact, there are not many deputy's left at all from that era. From what I've been told, most of them turned against him when he went under suspicion -so he doesn't have many friends left in the department. I also believe that I've read somewhere that a couple of witness' in this case are deputies who worked with him - and they are not testifying on his behalf.

Regarding all the new charges, I am thinking that they've got to have a pretty good witness account in order to be charging him with things such as rape, kidnapping, lying in wait, etc... Or maybe he confessed to someone and they've turned him in?

CCarie,

Excellent! Thank you! No one I've contacted could narrow it down for me.
I'm still unsure what his capacity was when working at CalExpo as part of their security. I was told he was there as part of the state police but this is from someone who knew Paul well, but not necessarily clear on the difference between an commissioned LEO vs. a security guard. Do you happen to know? I'm trying to figure oout if he still had his POST commission. And if not, have you heard how he supported himself all these years? He's would have been pretty young to have left PCSO in '82/'83.

P.S. I agree with what you've said - although I haven't talked to any LEO that has actually known him, all are aware of it and think he's guilty.

JMO,
DD

 

[MagicRose99]

Cal Expo has it's own police force

<snip>
"Cal Expo is the only exposition center in the nation with a full-time year-round police department. The Cal Expo Police Department acts under the same authority as any other police department in the state and its sworn personnel have statewide peace officer powers as specified in section 830.2(i) of the California Penal Code."

http://www.bigfun.org/fair/generalinfo/security.asp

 

[californiacarrie]

CCarie,

Excellent! Thank you! No one I've contacted could narrow it down for me.
I'm still unsure what his capacity was when working at CalExpo as part of their security. I was told he was there as part of the state police but this is from someone who knew Paul well, but not necessarily clear on the difference between an commissioned LEO vs. a security guard. Do you happen to know? I'm trying to figure oout if he still had his POST commission. And if not, have you heard how he supported himself all these years? He's would have been pretty young to have left PCSO in '82/'83.

P.S. I agree with what you've said - although I haven't talked to any LEO that has actually known him, all are aware of it and think he's guilty.

JMO,
DD

All I know is that he was able to retire from PCSO - possibly early, and I'm not sure if it was forced or his choice. I assume Ms. King has supported him some, but he also had quite a bit of money, and quite a bit of family support (at least three family members put thier houses up for his bail money). Lake of the Pines, where his parents lived was, at the time, a very high scale community. I'm not sure what happened to all the joint stuff he had with his wife when she disappeared. If they were never able to prove anything then, could they withhold all that?

And a side note: CalExpos security/police force is notorious for being the most racist police force in California.

 

[DEPUTYDAWG]

Cal Expo has it's own police force

<snip>
"Cal Expo is the only exposition center in the nation with a full-time year-round police department. The Cal Expo Police Department acts under the same authority as any other police department in the state and its sworn personnel have statewide peace officer powers as specified in section 830.2(i) of the California Penal Code."

http://www.bigfun.org/fair/generalinfo/security.asp

Thank you, MagicRose99.

It's a little misleading and makes it sound better than it really is, IMO. Imagine that?! They certainly don't have 330 officers year-round; that's got to be the max during the State Fair. They supplement with other agency officers that work during the Fair. I personally know many officers that work the Fair detail - taking time off from their normal jobs to go work the Fair for 2 weeks out of the year.

And while it may seem silly to a few of you, it's why I keep coming back to this issue. How did he keep his POST certification if he wasn't working LE for the past few years? ...............However, CACarrie maybe answered more of it for me in her post, in that he was allowed to retire. Maybe he's therefore been grandfathered into keeping an active commission? I've still got to get that straight in my brain. Has nothing to do with whether he murdered Janet or not. Sorry for my going off on somewhat of a tangent. TO me it's interesting to figure out what he's been up to all these years. (And if he retired in the early 80's, that answered my questions about whether I knew him or not.)

Thanks.

 

[Niner]

Just wanted you all to know that I'm still going to court on Tuesday the 10th... if I can't get my laptop to work - hopefully I can use Word to take notes - IF something happens in court. Hopefully it's not just a "hearing" to set the date of trial... :waitasec:

 

[californiacarrie]

Some interesting details which may or may not have been shared already:

Kovacich, his wife, and their two children were living in Auburn PD territory at the time of Janet's disapearance. There is an established trail near the home leading down into the American River Canyon near the Auburn Dam Site, which apparantly was under construction at the time. Many people believe Janet's body was dumped there.

Kovacich worked for PCSO from 1974-1992 (10 years after his wife's disapearance)! In an Auburn Journal article dated 9/6/06 by P. Usher, PCSO Undersheriff Steve D'Arcy is quoted as saying, "It should be noted that he (Paul) hasn't been a member of the current department and has not been active in law enforcement for well over a decade."

Janet was only 27 at the time of disapearance. Her parents petitoned the courts in 1995 to have her declared legally dead in order to settle estate matters. Paul contested the petition stating that the children did not sufficiently believe that she was dead. Janet's parents won however I could not find any stipulations as to how the estate was broken up - if there was much of one by then.

Paul was always "a person of interest" but was not declared a suspect until 2005. His son has always stood behind him. The daughter I'm not so sure about. The children were 7 and 5 at the time of Janet's disapearance. The girl is the older of the two.