GUILTY OH - Elaina Steinfurth, 17 months, Toledo, 2 Jun 2013 - #4

[Heroine]

From wikipedia

Obstruction of justice
The crime of obstruction of justice, in United States jurisdictions, refers to the crime of interfering with the work of police, investigators, regulatory agencies, prosecutors, or other (usually government) officials. Common law jurisdictions other than the United States tend to use the wider offense of perverting the course of justice.

Generally, obstruction charges are laid when it is discovered that a person questioned in an investigation, other than a suspect, has lied to the investigating officers. However, in most common law jurisdictions, the right to remain silent allows any person questioned by police merely to refuse to answer questions posed by an investigator without giving any reason for doing so. (In such a case, the investigators may subpoena the witness to give testimony under oath in court, though the witness may then exercise their rights, for example in Fifth Amendment, if they believe their answer may serve to incriminate themselves ). If the person tried to protect a suspect (such as by providing a false alibi, even if the suspect is in fact innocent) or to hide from investigation their own activities (such as to hide his involvement in another crime), this may leave them liable to prosecution. Obstruction charges can also be laid if a person alters or destroys physical evidence, even if he was under no compulsion at any time to produce such evidence. Often, no actual investigation or substantiated suspicion of a specific incident need exist to support a charge of obstruction of justice.

Obstruction can include crimes committed by judges, prosecutors, attorneys general, and elected officials in general. It is misfeasance, malfeasance or nonfeasance in the conduct of the office. Most commonly it is prosecuted as a crime for perjury by a non governmental official primarily because of prosecutorial discretion.

 

[cluciano63]

Is this enough to maintain a high bail?

 

[vasportsmom]

Is this enough to maintain a high bail?

Around here that charge combined with no record would probably get her a PR bond.

 

[Solitaryone]

They didn't drop the charge of child endangerment did they? I hope not!

 

[Heroine]

I'm not sure if we're supposed to post this here but I found it significant to a couple questions asked.. this is from the facebook page...


<modsnip>

https://www.facebook.com/FindBabyElaina?hc_location=timeline

I hope this is true.

 

[Kamille]

Around here that charge combined with no record would probably get her a PR bond.

Yeah, I can't see this one and only charge keeping her behind bars for much longer.

I guess they couldn't prove the felony child endangerment with anything other than her supposed own words to a witness. So not one person came forward to suggest that Elaina was injured either that Saturday evening or on the Sunday morning. Actually with the exception of SK, I don't believe anyone has come forward to suggest they even saw her. Even though there were at least four other adults and several children in the home as well.

 

[lucimhome]

Looking at the map and following Starr Ave to the east with my eyes, I see Pearson Park. It looks very wooded and dense but it's hard to really tell from google maps - can any locals tell me if it is dense forest and/or if it's been searched? Thanks!

GGE it is wooded and dense in some places. I do not know if it's been search.

 

[ahintexas]

I read that somewhere. Facebook maybe? It was the girl that worked behind the counter and she said at that time Elaina had no bruises on her.

Angela Steinfurth, the mother of missing 18-month-old toddler Elaina, was indicted by a grand jury on charges of obstruction of justice June 24.

http://www.toledofreepress.com/2013/06/24/mother-of-missing-toddler-to-go-before-grand-jury/

And

http://www.toledonewsnow.com/story/22672375/angela-steinfurth-indicted-on-obstructing-justice-charge

So no indictment on felony child endangerment charges.

 

[TOLEDO]

2921.32 Obstructing justice.

(A) No person, with purpose to hinder the discovery, apprehension, prosecution, conviction, or punishment of another for crime or to assist another to benefit from the commission of a crime, and no person, with purpose to hinder the discovery, apprehension, prosecution, adjudication as a delinquent child, or disposition of a child for an act that if committed by an adult would be a crime or to assist a child to benefit from the commission of an act that if committed by an adult would be a crime, shall do any of the following:

(1) Harbor or conceal the other person or child;

(2) Provide the other person or child with money, transportation, a weapon, a disguise, or other means of avoiding discovery or apprehension;

(3) Warn the other person or child of impending discovery or apprehension;

(4) Destroy or conceal physical evidence of the crime or act, or induce any person to withhold testimony or information or to elude legal process summoning the person to testify or supply evidence;

(5) Communicate false information to any person;

(6) Prevent or obstruct any person, by means of force, intimidation, or deception, from performing any act to aid in the discovery, apprehension, or prosecution of the other person or child.

(B) A person may be prosecuted for, and may be convicted of or adjudicated a delinquent child for committing, a violation of division (A) of this section regardless of whether the person or child aided ultimately is apprehended for, is charged with, is convicted of, pleads guilty to, or is adjudicated a delinquent child for committing the crime or act the person or child aided committed. The crime or act the person or child aided committed shall be used under division (C) of this section in determining the penalty for the violation of division (A) of this section, regardless of whether the person or child aided ultimately is apprehended for, is charged with, is convicted of, pleads guilty to, or is adjudicated a delinquent child for committing the crime or act the person or child aided committed.

(C)

(1) Whoever violates this section is guilty of obstructing justice.

(2) If the crime committed by the person aided is a misdemeanor or if the act committed by the child aided would be a misdemeanor if committed by an adult, obstructing justice is a misdemeanor of the same degree as the crime committed by the person aided or a misdemeanor of the same degree that the act committed by the child aided would be if committed by an adult.

(3) Except as otherwise provided in divisions (C)(4) , (5), and (6) of this section, if the crime committed by the person aided is a felony or if the act committed by the child aided would be a felony if committed by an adult, obstructing justice is a felony of the fifth degree.

(4) Except as otherwise provided in division (C)(6) of this section, if the crime committed by the person aided is aggravated murder, murder, or a felony of the first or second degree or if the act committed by the child aided would be one of those offenses if committed by an adult and if the offender knows or has reason to believe that the crime committed by the person aided is one of those offenses or that the act committed by the child aided would be one of those offenses if committed by an adult, obstructing justice is a felony of the third degree.

(5) If the crime or act committed by the person or child aided is an act of terrorism, obstructing justice is one of the following:

(a) Except as provided in division (C)(5)(b) of this section, a felony of the second degree;

(b) If the act of terrorism resulted in the death of a person who was not a participant in the act of terrorism, a felony of the first degree.

(6) If the crime committed by the person is trafficking in persons or if the act committed by the child aided would be trafficking in persons if committed by an adult, obstructing justice is a felony of the second degree.

(D) As used in this section:

(1) "Adult" and "child" have the same meanings as in section 2151.011 of the Revised Code.

(2) "Delinquent child" has the same meaning as in section 2152.02 of the Revised Code.

(3) "Act of terrorism" has the same meaning as in section 2909.21 of the Revised Code.

Amended by 129th General AssemblyFile No.142,HB 262, §1, eff. 6/27/2012.

Effective Date: 05-15-2002

 

[floridamomma]

That timeline fits better for me. It never made sense that we were told she was fussy through the night, thrown against the wall, then put down for a NAP.

A nap in the middle of the night?

MOO was that they wanted to go somewhere, and she wasn't settling down for her nap, and something happened to her just before that.

MOotherO is that his mother didn't know anything about it. If she did, why would AS say to her "If I let him take her I'll never see her again..."?

Just working out a puzzle.

it also fits easier with sk story... easier to tell most of the truth than to make up a day of lies.

 

[floridamomma]

^^still doesn't explain AS claims of waking up to injuries... unless she took a nap with e? and recent (close to arrival of tj) injuries would have put her in a panic....hmmm

 

[italianangel2411]

WHAT in the world is going on!!?? Not what I expected today!!!!

 

[Solitaryone]

WHAT in the world is going on!!?? Not what I expected today!!!!

From what TOLEDO posted, there's more to come later today! I hope that AS and SK do not get away with whatever they did to baby Elaina!

 

[menmo]

So no indictment on felony child endangerment charges.

I was just coming to tell you all to look at docket where is says the child endangerment charges are dismissed.
Am I reading that right?
http://www.tmc-clerk.com/caseinformation/criminaltraffic/Default.aspx

MOO

 

[Moonflowers111]

Looking at the map and following Starr Ave to the east with my eyes, I see Pearson Park. It looks very wooded and dense but it's hard to really tell from google maps - can any locals tell me if it is dense forest and/or if it's been searched? Thanks!

Yes Pearson Park has been. Thank you!

 

[italianangel2411]

Do they have to dismiss child endangerment to put an a murder charge?

 

[italianangel2411]

I'm so afraid they were counting on finding Elaina's body and without it they are stuck

 

[italianangel2411]

I've added 1410 Starr Ave (as per TOLEDO's post above) to the casemap in my sig, also located here:

http://goo.gl/maps/6OeWY

First thing I notice : sure is close to both Raymer and Valleywood (RS' home and where the surveillance video was shot are both in this vicinity as well).

Has the cemetery or Central Park been searched?

 

[GGE]

GGE it is wooded and dense in some places. I do not know if it's been search.

Thank you very much. I keep remembering how little K. was saying "Mike won, Mike won!" according to verified insider Ferretmommy the day Elaina went missing.

Then I saw that Wynn Rd runs all along that park just like Starr does. I keep wondering if K. said "Mike won" because she overheard someone say "Mike is going to Wynn"....

just a thought.

ETA: just saw Moonflowers111's post saying it's been searched - thank you, I appreciate your input as well as you being out there searching every day! (Though I must admit I was hoping to have a little something new to go on... that leads away from the river that makes me so sad...)

 

[italianangel2411]

Thank you for the map it's great!