Sandra Cantu Case: Huckaby Swallowed Razor Blades- On Psych Meds

Missing GirlTracy, CA- One day after Melissa Huckaby’s arraignment in San Joaquin County court on murder, kidnapping, rape and molestation charges, new search warrants are issued and troubling new information is surfacing. Yesterday afternoon two additional warrants were served in the case against Huckaby; one at Clover Baptist Church, and the other at the home of Connie and Lane Lawless where the defendant lived.

As previously brought to you exclusively by Blink on Crime, it has now been officially confirmed that Melissa Huckaby was hospitalized for a suicide attempt immediately after Sandra Cantu was found. Huckaby, in an attempt to end her life, swallowed three Xacto blades. What is not known, is how she got there. Did she present herself after swallowing them? Did she tell her grandparents? We do know for certain that she did not call an ambulance. The treatment of ingested razor blades varies greatly based on when they are presented and where they are in the digestive cycle.  Sources within the investigation have also confirmed this is not the first time Huckaby has attempted suicide, or the second.  Blink on Crime has also learned that Melissa Huckaby may be on disability benefits for a psychologial condition, receiving $600 per month.

 

Connie Lawless, grandmother to defendant Huckaby, asked the public to reserve their judgement and honor Melissa’s right to a presumption of innocent:  

“This is totally out of character for our granddaughter,” she said. “She is a woman who never raised a hand to a child, never raised a voice.” She said she does not believe her granddaughter could have committed the crime, unless “some freakish thing happened.” She said her granddaughter had been taking some psychotropic medication, and that she had no criminal history aside from a shoplifting. 

Psychotropic Medications. Prior Mental Health Issues, including suicide attempts. Court Ordered Psych program. You see where this is going, right? Good Luck with that. I spoke to this woman, as did many reporters.  She was articulate and direct in her communication. She was able to recall very specific details and incidents that are specific to evidence in a rape and murder. She was able to utilize information in an attempt to cover up that crime. I am not a Mental health professional nor do I play one on tv.  However, she is no more schizo, delusional, psychotic and overall bat sh*t than any other alleged criminal I have interviewed.  If this family thinks they are going to spoon feed us the “we tried everything but institutionalizing her” I am going to come out swinging. She was a Sunday School teacher with access to children. She was put in that capacity by her grandfather, the Pastor Lane Lawless. I do believe I have found my new platform.

Head of Child Protective Resigns Abruptly

cps11

Lynn Frank, head of Sacramento County Health and Human Services, which oversees Child Protective Services, has resigned after a three year tenure in which 10 of children in the system have died.  By her own admission, 4 of them were preventable. While she is stepping down voluntarily, she is taking a leave of absence and returning July 1st in a different capacity to fulfill her retirement requirements. At this time, there is no indication this agency had any interaction with Melissa Hucakby or her daughter Madison as they are located within San Joaquin County. As Huckaby seemed to only really have a permanent address in Tracy since last Summer and her child is 5 years old, it is not out of the question. At this time, although there is evidence of a history of emotional issues and a condition of huckaby’s probation had a requirement to participate in a psychological program, it is not known if CPS of San Joaquin county has investigated Huckaby previously. 

Request From Tracy Police PD

Sgt. Tony Sheneman of the Tracy Police Department, is asking the public to help in the investigation of the murder of Sandra Cantu by Melissa Huckaby. If you or your child has had contact with Huckaby, you are urged to contact them immediately with any information you can provide: 209.831.4550.

Services for Sandra Tomorrow  sandracantuframe2 

A public memorial service will be held at 1 p.m. Thursday at the Merrill F. West High School gym, which seats about 2,500 people. Burial will be private.

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110 Comments

  1. Cheryl says:

    Blink, from what I understand MH only moved to Tracy in the last year. Also, I understand that there have been more than 2 suicide attempts. Has anyone checked into where exactly she came from, I think down there where her dad lives, if any children are “missing”? Or what about the church where her father is involved? She “teach” there? Also, I was wondering about MH’s cell, grandparents home phone and/or cell, and that Williams guys phone records on or around the time Sandra was killed. If it was an “accident” she may have panicked and called someone who was involved? I hope that the TP analysis all her cell phone records to plot out her whereabouts, who she’s in contact with, how often, etc. I fear there is more darkness to come, it just feels like we’re not done yet. What about the computers that were confiscated? Have we heard anything about what was revealed?

  2. Wes says:

    here’s a theory…
    Grandpa(Lane Lawless) abused son (Melissa’s father), son abused daughter (MH)… Family tradition..
    MH has not spoken to her father in 4 or 5 months.
    Grandpa was there at the beginning but not at the arraignment,
    MH father was at the arraignment. MH mother, left the scene…
    I do think MH is guilty of something here, and I do not believe she should or will ever be walking the streets again, but what ever happened, she is not the only one who is guilty…
    She is afraid of her “god Fearing” family…
    All in the Family….

  3. Cheryl says:

    re: comment by Ralien and dderma…

    Do you mean HLN? Headline News… Nancy Grace’s channel haha

    Off subject, but why does she never, not even for a minute lately, speak to the Haleigh Cummings case…

  4. mamacrazy30 says:

    Pam,
    with all due respect, it was far from a final call for help. she had only tried to commit suicide two or three times before. quitters never win. maybe she was shamed ’cause she did it?

  5. Deep Thinking says:

    Well I am having a problem with this one Blink. Mellisa forgets her keys and cellphone, takes the spare key and heads out to the Church? She has no key to the classroom? Williams has to open the door for her doesn’t he see Sandra there as well as the suitcase? If this is true then why wouldn’t he just say I let Huckaby in her classroom to set up for Easter and she had a little helper? Instead he says I met a woman in the parking lot who had a suitcase for the Rummage Sale. We went inside the Church and when I came back out the suitcase was gone. Yhe next day he tells the Media that the suitcase was taken from either the Church or the Trailer Park? I would sure like to ask Williams about this.

  6. mamacrazy30 says:

    babyfacemagee,
    With All Due Respect:
    so she had all right to do “whatever” for some point in time ’cause at that time she was “crazy”. never mind all the years where she did god knows what and just never got caught. so she is “mentally ill” NOW –cause she confessed? ’cause she got stupid and just started jabbern’?
    i’m gonna’ go with Forrest Gump tonight and end it with Crazy is as stupid does. oh poor missi..i’m think’n she’s about to get all the excitement she thought her life lacked. sorry dr. sometimes it’s the unproven soul that’s the problem, not the very functioning brain (let me tell you, she thought about this…wasn’t the first time imo
    i worked with mentally ill elderly people for years. real “crazy” is very easy to spot and can often be managed with quickly.) don’t get me wrong IMO she is not fit for public, but “INSANE” nope i don’t see it. abused? social misfit? unloved child? How Many Licks Does It Take To Get To The Tootsy Roll Center of a Tootsy Roll Pop?????? Not “crazy; maybe, just don’t Care..well, until she got in trouble (or thought she was about to get in trouble), woo hoo: missi we got ya now with suicide at the luggage party situation. Yeah, she’s as crazy as any child molester who really didn’t mean for it to happen and then the kid winds up in a suitcase in a farm irrigation ditch..
    oh, my….REALLY?
    kick you kid’S ass everyday..it can’t hurt at this point in time.

  7. Deep Thinking says:

    Blink the other issue is the Divorce Paperwork. Her ex Husband has supervised visits only because of Domestic Violance, Child Abdution and a drinking problem/ Look up John Huckaby. Divorce Papers of 2005. link to KCRA report here last 30 seconds. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3LVAJ-u9wMg&feature=channel

  8. mamacrazy30 says:

    babyfacemagee,
    it has come to my attention that most neurologist are ignorant in the situation of spelling and should not be so quick to think they know IT ALL. like i said it has just come to my attention, so i’m making a mental note.

  9. Tams says:

    Re: Comment #15 by Ralien 7 – with regards to Fred Williams having a key to the ‘church’, but not Grandpa ‘Pastor’ Lawless: How did MH get into the building, then? GREAT questions, Ralien – certainly adds to the ‘somethings-not-right-here’ feeling we all seem to have! As you mentioned also re: MH’s own daughter being whisked off to safety . . . whose idea was that, and what all did they know that they needed to protect her from? Or are they protecting themselves, because MH’s daughter may have been abused as well, and they are hiding her?

    Re: Post #17 by Sally – regarding MH appears to be unravelling due to a lifetime of abuse: Thank you for that very well written and thoughtful post. I agree with you completely, couldn’t have said better myself. May I add to that IMO, her family was unable to help her because they are most likely a part of the source of her abuse. That having been said, I do not think it should be used as an excuse for what she did; she needs to pay the price. Perhaps it will, however, force her to speak out so that those who are involved can be taken off the streets & locked up as well.

    Re: Post #18 from Deena: “Also, swallowing 3 X-acto is not truly trying to commit suicide…it’s a sign of desperation. If she truly wanted to kill herself she would’ve done it in a quicker more sure-fire manner.” EXACTLY. And I agree that it is just one more red flag that MH’s mother is nowhere to be found as well. . .

    Re: Post #43 from Pam – regarding this being MH’s final cry for help… “HELLO FOLKS I AM HERE AND SICK AND HAVE SOMETHING TO TELL…”. There is a lot of merit to your thinking, I believe; you could also incorporate “I don’t want to play anymore” with her potentially & seemingly pedophillic acquantainces -she didn’t feel there was any way out of the ‘gang’, so to speak. I still feel that Sandra’s death was not a part of the plan.

  10. kellybear says:

    Wow, I was discussing this case at work today, I live 20 minutes from Tracy. We discussed how odd it is that a woman & a mother could be involved in such a horrible crime! It doesn’t make any sense that she would do this alone….then I came across this website. All of your comments have made me see this case & the (possible) contributing factors & theories in a new light. I don’t think the tracy PD will be releasing very much information about the case (details of SC’s death, etc) to ensure a conviction. Thank you for all of your insight & additional information – links to other pages, etc. I pray that the Cantu family has the support they need during these difficult & trying times.

  11. dddeerma says:

    As a retired mental worker, both in hospital and in the community, it looks to me like there are several things going on with MH. She looks scared and is reacting appropriately to the situation. Like somebody else said, the psychotic is easy to identify. “not guilty by reason of insanity” is a hard standard to meet and at first glance, MH is nowhere near it. As for HLN, they are generally careful to have at least two sources and are more often behind the curve of information. Nancy Grace is a sensationalist, but her information is very rarely wrong. She was however wrong about Ron and Misty Cummings and does not want to admit it. She tried to choose a dog in a dog fight and just plain went the wrong way. No body in that story is innocent, except Haleigh.

  12. FairestWitness says:

    “TY, but I have to ask where you heard there are sexual mutilations?”

    Blink, I thought I read it here somewhere, but it may have been at truecrimereport.com. It may have been in the comments posted by someone.

    I can’t find anything on the web about a news report to that effect. I have also been watching TV news coverage about this disturbing case. I may have heard a “talking head” make reference to mutilation. I’m probably mistaken.

    Sorry for the inaccuracy.

    Ty for the clarification, I try to be really diligent about the facts, and we all make mistakes in that area. I appreciate it.
    B

  13. JmBrdy says:

    Fred Williams… possibility. Possible that MH donated her luggage to the ‘rummage’ sale. I’m not clear if he made an error by calling his upcoming yard sale a rummage sale and it has been assumed that meant the sale was to be at the church.

    “That suitcase was to go to the church for a rummage sale with some stuff in it and the person put it somewhere, either in the back of a car somewhere. But anyway, when she came back out the suitcase was gone”

    He too is dealing with a possible sociopath who could be running him around willy-nilly like the rest of the community. She told 4 different stories to the police and who knows how many to people around her.

    Possible that items donated to the sale were at the church where he was collecting them. Possible that MH grabbed the suitcase and used it for Sandra, leaving Fred to presume the suitcase went missing as it was at the church one moment for the sale and gone the next.

    Of course anything is possible in this case.

  14. coolio says:

    dddeerma, LOL Nancy Grace is rarely wrong? Lord, she may get the “information” from others but then sensationalizes it to all hell, putting her whole spin on it such that it becomes false.

    There have been many a dog fight where she picked the wrong dog. Duke lacrosse players is another case which comes to mind. Her behavior (whoops sorry “reporting”) in that case completely disgusted me so much so that I limit my reading of her to her cold cases and that is it.

  15. Miranda says:

    This is my theory about the red flag comment from gma Lawless re: ‘ ..abused and murdered…’
    Gma is probably just reciting info told to her….by MH. During the course of conversations MH could have told gma that the cops said there had been abuse.
    And ditto on the mystery of Fred who stated the suitcase was going to be sold at a church rummage sale, or some such shiz. He was probably just reciting what he was told by MH during conversations. Just another of her early on attempts to point away from her.
    If MH gave 4 dif versions to cops, you know she was spinning info to those around her. During those days, it must have been the ultimate chess game for MH trying to strategize every move and out manipulate the cops.

  16. kris68 says:

    thanks so much for this website and all of the insightful commentary. i’m just curious, though — wouldn’t Fred Wiliams know “the woman” with the suitcase? I’m still confused as to whether Melissa H. taught Sunday school at that church, or the other one in Bellflower. If she taught at her grandfather’s church, then one would presume FW would definitely know her since he’s the caretaker. But even if she doesn’t, I would think he’d know her since she’s the pastor’s granddaughter. I lean toward the “there is more to this than we know” camp, but I suppose you could also speculate that he was trying to cover for her by saying that about the woman and the suitcase.

  17. Sally says:

    Post # 59: I agree strongly with Tam’s comment, “her family was unable to help her because they are most likely a part of the source of her abuse.” Here you have a family in which both the grandparents and close relatives of the perpetrator are deeply involved in Fundamentalist Christian church work. Yet somehow with all of that conservative Christian upbringing Melissa Huckaby has become acquainted with sexual practices involving children using penetration with a foreign object! That in itself ought to raise serious red flags that Melissa Huckaby is herself a sexual abuse victim. She’s a very young person–still under 30. Folks from her background are encouraged to use abstinence before marriage and certainly there would be no support for non-traditional sexual practices even among ADULTS. Afterall, where did the term “missionary position” come from? Where would she have even gotten the IDEA to do this to a child unless it’s something she experienced herself as a child or youth? It’s too bizarre!

    Imagine the insane juxtaposition between growing up in a rigid church family and then being sexually abused. Praying and then being abused. Doing Bible study and then being abused. Now it appears she has taken a child to the church and abused and killed her–or at least been involved in some of the activities tied to this crime at the church? Worth thinking about.

    This has got to be something FAMILIAR to Melissa Huckaby that she is psychologically reenacting. Frankly I can’t help but think that the death metaphor and enactment applied to HER–that SHE has wanted to die after being sexually abused so now she abuses a little girl and kills her. It may be a stretch but clearly Melissa Huckaby has herself wanted to die.

    I also wonder whether she was abused in a situation connected specifically to Sunday School. Hence she is drawn to want to go back to that Sunday School setting with children.

  18. deena says:

    With the suitcase…Fred Williams is the only one mentioning a church rummage sale. Melissa said she was using the suitcase and she said she put supplies in it for her classroom. She, herself, never mentioned donating it to any yard sale and normally you only donate items you don’t use anymore.

    Either Fred Williams was fed a false story from someone that he shared (although it seems he’d know if the church was having a rummage sale) or he is helping try to cover up a crime for someone he knows is guilty.

    How dare he take it upon himself to leave a letter from a deceased girl forgiving the killer! Why would he be concerned about a killer being forgiven unless he in fact knew the killer. Did he even know Sandra personally to take it upon himself to place such a letter at her memorial site? If he was a concerned caring citizen, the only thing left at that site should focus on Sandra and her family.

  19. yvonne says:

    Sally, I think you’re on to something.

    “Imagine the insane juxtaposition between growing up in a rigid church family and then being sexually abused. Praying and then being abused. Doing Bible study and then being abused. Now it appears she has taken a child to the church and abused and killed her–or at least been involved in some of the activities tied to this crime at the church? Worth thinking about.”

    Apparently, services hadn’t been held there on a regular basis for the last 2 years, and the pastor Lane Lawless is 77 years old. Who would she be teaching Sunday School to, and where would the kids come from? Whose kids are they? There’s so much that doesn’t add up. Why would she bother decorating the church on Friday if she knew her daughter would be leaving on Saturday for a trip? Wouldn’t she wait until she was gone, or at least take her with her to the church?

    Also, supposedly Madison is in So Cal with her grandmother – but her father said Madison was on a “planned trip” for that week in Northern California with her grandmother. So, where were they? So many loose ends, and unexplained public statements.

  20. JmBrdy says:

    “Either Fred Williams was fed a false story from someone that he shared (although it seems he’d know if the church was having a rummage sale) or he is helping try to cover up a crime for someone he knows is guilty.”

    My point exactly, he may have been fed a false story by MH who had already fed 4 false stories to LE.

    Not to mention he did NOT say it was for a CHURCH rummage sale. He said the suitcase was going to the church for a rummage sale. He was having a ‘rummage’ sale at his house the next day. I haven’t read where he said the church was having a sale. Folks he knew that were affiliated with the church may have been dropping items off for him to pick up at the church for his sale. MH being one of them.

    Jm- the church has not had a rummage sale in 10 years. He said bringing it to the church, not dropping it off for my yard sale. IMO he intentionally disconnected himself in that statement. The ad for the Yard sale is on this site, no mention of the church.. Throw in he is caught on video dropping the note to Sandra’s killer off..wth?
    I am way hinky on Williams
    B

  21. Sean D. says:

    Okay, this is some real conspiracy theory type crap, but in regard to this video where the kid speaks about a tan color Chevy truck being at the site where the body was found:

    http://www.necn.com/Boston/Nation/2009/04/11/CA-Teen-says-he-saw-man/1239445378.html

    Well, has anybody checked out the church on Windows Live Maps? If you zoom in, and click on ‘Birds Eye’, rotate around to the angle that shows the front of the church, there’s a tan colored truck parked in front of the building. Assuming this is the building… you can see the sign in the front so I’m pretty sure this is it:

    http://maps.live.com/?mkt=en-us#JnE9eXAuQ2xvdmVyK1JvYWQrQmFwdGlzdCtDaHVyY2glMmMrVHJhY3krQ0ElN2Vzc3QuMCU3ZXBnLjEmYmI9MzcuNzYxMTY5NjU0NDc3MiU3ZS0xMjEuNDM4MjA3NTI1MjM0JTdlMzcuNzYwMzI0NjgyOTc4NCU3ZS0xMjEuNDM5MzE2NTgzOTU3

  22. Sean D. says:

    Oh, and for whatever it’s worth, yes I’m aware that these satelite map images were taken a while ago. :-)

  23. nika says:

    Maybe Melissa was the bate for Lane. Earning girls trust, getting them out, drugging them, and then providing them to Lane. It was Lane’s church, & he did set her up with that job. And they all lived together. For this to all have gone on right under Lane and Connie’s noses and have them unaware or have no part seems unlikely.

  24. nika says:

    I bet connie took Madison on the “planned trip” to keep collateral to keep Melissa from naming Connie and Lane’s involvement in the crime.

    Where was Madison during the time of the crime? things had to be arranged among more parties than just melissa herself.

    I’m convinced her grandparents played a role.

  25. Ralien 7 says:

    Last night on HLN, Local KOVR Reporter, David Begnaud stated the following: “We do know that parents have come forward to police saying that the suspect, Melissa Huckaby, may have been involved in the production of some child pornography. We do know that police are looking at that.”

    “We also know that there is a prior case of a child under the age of 10 that was drugged, and there was an implication that Melissa Huckaby was involved. Police do confirm that there is an open case. And that has now been blended in with this investigation.”

    This reporer is no slouch and is known for his investigative talent.

    So, it explains the call out to parents for possible abuse victims and links her, albeit loosely, to the wider Tracy PD/FBI porn investigation?

    Considering her inconsistent stories, erratic and suicidal behavior during the investigation leaving LE a trail of crumbs right back to her; this is an ill, conflicted woman expressing her guilt and shame openly and not a seasoned abuser, let alone a killer. She is weak minded and fragile emotionally – characterics of an abuse victim who can easily continue to be abused and manipulated to do things she wouldnt ordinarily do.

    She is involved and probably to the extent that she may very well be put away for life, but there are simply to many nettlesome peculiarities in the story for her to have done this alone.

  26. dddeerma says:

    The Duke lacrosse case fooled alot of people besides NG. I don’t have the resources or background to follow as deeply as others do such stories. Which is one reason I read here. When NG does make a mistake, it is usually a goodie. I am on record elsewhere wishing she would own up to mistakes, but…She upset me with Melinda Duckett so badly that I couldn’t watch for awhile. If you would care to recommend sources to me I would like to check them out. I am just very happy to have found blinkoncrime and while new to it, I appreciate the effort that must go into it and hope I do not offend too often.

  27. new says:

    Sally I believe you have hit the nail on its head. I am in complete agreement with you. Insightful. Noticeably absent MH’s Mother. Why? Whole family are Pastors. Father, Uncle , Grandfather. I believe Madison should be with DCFS not MH’s Mother. MH was pregnant before married, child born four months aft marriage. MH had Sandra sister babysit Madison during the time Sandra disappeard. MH told Police that Sandra came to play with Madison but Madison couldn’t play cause she needed to put her toys away. The next day Madison is taken on “planned vacation” with MH’s Mother. Why did Father Lawless have to mention “planned”? What relative took Madison to Mother Lawless? Was Mother Lawless at GRandparents home? Father Lawless was at the Uncles Church for a conference. There has not been a rummage sale at the church per grandmother in 30 years. Read there are only twenty menbers of Grandfathers church. Women who abuse are usually abused by women, or if abused by men will assist a man in his abuse. All the children in contact with MH or her Family need to be interviewed. We are a product of our learned behavior and enviorment.

  28. Brenda in Virginia says:

    Hi mammacrazy30,

    When you wrote, “sometimes you have to lose everything to know what it means to you.” that totally connected with me. No, I was never molested, but family tragedies and some harrowing times certainly did change my outlook on life. It’s not that my life is any easier or smoother now, I simply see how much time and energy I wasted on things that were not important, never were and never will be. It’s freeing, isn’t it?

  29. Brenda in Virginia says:

    deena…do not forget to remind the boys they have a lovely set of teeth and USE them if necessary. Preferable in the face of their attacker or throat. This also leaves an identifying mark since our teeth are unique as are our finger prints.

    My dad told me this advice and I did bite a neighbor boy who picked me up and wouldn’t put me down. Told me he was taking me to the garage to “suck my blood”. Really? To this day I remember his screams as he dropped me and ran back to his house after I chomped down on his forearm hard as I could. I was grade school, he was either middle or high school. Bet he remembers me from his childhood! ;>)

  30. deena says:

    Thanks Brenda, I will definitely mention that to them also.

    My youngest was 7 and at Dave and Buster’s with his father for a friend’s Birthday Party. To no surprise, my ex let him go to the bathroom on his own and a man came out from the stall and told my son to stay in there with him and he reached out to grab my sons arm. THANK GOD my son has been talked to enough that he ran out of the bathroom to his dad. The police were called and a report was made and in speaking to the records clerk she said that my son did exactly the right thing (unfortunately my ex didn’t because my 10 year old son still doesnt go to the bathroom alone on my watch). I have been advising them to yell and run the other way, but now I will add the biting and kicking if someone does get a hold of them. Thanks.

  31. JmBrdy says:

    “Throw in he is caught on video dropping the note to Sandra’s killer off..wth?
    I am way hinky on Williams”

    I’m not saying he’s not hinky, I’d say he’s hinky with a splash of standing-hair-on-my-neck freaky. Separating what I feel and what I know is the challenge in this case. Based on the limited information I ‘know’ and the emphasis that ‘no’ arrests are anticipated, how does this individual fit in to this case.

    The other day I asked you about Williams on tape and about that letter. It is definitely alarming, especially when it was dropped off between 4:00am-4:30am when no one would be around. Like he was leaving it for MH to pick up, hoping the words would ease her contorted and sullied little mind.

    Anyway, just a thought….a twist a way to play devil’s advocate and view the evidence in a different light. But really I do agree with you, and have since I learned about the note drop-off.

    I love a good protagonist, and welcome it. We all think better from it, imo. Very well said.
    B

  32. coolio says:

    dddeerma, I hope you weren’t thinking I was offended by your comment. I wasn’t at all. Just not a NG fan.

    As far as sources, my usual routine was to find local newspaper or television websites where incident occurred. They always have more information. I’m new to this forum, but like it a lot so have not found a need to venture beyond those local sources and here.

    Brenda, I very much agree with your advice to use all means to protect ourselves (including teeth) but feel compelled to clarify one thing. Our teeth are unique in the sense of xrays or molds which were taken of them. That is why identities are often confirmed with dental records.

    Yes, if a victim bites an attacker it can be used to id attacker same way as saying I scratched him on his left arm. But, bite marks themselves are not like fingerprints.

    There used to be this belief they were, but its really been called into question lately as its nowhere near the same as fingerprints. You can google it yourself, but quick search pulled up this article where Innocence Project helped exonerate 5 people who were convicted, due in part, to this supposed bite mark science: http://www.talkleft.com/story/2009/2/1/3264/09244

  33. MICKI says:

    WHILE WATCHING THE MEMORIAL ON CHANNEL 10. THERE WAS A CHAT ROOM BESIDE THE LIVE FEED OF MEMORIAL A PERSON CAME ON THERE, SAID HER FRIEND WAS ONE OF THE OFFICERS WORKING THIS CASE( DIDNT SAY FBI OR TRACY PD), SAID THEY CAME HOME VERY DISTRUBED AND NEEDED A DRINK WHICH WAS UNUSAL.

    This comment was edited to delete inappropriate, rumor and disrespectful info.
    B

  34. new says:

    Caution about instructions to bite. If you bite and draw blood you risk direct contact with the Aids virus. You don’t know an attackers medical history. But I agree it would be a great deterent if a child gets the chance to bite

  35. new says:

    Read will try to find again and post. MH wrote to a friend That she would pray to die before she woke since she was in sixth grade. Expressed no one needed or loved her. That’s why I am in agreement with Sally. What MH did to Sandra did not happen over noc. This is deep seated behavior.

  36. Robin says:

    I’m shocked and amazed that this crazy woman possibly might get off on an insanity defense. I, like you believe I’ve found my own new platform.

    I’ve known plenty of mentally ill people in my life. Worked with them. There are all types of mental illnesses. Some do know right from wrong. Some don’t. Melissa Huckaby is one that does know right from wrong. If she didn’t. She would not have ever had a driver’s license for one. Nor would she ever had a child and so on and so on.. Some of my patients could not read or write due to their mental illnesses/conditions..I could go on and on..But I’ll spare you..

    It always amazes me when a person claims mental illness after being charged with “RAPE” MURDER” and/or KIDNAPPING” …
    This is a cop out and a weak, weak, defense! This woman knew exactly what the he*L she was doing…and for her crimes she be put to death.

    The state I’m from, they can’t put to death a mentally ill person. So my question is? Why in the hell do these criminals with these so called mental illnesses only commit crimes such as RAPE and normally murder?? Like I said, The mentally ill people I know don’t even know how to think of what the action of rape would be. Let alone commit it. Seriously, the criminal justice system needs some serious REVAMPING!!

    I can rarely recall a case in the past 25+ years where I said, Wow that person is seriously mentally ill…it should be taken off the form of any defense..Insanity maybe but it should not be allowed to be used as an excuse because in this case, that is all it is.

    Robin- agreed. Andrea Yates comes to mind. I totally believe she was completely and utterly “mad”. I didnt care then and I don’t care now. Five babies died as a result and she never deserves to see the light of day again. I did not empathize with her, I empathized with the 5 sweetie babies the last thing they saw in life was the face of the killer holding them underwater, especially the older son who she chased down. That was preventable. You will never convince me otherwise. Signs were there, many of them. People truly believe it cant happen to them, tell that to the Yates children.
    B

  37. kabelle says:

    Disturbingly similar:
    Kabelle, no offense intended but that link has nothing whatsoever to do with this topic, and I respect my reader’s time here.
    B

  38. Priscilla says:

    I find it ironic that Connie Lawless ran for the Tracy City Council a few years ago and won–using the program of Protect the Children. You can find this by clicking on Connie Lawless.

  39. fedupmom says:

    i agree with a caller on HLN who suggested mandatory prison time for anyone who commits sex/violent crimes against children under 12. i think at least 25 yrs to life for first offense–send the message that you so much as touch a child inappropriately you WILL spend hard time. no probation, no suspended sentences, no pleas. there should be no second chance because as a society we have learned(the hard way) that the behavior only escalates over time and it is just unrealistic to believe we can keep these creeps away from every child all the time. IMO ANYONE that would OPPOSE such laws only has another agenda to support–the pedophiles and the childporn industry they keep in business.

  40. sweetpea says:

    SICK! SICK! SICK!
    Blink,
    I just read in the Mercury News that MH’s attorney has requested from the court to have Sandra Cantu’s body removed from her resting place so that they can conduct an autopsy of their own! Seems that MH has found the perfect lawyer “Meeting of the Minds” and all.

    Relax sweetpea, that will never happen and I am encouraged that he is a bird brain :)
    B

  41. sweetpea says:

    P.S.
    This story was reported at Recordnet.com

  42. Sally says:

    Well in this case, they seem to have caught the person who victimized Sandra Cantu, but the person who likely repeatedly sexually abused Melissa Huckaby is still OUT THERE. With the whole notion that an abuser doesn’t just do it once, THAT person is likely still sexually abusing women. And I bet it’s a man who is related or an acquaintance of the Huckaby family.

    Where does it stop? It isn’t like we can put Melissa Huckaby in jail and throw away the key and the root cause of Sandra Cantu’s murder will be worked out.

  43. deena says:

    Not only do the criminally insane not receive the death penalty, a LARGE portion of them actually get out of the institution after their “treatment” is complete. They do not live in cells and they are allowed their rights, including refusing to take psychiatric medications. It is an atrocity that anyone can think that most of these people can be “cured” and become normal citizens of society.

  44. Sally says:

    From: Schlosser, Eric . 1998. The Prison Industrial Complex. Atlantic Monthly, December, pp. 51-77.

    War Against Crime:

    Up until 1970s in the US about 110 prison inmates for every 100,000 people; 1990s – 445 per 100,000; among adult men it is about 1,100 per 100,000.
    United States has approximately 1.8 million people behind bars: imagine the combined populations of Atlanta, St. Louis, Pittsburgh, Des Moines, and Miami behind bars – it is more more people than any other country in the world — perhaps half a million more than Communist China.
    During the past two decades roughly a thousand new prisons and jails have been built in the United States. Nevertheless, America’s prisons are more overcrowded now than when the building spree began, and the inmate population continues to increase by 50,000 to 80,000 people a year
    In 1977 the inmate population of California was 19,600. Today it is 159,000–more inmates in its jails and prisons than do France, Great Britain, Germany, Japan, Singapore, and the Netherlands combined. After spending $5.2 billion on prison construction over the past fifteen years, California now has not only the largest but also the most overcrowded prison system in the United States. The state Department of Corrections estimates that it will need to spend an additional $6.1 billion on prisons over the next decade just to maintain the current level of overcrowding. GREAT SOLUTION.

  45. sweetpea says:

    B,
    I certainly hope that you are right. Unforturnately, I do not have that much faith in our justice system. I am sure there would be an out cry of extreme proportions, but that doesn’t always stop “STUPIDITY” Opps, I meant the law.

  46. lives4kids says:

    IMO sex offenders should have their sex organs removed, ovaries, testicals, any part of a human that drives sexual desire. Some people think this would be cruel and unusual, more cruel and unusual than being a just turned eight year old girl and being raped w/ a foreign and then stuffed in a suitcase? When will this country smarten up and stop giving such a damn about the rights of rapists and pedophiles?!

  47. lives4kids says:

    I meant foreign object, I’m just so disgusted I can barely type!

  48. Brenda in Virginia says:

    Dear New, yes…I understand that…but if raped…you’re gonna get whatever disease the perp has anyway. Know what I mean?

    When I used to be a police dispatcher, this is advice they told us to give children…bite. I was also told when you are attacked…99% of the time the attacker has already made up their mind if they are going to kill you or not…so fight as if they are. Dont be afraid!!!

  49. Brenda in Virginia says:

    thx for the info coolio! Have been out of LE for 15 yrs now…so maybe they still thought back then teeth were unique! EIther way, certainly would help with identification as you mentioned, but apparently not same as finger print P:>(

  50. Brenda in Virginia says:

    Blink

    you wrote: Relax sweetpea, that will never happen and I am encouraged that he is a bird brain
    B

    My guess is this man/bird is a cross between a starving buzzard and a Dodo ;>)

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