Missing and Murdered Children

Original Post: June 17, 2009Last Updated: 10.26.2009View Sources

This story is eerily similar to the October 2008 disappearance of two-year-old Tangena Hussain in Michigan. She has never been found.

Last night Gary, Indiana police received a call about a missing two-year-old female. According to the babysitter, Angelica Castillo, 18, she left the toddler in her car while she ran into a the Glen Park Gas Station, at 1401 E. Ridge Rd. in Gary, Indiana to purchase a gallon of milk and cigarettes. According to the babysitter, when she returned to the vehicle the child was gone. She called police at 9:30p.m.

According to the child’s mother, the babysitter is her cousin and her daughter has been staying with the cousin for about eight days. She says the last time she spoke to her daughter it was either Thursday or Friday.

I don’t know. If I had left my two-year-old with relatives for a planned two-week summer stay I think I would be calling my child each night to say good-night and to see how she was adjusting to the visit. I watched the video of the interview with the mother and she seems sort of detached about the whole thing. I could not see if she was crying real tears or not because of the sunglasses she was wearing during the interview. The father seems more concerned and has made statement that he does not believe the babysitter’s account of what happened.

“I think it was more like, ‘I made a mistake, I did something,’” said Jada’s father Clarence Justice. “To me, that’s the vibes I got is like, ‘I did something.’ I don’t want to speak on it, I don’t want to speak on the worst.’”
“I don’t know. I don’t know what to feel. There are so many different speculations,” said Jada’s mother Melissa Swiontek. “I feel like I’m going to find her. I mean, I do feel like she can’t be gone, like it’s not even happening.”¹

As in the Hussain disappearance, there is no video to show what went on at the vehicle.

However, in this disappearance witnesses have come forward stating they did not see a child in the car. The storekeeper stated the babysitter was only in the store a little over a minute and search dogs have not picked up Jada’s scent at the gas station. I don’t know how search dogs work but maybe they can’t pick up a scent because it was raining that night.

Other concerns involve fresh burns on the boyfriend’s arms and face for which he has not given a reasonable explanation. The boyfriend and babysitter are still being questioned by Gary, Indiana police.

Strangely enough as of this evening an AMBER Alert has not been issued for the this child. Michigan authorities issued an AMBER Alert for Tangena when she was reported missing under similar circumstances. I don’t suppose an AMBER Alert will help in this situation anyway. It didn’t help find Tangena.

If you know the whereabouts of Jada Justice or the circumstances surrounding her disappearance you are asked to call either the Hobart, Indiana Police Department at 1-219-942-1125 or the F.B.I. hotline at 317-639-3301.

Jada is a 2-year-old black female. She is 2′2″ tall and weighs 35lbs. Jada has brown eyes and black hair. Her date of birth is August 3, 2006. When last seen Jada was wearing an orange skirt and striped shirt.

The FBI has entered the case as of this evening. They are treating the case as a possible abduction. Law enforcement, the FBI, and family members converged on the convenience store property this evening. They were searching the area and handing out Jada’s picture.

Law enforcement are trying to put together a time line. They are asking people to come forward and tell them the last time they saw Jada, where she was, and who she was with at the time.

Police plan to charge the 18-year-old babysitter with felony child neglect for leaving Jada in the car unattended. Police also served a search warrant on the babysitter’s home. The took away some articles of clothing.

Updates

Trial Update

Sunday June 21, 2009

There really isn’t much to write about regarding Jada’s disappearance. By that I mean she is still ‘missing’. Police do not buy into the claim the babysitter, Angelica Castillo, of how Jada disappeared. The home the 18-year-old former gang member shares with her boyfriend was searched. Investigators did some digging in the backyard of the home; however, they determined the child was not buried there.

Angelica Castillo was arrested on charges of felony child neglect, but the charges were later dropped.

Police believe there are witnesses out there who know what happened to Jada. They may have witnessed something that they don’t realize is important to the investigation. They are asking for the public’s help. They want to know the following information:

Police are looking for anyone who may have seen her (Angelica Castillo) or her boyfriend, Tim Tkachik, between Sunday June 14 and Tuesday June 16. They may have been driving either a 1991 maroon Cadillac Fleetwood or a 1999 Chevy Tahoe…
…”We believe there are individuals who have information important to this investigation who have not yet come forward because they did not feel their information was important, they thought someone else may have reported it, or they believe it was not relevant,” said Deputy Chief Jeff White, Hobart Police.²

(The bold text in the quote above was added by me for clarification purposes).

Police announced there would be no search conducted for Jada today. They did not give a reason for halting the search; however, they did say the search would resume tomorrow. I don’t know, maybe the search was put on hold because it is Father’s Day.

Jada’s mother, Melissa Swiontek, issued a plea in the media on Friday night.

“I have no idea. I just want her home. I have no idea. She just needs to come home. Somebody has an idea. Somebody knows something and they need to talk,” said Melissa Swiontek, Jada’s (sic) mothe.³

Rewards & Contacts

The family is offering a $6,000 reward for information leading to Jada’s recovery.

• FBI: 1-800-FBI
• Gary Police Commander Anthony Titus: (219) 881-1237, (219) 881-1229, (219) 881-1209 or (219) 881-1210.

The FBI is treating Jada’s disappearance as a possible abduction. Gary and Hobart Police contacted the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children to see if an AMBER Alert could now be issued for Jada. The answer was no, that Jada’s disappearance does not meet their criteria for an AMBER Alert. OK, I am scratching my head once again regarding the decision of who qualifies for an AMBER Alert.

Gary police contacted the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, but learned the case involving Jada did not meet the criteria for an AMBER Alert because investigators do not have detailed information on a suspect.⁴

I say BULL***.

The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children has recently issued AMBER Alerts in the following cases on their AMBER Alert site:

1. Haleigh Cummings – Florida No longer active: Still Missing
   She was discovered missing from her Florida home in the middle of the night in February 2009. There were no witnesses to her alleged abduction and no suspects or suspect vehicle. The AMBER Alert is still in effect.
2. Daisja Weaver – Texas No longer active: Still Missing
   Daisjai’s mother reported that her child was abducted in the middle of the night from her apartment by an unknown Hispanic male wearing a hoodie type sweatshirt. He allegedly tried to sexually assault the woman and when she fought him off the suspect grabbed her baby and escaped over the balcony.
   During the investigation the mother came forward and told authorities that she and the baby’s father threw the child’s body in the local river after the father killed the child. Both parents are in jail. The body has not been found. Why is the AMBER Alert still in effect?
3. Emanuel Guzman – Colorado No longer active: Still Missing
   In the Guzman case, the non-custodial parents are the suspects and they are wanted for child abuse. At the time the child was reported missing CPS had just been given jurisdiction over the child because the parents failed to make a court appearance. In my opinion, the NCMEC has issued this AMBER Alert to help CPS in Colorado clean up their mess. Emmanuel had gone to the hospital with severe burns on his hands. For whatever reason he was allowed to go home with his parents. The burns happened in April of this year and the court date that was missed was in May. In my opinion, CPS should have been given at least temporary custody of Emmanuel and placed in a foster home at least so he could get care for his burns. Burns caused by child abuse have patterns indicating intentional or deliberate injury to the child.
4. Gabriela Patricia Velazquez – North Carolina Located safe on June 22, 2009
   Police think Gabriela, 14, was maybe taken from the Monroe County National Guard Armory by Ciro Alonso Salina, 20. They don’t have a description of a vehicle or direction of travel. They also do not have a picture of Salina. Gabriela is described as a Hispanic girl, 5 feet 4 inches tall and weighing 120 pounds. She has black hair, brown eyes and a birthmark on her right calf. She was last seen wearing a white shirt, blue jeans and high heels. Salina is described as a Hispanic man, 5 feet 6 inches tall and weighing 140 pounds. He has black hair and brown eyes. He was last seen wearing a black shirt, black dress pants and black shoes. Police ask if you see them or recognize their names making purchases call 9-1-1.

   Does this case rise to the AMBER Alert criteria? We don’t know if Gabriela left of her own accord. There is no picture of the suspect. Many Hispanic males could fit Salina’s physical description.

5. Tangena Hussain – Michigan No longer active: Still Missing
   The circumstances of Tangena’s disappearance are almost identical to Jada’s disappearance. The mother’s boyfriend stopped at a gas station convenience store to purchase juice and gum. He left 2-year-old Tangena in the car parked on the side of the convenience store. He claims the doors to the car were locked. When he returned a few minutes later to the car Tangena was no longer in the vehicle. Instead of calling authorities right away, the boyfriend drove to a mall to pick up the girl’s mother from work. They then drove to back to the gas station and notified authorities. Tangena has not been found. Her AMBER Alert no longer appears on the NCMEC site.

Out of the five cases listed above with AMBER Alert status only two cases had suspect information. The other three cases, Weaver, Cummings and Hussain had no suspect information.

Somebody is not telling the truth regarding the AMBER Alert issue as far as Jada’s case is concerned. Here is the answer to the question from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children on who issues AMBER Alerts:

Does NCMEC issue AMBER Alerts?
NCMEC releases AMBER Alerts to secondary distributors, once we are notified by law enforcement that an Alert has been released for a specific geographical area. Once NCMEC validates the AMBER Alert, it is entered into a secure system and transmitted to authorized secondary distributors for dissemination to customers within the geographic areas specified.
Secondary distributors are defined as companies, businesses, or organizations that have the capability to deliver geographically targeted messages to their customers; and have a signed Memorandum of Understanding with NCMEC. Internet service providers (ISPs) are an example of secondary distributors.
Only law enforcement can initiate and release AMBER Alerts for primary distribution.⁵

The emphasis is mine in the above quote. Who is telling the truth or misleading the public?

Thursday June 25, 2009

Police received a tip this afternoon that led them to a field in LaPorte county, Indiana. The location is approximately thirty miles from the gas station where Jada was reportedly last seen. A body was found there this afternoon – it is believed to be the body of missing Jada Justice. A coroner was called to the scene. Authorities say they have two people in custody. If the investigation goes as planned may come as soon as Friday.

June 28, 2009

No matter how long I write about missing and murdered children I don’t think I will ever get over how utterly cruel people can be, especially when the children murdered are related to the accused.

Engelica Castillo and her boyfriend were arrested last Friday morning and charged with murder among other lesser charges in connection with the death of 2-year-old Jada Justice. Engelica is or was Jada’s older cousin. Jada was left in her care for what was supposed to be a six week stay while Jada’s mother went out-of-town.

According to the interview with police Engelica’s boyfriend, Timothy Tkachik, claims Engelica is the one who administered the series of blows to Jada’s body and head that took her life, the last blow sending her head into contact with a nearby table.

Tkachik claims that one morning in June, Engelica became upset with Jada because of an issue with potty training and she began to spank Jada. When Jada refused to cry from the spanking this upset Engelica and she proceeded to strike the child about the head and pull her hair. At some point Jada fell striking her head on a table. Still not happy with Jada’s behavior, Engelica stood Jada in a corner for a ‘time out’. Jada was not complying so Engelica proceeded to rap the child in the head with her knuckles.

Oh wait, I forgot to mention, this was happening the morning after Engelica and Tkachik did several lines of heroin the night before.

At some point that afternoon it was time for the couple to go out a score some more heroin so they put Jada in her car seat and left to run that little errand. According to Tkachik while driving to the connection’s house they realized Jada was no longer breathing. They drove back to the house and went inside with the child and tried to administer CPR but it did not work. Doing what any normal person would do, Tkachik, noticing the bumps and bruises all over Jada’s body, decided to place Jada inside three garbage bags and put her body in the basement. They then went out to continue with their heroin purchase, returned home and went to bed for the night.

Just like any addict’s worst nightmare, when they awoke they realized the nightmare was really their life and they still had to figure out what to do with Jada’s body. Of course, the only thing to do was to burn her body. So they set off to purchase a metal trash can, propane and charcoal. After making their purchase they set off to a remote area where they found a hole. Tkachik placed Jada’s body inside the hole still encased in the garbage bags. Something happened with the fire when he threw the lit charcoal bag in the hole and the fire exploded in his face. That is where he got those burns he had so much trouble explaining. After still failing to rid themselves of Jada’s body, they decided to leave her there and go do some more heroin to help them think better.

Tkachik went back out and retrieved Jada’s partially burned body and placed it in the back of his truck. He then went to purchase a plastic container and cement and went back to the house. He took Jada’s body back down to the basement and there he encased her body in cement inside of the plastic container, using a space heater to speed up the hardening of the cement. When the cement had hardened enough he and Engelica went to a former haunt of Tkachik’s father. I use this term loosely. Many years ago when the Tkachik was still a child his father took his mother and his aunt to the same spot and shot them dead. He then turned the gun on himself. This is the area Tkachik chose for Jada’s final resting place. He brought along a power saw of some sort so he could cut away the plastic from the cement. (He did not want to leave any fingerprints behind). Then he and Engelica shoved Jada’s cement encased body into the swamp. With the dirty deed accomplished they decided it was time for Engelica to give her Camille-like performance at the Gary, Indiana gas station feigning Jada’s abduction.

It not only makes me weary to relate this story, it sickens me as well.

Trial Dates

Engelica Castillo will be the first of two co-defendants to stand trial for Jada Justice’s murder. Her trial date is set for December 7, 2009. Castillo is charged with murder, neglect of a dependent, battery and false informing for the June 2009 death of 2-year-old Jada Justice.

October 26, 2009

Castillo’s trial date has been pushed back to March 2010 because prosecutors have decided to pursue a sentence of life without the possibility of parole for her. The defense claims it will take more time and money now to prepare for the defense. They will have to hire experts regarding mitigating circumstances. This means experts who will look into Castillo’s childhood to see if there were problems in her childhood that could have caused her to murder Jada. Yep.

Sources

1. Mai Martinez, 2-Year-Old Vanishes from Car in Gary, CBS2Chicago.com, Last Accessed: June 17, 2009. [↩]
2. John Garcia, Police Ask for Tips in Search for Missing Girl, WLS-TV Chicago, Last Accessed: June 21, 2009. [↩]
3. Ibid. [↩]
4. Mai Martinez, 2-Year-Old Vanishes from Car in Gary, CBS2Chicago.com, Last Accessed: June 17, 2009. [↩]
5. NCMEC [↩]

Original Post: April 6, 2009Last Updated: August 17, 2009View Sources

Sandra Cantu, age 8 years, disappeared from her Tracy, California home at the Orchard Mobile Home Estates where she lived with her mother, grandparents, and other siblings including an older brother. According to her mother, Sandra went outside to play at about 3p.m. on Friday March 27. A neighbor said Sarah told her daughter she had to go back home to do her homework and that was approximately 4p.m. Sandra’s mother called police to report her daughter’s disappearance at 8p.m.

Video was released this past weekend showing a skipping and seemingly carefree Sandra going by what is believed to be the home of her grandparents. Her grandfather had recently installed the surveillance equipment because two weeks before Sandra’s disappearance his truck was vandalized.

Police have been pretty diligent in their search for the eight-year-old. They have brought at least three men in for questioning who live in the mobile home park and have impounded at least four vehicles. Sandra’s father has been given a polygraph exam.

Some things do not add up. Why did it take almost four hours for Sandra to be reported missing? Certainly she must have missed dinner. Her mother has been pretty much camera-shy, and Sandra’s aunt has been the spokesperson for the family.

Today, a discovery was made in an irrigation pond approximately two miles from Sandra’s home, which prompted a call to police. Farm workers draining the pond to irrigate the fields noticed a black container floating to the surface as the water level receded. Someone pulled the container over to the embankment. According to a spokesperson for the FBI the container has not been opened; however, the county pathologist has been called to the scene. The spokesperson said Crime Scene Investigators are taking pictures of the surrounding area and making note of footprints, tire tracks and anything else that might look suspicious. The container will be taken to an undisclosed location later this afternoon and opened there. When asked by a reporter at the news conference why it is necessary to take such precautions if in fact the container does not hold human remains the response was in it important to preserve the scene in case they later discover human remains when the container is opened.

For what it’s worth I believe they know Sandra is in that container or perhaps evidence pertaining to Sandra. The reason I believe that is because of human nature. It is human nature to immediately open something up when you find it floating. I am reminded of the Baby Grace case. The fisherman who found that container floating up to shore immediately opened it up. He then called police when he realized there was a body inside.

Of course, time will tell in this case whether the remains of Sandra Cantu are inside the large black container that some news organizations have referred to as a suitcase.

On another note, just prior to discussing the discovery of the container, he read a written statement from the family. Contained in that written statement was information indicating that Sandra’s aunt is the official spokesperson for the family, that monies donated should only go to the Carole Sunde Foundation or the Crime Stoppers of the Tracy Police Department. The addresses were given for each and a mention was made to make sure to put the name Sandra Cantu in the memo section of the check. Also, cash can be dropped off at the Tracy Police Department. Sandra’s family will no longer participate in the nightly Prayer Vigils because it is just too painful for them. The FBI spokesperson made a point of stating this written statement from the family and their decisions has nothing to do with today’s discovery of the container.

Updates 

April 6, 2009: 9p.m.

During an 8:30p.m. news conference held tonight the a spokesperson for the Tracy Police Department announced the recovery of Sandra Cantu’s body. The large container located this afternoon did in fact contain the remains of Sandra Cantu. Police are now identifying the container as a suitcase.

At this point authorities are not commenting on possible suspects or ties to the suitcase with persons already questioned. An autopsy will be conducted tomorrow. Sandra’s family was notified of the find just prior to the news conference and they are in seclusion.

This case chills me to the bone. I am having the same reaction as when Christopher Barrios went missing from the mobile home park in Georgia. Three neighbors are awaiting trial for his murder. I would imagine the person or persons responsible for Sandra’s death will be someone she knew, just as her mother mentioned in one of her interviews.

April 7, 2009: 4p.m.

Police say they are close to solving the case of who murdered Sandra Cantu and are closing in on the suspect. Last night they served a search warrant on another home inside the mobile home park where Sandra lived.

Today, the Clover Road Baptist Church located a short distance from the mobile home park has been labeled a crime scene. The church has been roped off with crime scene tape and police say they are searching for evidence there connected to the home they searched last night. The pastor of the church, Lane Lawless, and his wife, Connie, have also been questioned. According to Connie Lawless:

“We are open to whatever they want to ask,” said Connie Lawless, who also said Sandra used to come by and play with their great granddaughter….Lane Lawless told a Sacramento news station, News 10, he had nothing to do with the girl’s disappearance. ¹

According to one report, Sandra’s mother, Maria Chavez, passed out when she was given the news about her daughter. She was transported by ambulance to a nearby hospital.

I can’t imagine how it would feel to have lived in that mobile home park and considered most in the park friends. Sandra was allowed to visit both children and adults inside the park. Some adults referred to Sandra as her friend or she their friend. Now, all are looking at one another knowing that at least one of the neighbors is a hardhearted child killer.

April 7, 2009: 4:30p.m.

People are gathering in front of the mobile home park and placing objects at the growing memorial for Sandra Cantu.

During this afternoon’s news conference police confirmed the autopsy was completed on Sandra’s body this morning. However, they are not releasing the cause of death until toxicology reports and tissue sample tests are completed; those results could take from 4 to 6 weeks. Also during the news conference police stated they have received many phone calls from community members wanting to send condolences to the family. The police spokesperson stated any cards or letters for the Cantu family should be sent to the Tracy Police Department and they will make sure the family receives the mail. For those wishing to donate cash the spokesperson said to contact the Sund-Carrington Foundation in Modesto, California.

April 10, 2009: 2 a.m.

The items placed at the makeshift memorial site in front of the mobile home park have been removed at the request of the family. They were concerned the items would be damaged from the expected rain. The family plans to donate the items to various childrens’ charities.

Police confiscated a letter that was left at the memorial site. It was addressed as follows:

‘From Sandra, To My Killer’, and on the inside it read, ‘You’ve taken my life away from me, but I forgive you. And God will judge you at some point.’²

Investigators do not know if the letter has any bearing on the case but they will attempt to investigate the origin.

Police continue to aggressively pursue Sandra’s killer or killers.

April 11, 2009: 5 p.m.

I am really impressed with the Tracy, California Police Department and how quickly they were able to arrest someone for the murder of Sandra Cantu. During the morning news conference Sgt. Sheneman told reporters that Melissa Huckaby, 28, came into the police station late Friday afternoon at their request. She began a discussion with detectives. At first she was cool and calm, but then became emotional. After five hours Melissa finally admitted to the kidnapping and murder. She was taken into custody and booked on kidnapping and murder charges.

Police did not elaborate on a motive and said it will be up to the district attorney and the courts to determine whether Sandra’s death was an accident or pre-meditated murder. During the news conference Shenman did say they are pretty sure they know where the murder occurred. Another investigator stated that by the time Sandra was reported missing, at 8 p.m., the murder had already occurred.

Police notified Sandra’s parents of the arrest at approximately 2:15 a.m.

Melissa Huckaby is the mother of a five-year-old girl – one of Sandra’s best friends. Huckby lives in the mobile home park with her grandfather, Pastor Lawless and she taught Sunday school at her grandfather’s church. Huckaby had told police on the day of Sandra’s disappearance that Sandra had come to her home to play with her daughter but she had told Sandra the girl could not play so she allegedly sent Sandra away. Huckaby had also mentioned in the media that the same day that Sandra disappeared someone stole a suitcase from her driveway. It was her inconsistent comments in the press that caused authorities to take another look at Huckaby. She is set to be arraigned on Tuesday. Huckaby is turning away visitors. She is housed away from the other prisoners and is said to be on suicide watch.

April 13, 2009: 3:45 p.m.

According to San Joaquin County Deputy District Attorney Robert Himmelblau during an interview with the Associated Press, he stated that murder charges filed against Melissa Huckaby could include special circumstances of rape with a foreign object, lewd and lascivious conduct with a child and murder in the course of a kidnapping. The special circumstances charges would make Huckaby death penalty eligible. If the death penalty is not sought a conviction on any of the special circumstances charges would mean a life sentence without the possibility of parole.

April 14, 2009: 4:45 p.m.

Melissa Huckaby was led into the San Joaquin County Courthouse this afternoon in shackles to face murder charges. As the charges were read in open court Melissa Huckaby silently wept. I did notice in the video that she wept considerably more when the charge of rape with a foreign object was read aloud.

The complete list of charges are as follows:

1. One count of murder

Special circumstances

1. Rape with a foreign object
2. Lewd or lascivious conduct with a child under 14
3. Murder in the course of a kidnapping

The murder charge with special circumstances makes this a Death Penalty eligible case.

Huckaby did not enter a plea today. She was assigned a public defender. Huckaby is scheduled for further arraignment on April 24.

I will be blogging about the remainder of this case on my other blog, The End of the Story

April 15, 2009: 5 p.m.

Los Angeles news station CBS reported this afternoon that Melissa Huckaby’s hospitalization the week prior to her arrest was for internal bleeding as she had previously stated to reporters. However, the reason for the internal bleeding was not as her grandmother stated – bleeding ulcers. Apparently Melissa Huckaby swallowed three X-ACTO knife blades in an attempt to commit suicide. It is not clear if she took herself to the hospital for treatment.

Police believe Huckaby could have other victims and are asking those children to come forward.

Any parent who suspects their children may have had “inappropriate contact” with Huckaby are being asked to contact authorities, Sgt. Tony Sheneman said. ³

April 15, 2009: 6:00 p.m.

Sandra Cantu’s parents laid their daughter to rest in a private ceremony at Fry Memorial Chapel. After the service her casket was loaded onto a horse-drawn carriage and taken to Tracy Mausoleum.

April 16, 2009

The public memorial service held today at Merrill F. West High School was attended by thousands of people paying respects to Sandra Cantu. Many did not personally know Sandra Cantu or her family, but they said they could relate to the little girl and her family.

I was surprised to read that Senator Barbara Boxer and State Attorney General Jerry Brown not only attended the memorial service, but also spoke during the service. Other speakers included Tracy’s police chief and Sandra’s aunt.

Donations in Sandra’s memory may be sent to:

Carole Sund/ Carrington Memorial Reward Foundation
301 Downey Ave.
Modesto, CA 95354

August 17, 2009: 3 p.m. PST

San Joaquin grand jury indicted Melissa Huckaby on all charges against her regarding the death of Sandra Cantu and the drugging of an unnamed adult male and another child earlier this year. Huckaby appeared in court today with her attorney to hear the charges against her. According to reporters Huckaby seemed relaxed and was even smiling until the judge read the charges. At that point Huckaby began to cry. It was also observed by some reporters that Huckaby appeared to have scratches on her face and arms.

Sources 

Sandra Cantu’s Body Found in Luggage, KCRA.com, April 6, 2009.

Mike Martinez and Eric Louie, Staff Writers and Aaron Swartz, Correspondent, San Joaquin Herald, Pastor of Tracy Church Being Searched Says He Lived Near Slain Girl, The Mercury News, April 7, 2009.

Search for Tracy Girl’s Killer Intensifies (12:22p.m.), The Record.net, April 7, 2009.

Sarah Netter, Sandra Cantu Found in a Suitcase; Police Closing in on Suspect, ABC News, April 7, 2009.

Sunday School Teacher Arrested in Cantu’s Death, KCRA – Sacramento, April 11, 2009.

Associated Press, Report: Prosecutors Considering Rape, Molestation Charges in Sandra Cantu Case, Mercury News.com, April 13, 2009.

Tracy Murder Suspect Weeps in Court, KRCA.com, April 14, 2009.

Public Memorial for Cantu, KCBS, April 16, 2009.

1. MercuryNews.com [↩]
2. KCRA.com [↩]
3. KCRA.com [↩]

• Original Post
• Updates: January 2009
• Updates:  February 2009
• Updated: 07/06/2009
• Sources