SANDRA CANTU, 8, missing since 3/27/09 Tracy, CA #1 3/28/09-4/09/09

[Heart]

Spotlight on Suitcase in Tracy Girl's Disappearance, Death Young girl's body was found stuffed in luggage

Updated 6:45 AM PDT, Wed, Apr 8, 2009


Flowers, candles and balloons have been piling up outside the mobile home where Sandra Cantu lived since the girl's reported disappearance.
 
Police on Tuesday removed bags of evidence from a Baptist church near the home of 8-year-old Sandra Cantu, who was found dead nine days after she disappeared from her Tracy mobile home.

Police searched the home and the church of a Tracy pastor for clues in the death of a missing Tracy girl.

The pastor of Clover Road Baptist Church, Lane Lawless, has been questioned several times and says he's cooperating with investigators. He says he had nothing to do with the girl's disappearance.

Church member Fred Williams told KCRA that he believes police are wrongfully targeting the church and pastor.

"There's not one member there that would have anything to do with anything like that kind of situation," Williams said. "More people should come to church and hang out with him because they would find out what a fun loving kind of guy that he is," Williams said.

Williams also said the black suitcase Cantu was found in was reported stolen from another member of the congregation on the day Cantu disappeared. It was apparently intended for a rummage sale, according to Williams.

Meanwhile, the memorial outside Sandra Cantu's home has grown to nearly triple size in the past few days. Flowers, candles and balloons have been piling up outside the mobile home since the girl's reported disappearance.

"I hope they catch whoever did this. I lived here my whole life. I used to feel safe, but I don't anymore," said 19-year-old Melissa Landrum, who lives in the mobile home complex where Sandra Cantu was last seen alive March 27 and had known the girl since she was born.

The investigation has touched on everyone who lives in the complex, including a pastor who became a focus Tuesday. Investigators cordoned off Pastor Lane Lawless' home and Clover Road Baptist Church for a search after questioning him for three hours the night before.

Lawless and his wife, Connie, told reporters that they had been interviewed because they lived down the street from Sandra's family and their great-granddaughter often played with her. They said they had nothing to do with her disappearance.

"We're very open to them taking whatever they want today," Connie Lawless said. "We feel the more people they can eliminate, the quicker they will be able to get to the truth."

Police have not named any suspects in the case.

"He has been interviewed as have hundreds of people," Tracy police Sgt. Tony Sheneman said of Lawless. "Everyone that we speak to could be considered a person of interest. We have no specific person that we are looking at at this time."

Search warrants have been served for at least two other men in the girl's neighborhood since the investigation began.

Police will hold a news conference Wednesday to update the media and public on the case.

http://www.nbcbayarea.com/news/local/Spotlight-on-Suitcase-in-Tracy-Girls-Disappearance-Death.html

[N2WISHN]

Good morning all!

I don't know if this has been posted or not, but just now on MSNBC they reported that a member of the church informed LE that a suitcase resembling the one that Sandra was contained in was stolen from one of the vehicles on the chuch grounds.

Thanks, I find that odd, I wonder if the car was locked?

Odd is right.  This would leave me to believe that someone would have had knowledge of there being a suitcase - I wouldn't think that if you had a dead body on your hands, that you would just randomly look around in cars for a container.  If this is correct, someone knew there was a suitcase in that vehicle....Or was it just convenient to report a stolen suitcase, just in case it was found later??? Hmmm.

An article mentions the suitcase being stolen, but it doesn't make a whole lot of sense. Some man from the church named Williams is commenting on it.

snipped
Meanwhile, church member Fred Williams said he believes his church and its pastor, Lane Lawless, are being wrongfully targeted.

"There's not one member there that would have anything to do with anything like that kind of situation," Williams said. "More people should come to church and hang out with him because they would find out what a fun loving kind of guy that he is," Williams said.

Williams said that the mysterious black suitcase Cantu was found in was reported stolen by another congregation member the same day Cantu disappeared.

"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," Williams said.

http://www.kcra.com/news/19121818/detail.html

[Edward]

Good morning all!

I don't know if this has been posted or not, but just now on MSNBC they reported that a member of the church informed LE that a suitcase resembling the one that Sandra was contained in was stolen from one of the vehicles on the chuch grounds.

On what date and aprox what hours ?

Also whomever did the drop off of the suitcase most likely came back by way of Tracy blvd.. See photo I posted yesterday.. Is there any Street ligt cameras or store video survalliance cameras that may show the perp on return to the area ... The farmer could probably say approx of when the suitcase landed in the holding pond.

jmho

[N2WISHN]

Good morning all!

I don't know if this has been posted or not, but just now on MSNBC they reported that a member of the church informed LE that a suitcase resembling the one that Sandra was contained in was stolen from one of the vehicles on the chuch grounds.

On what date and aprox what hours ?

Also whomever did the drop off of the suitcase most likely came back by way of Tracy blvd.. See photo I posted yesterday.. Is there any Street ligt cameras or store video survalliance cameras that may show the perp on return to the area ... The farmer could probably say approx of when the suitcase landed in the holding pond.

jmho

Williams said that the mysterious black suitcase Cantu was found in was reported stolen by another congregation member the same day Cantu disappeared

[cookie]

http://blinkoncrime.com/2009/04/08/sandra-cantu-c…brating-sandrasandra-cantu-case-celebrating-sandra/

For Sandra’s Family, won’t you take a moment to leave a comment of praise or condolence for the doe-eyed princess we never met, but will never forget? I will be passing this link on to Sandra’s family.

Thank-you Blink

yes thanks blink..I tried to post a comment to her family but since I don't have a youtube account, tried to create one and every single user name that I tried has been taken! gave up but I will try to be creative and think of a different name...

Hi Rob...good to see you.

morning all monkees..

[no rose colored glasses]

Thanks Heart for the articles, I will wait and see, but this suitcase being stolen from a car in the church's lot, is not sitting well with me.

[Edward]

Williams said that the mysterious black suitcase Cantu was found in was reported stolen by another congregation member the same day Cantu disappeared.

"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," Williams said.


That parking lot is wide open.. There is an opportunity for the perp to be seen by anyone walking driving by or looking out there windows.. A person carries a suitcase is a visible item..jmho
Also the STUFF should show up in a garbage can or on the ground someplace.

This fellow has no idea if that is really the suitcase does he ?
jmho

[no rose colored glasses]

http://blinkoncrime.com/2009/04/08/sandra-cantu-c…brating-sandrasandra-cantu-case-celebrating-sandra/

For Sandra’s Family, won’t you take a moment to leave a comment of praise or condolence for the doe-eyed princess we never met, but will never forget? I will be passing this link on to Sandra’s family.

Thank-you Blink

yes thanks blink..I tried to post a comment to her family but since I don't have a youtube account, tried to create one and every single user name that I tried has been taken! gave up but I will try to be creative and think of a different name...

Hi Rob...good to see you.

morning all monkees..

I left a comment under Blink's article in the comment section, is that not where we are to leave comments for Sandra's family 

[spring2]

What day was the suitcase reported missing?

[no rose colored glasses]

What day was the suitcase reported missing?

Same day Sandra was reported missing 

[no rose colored glasses]

Williams said that the mysterious black suitcase Cantu was found in was reported stolen by another congregation member the same day Cantu disappeared.

"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," Williams said.


That parking lot is wide open.. There is an opportunity for the perp to be seen by anyone walking driving by or looking out there windows.. A person carries a suitcase is a visible item..jmho
Also the STUFF should show up in a garbage can or on the ground someplace.

This fellow has no idea if that is really the suitcase does he ?
jmho

I'm going to say NO

[spring2]

So they knew when they got a call that there was a suitcase in the pond, exactly what it was.

[Kimmy53]

Williams said that the mysterious black suitcase Cantu was found in was reported stolen by another congregation member the same day Cantu disappeared.

"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," Williams said.


That parking lot is wide open.. There is an opportunity for the perp to be seen by anyone walking driving by or looking out there windows.. A person carries a suitcase is a visible item..jmho
Also the STUFF should show up in a garbage can or on the ground someplace.

This fellow has no idea if that is really the suitcase does he ?
jmho

Very good points Edward.  I would like to know who the stolen suitcase was reported to.  Did someone just "remember" it being stolen after reports of Sandra's disapearance?  Or was it reported immediately before word of Sandra being gone.  Who would have been at the church to realize it was missing....this was a Friday, correct?  Was there an activity going on at the church?  Or was someone told it had been stolen after the fact - covering for when and if it was really discovered?

[no rose colored glasses]

cbs13 this morning reported that Wohler's house was searched again (last night) as well. So Wohler's name comes back again, and his place is searched again. This just must be some kind of child porn ring, what else could this all be about, I would like other thoughts, because I just can't come up with anything else. 

[Gypsy DD]

I think in any missing child case, they start with the family and the people who were / are the closest, then work outwards. Last known associations, etc.
We have no idea why the Pastor was questioned or why those other vehicles were taken away. We also have no idea of any connection any of these people have to each other, if any. Toss in sixty kiddy porn fans to the mix.   
..
Can you imagine living there right now ?   

I was speculating that this could be more then one person making a kiddy porn movie, they drugged her , but realized she would still be able to ID them.

Maybe the lead on the church came from something they found on the kiddie porn sites..unbeknownst to the pastor.  I don't think the pastor is involved, but if the church property is, then they had to question him.

[no rose colored glasses]

I think in any missing child case, they start with the family and the people who were / are the closest, then work outwards. Last known associations, etc.
We have no idea why the Pastor was questioned or why those other vehicles were taken away. We also have no idea of any connection any of these people have to each other, if any. Toss in sixty kiddy porn fans to the mix.   
..
Can you imagine living there right now ?   

I was speculating that this could be more then one person making a kiddy porn movie, they drugged her , but realized she would still be able to ID them.

Maybe the lead on the church came from something they found on the kiddie porn sites..unbeknownst to the pastor.  I don't think the pastor is involved, but if the church property is, then they had to question him.

That could very well be, they may have even drugged Sandra and she died from the drugs, not what they had intended to happen, thus the panic.

[Kimmy53]

What I am getting at is:  Was this reported to police?  If the suitcase was for a rummage sale, why feel the need to report it stolen?  Unless in hindsight.??  Wasn't Sandra reported missing around 8 p.m.?  When was it made public knowledge?  Was is missing before Sandra? or noticed afterward?

[N2WISHN]

What I am getting at is:  Was this reported to police?  If the suitcase was for a rummage sale, why feel the need to report it stolen?  Unless in hindsight.??  Wasn't Sandra reported missing around 8 p.m.?  When was it made public knowledge?  Was is missing before Sandra? or noticed afterward?

Just a guess on my part, but if I were having a garage sale and a suitcase I was getting rid of was stolen, I doubt I would report it to the police. Since it wasn't really worth all that much to begin with and I would most likely give it away if didn't sell......

[no rose colored glasses]

What I am getting at is:  Was this reported to police?  If the suitcase was for a rummage sale, why feel the need to report it stolen?  Unless in hindsight.??  Wasn't Sandra reported missing around 8 p.m.?  When was it made public knowledge?  Was is missing before Sandra? or noticed afterward?

I wish I knew the answers, it would make no sense to report it, I'm wondering if there were other items inside of the suitcase, that were thrown out by the person who stole the suitcase? More items for rummage sale?

[N2WISHN]

What I am getting at is:  Was this reported to police?  If the suitcase was for a rummage sale, why feel the need to report it stolen?  Unless in hindsight.??  Wasn't Sandra reported missing around 8 p.m.?  When was it made public knowledge?  Was is missing before Sandra? or noticed afterward?

I wish I knew the answers, it would make no sense to report it, I'm wondering if there were other items inside of the suitcase, that were thrown out by the person who stole the suitcase? More items for rummage sale?

The whole rummage sale thing has me wondering. From all reports by neighbors and others there just wasn't much activity going on at the church to begin with. Also, according to another article, Sandra and her mother had at one time attended this church.

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