Sandra Cantu #2 4/09/09 - 4/15/09

[Emma]

I really wonder where Melissa's daughter is. I have heard she went with her "other" Grandma on a preplanned trip. Would that be "Grandma Huckaby"? In light of the news we are hearing today, I would hope that the little girl has been seen by LE.

[Tams]

JessStar's post of the Salem News article previously (thanks for posting, Jess!) really solidified it all for me. As stated in the article: "Tracy authorities, under intense pressure to find Sandra Cantu, have now set an incredibly important national precedent. Their willingness to acknowledge at-large child pornography traffickers in their midst shows courage... and could help locate a child victim." Since this was printed (April 6th), this particular victim has been found. I personally am so hoping that they are carrying on with trying to bust this abomination wide open.

It appears FBI is involved; it would seem this is part of a much wider investigation that they have been working on for years - thus they have to play it all VERY carefully now so as not to destroy everything they have been gathering & setting up for so long. There could be many more children's lives at stake right now, many more being victimized, and LE must keep their statements and theories very close to the vest, so to speak, in order to successfully round up ALL of the sickos tht may be involved. And if it involves internet child porn, there could be a very large number of them, (even all over the country); thus FBI is zeroing in & (hopefully) setting up the bust as we speak.

Perhaps the info out there re: this infamous "Tracy 60", the Wenatchee connection with 'Pastor' Lawless, etc. are more than just speculation, fear, & gut feelings. Perhaps it is all finally culminating to a showdown.

Sheneman is perhaps being used as a 'puppet' of sorts - in that he is being told to get out there & make brief & specific statements that are being fed to him by the FBI. For whatever very calculated reason, he is now being told that he can release the info about the rape/lewd/lascivious charge. (I DO NOT mean the 'puppet' statement as a demeaning comment about Sheneman; I feel that he is hugely professional - and if all of this does turn out busting a child porn ring, in my estimation, he is truly a hero.)

It would certainly explain many things; among them, why the previous drugging of a child by MH was not pursued. The FBI has probably been watching MH & many others since that incident, waiting for the right moment/slip-up/crime/incident before they could pounce. I am guessing that Blink has had similar thoughts (& more resources/info that she could/can not share), and has been losing sleep because she has been dying to shout from the highest mountain what despicable inhuman scum we are dealing with here.

This is all just speculation based on putting all of the pieces of everyone's theories here together; as mentioned before, there are so very many thoughtful & insightful posts both here & on Blink On Crime.

By the way - Kat_Gram - it's ok, we are all swearing up a storm right along with you.

[numbersgirl]

Good evening Monkeys!  I'm just getting a chance to check in today, and I'm heartbroken over the latest new of little Sandra 

I'm not about to give Pastor and Mrs Lawless a pass on anything at this point.  I don't know what that church is all about, but if MH's "instability"  reached the point of murdering a little girl, then IMO, there were other warning signs before this.  This 28 year old woman, with a child of her own, hasn't held a job in several years - after having been fired from her last job.  She's got a police record, so obviously, the Lawless family knew she had issues.

If MH was sent to live with them - then she should have been under their watch.  If there were previous allegations of MH being involved in drugging a child, then the Lawless family should have supervised her movements whenever a child was present.  They should NOT have allowed other children in their house. 

As far as the "church" goes...it was a crime scene a few days before Easter, yet they held services there...WTF?  I want to know how often Pastor Lawless went into the building and who else had access to the church. 

Why was Mrs. Lawless the first person to mention "abuse"? 

[no rose colored glasses]

Good evening Monkeys!  I'm just getting a chance to check in today, and I'm heartbroken over the latest new of little Sandra 

I'm not about to give Pastor and Mrs Lawless a pass on anything at this point.  I don't know what that church is all about, but if MH's "instability"  reached the point of murdering a little girl, then IMO, there were other warning signs before this.  This 28 year old woman, with a child of her own, hasn't held a job in several years - after having been fired from her last job.  She's got a police record, so obviously, the Lawless family knew she had issues.

If MH was sent to live with them - then she should have been under their watch.  If there were previous allegations of MH being involved in drugging a child, then the Lawless family should have supervised her movements whenever a child was present.  They should NOT have allowed other children in their house. 

As far as the "church" goes...it was a crime scene a few days before Easter, yet they held services there...WTF?  I want to know how often Pastor Lawless went into the building and who else had access to the church. 

Why was Mrs. Lawless the first person to mention "abuse"? 

All great questions, and something tells me we will find those answers sooner then later. I do not want to say anything about the pastor and his wife, but I have been saying that the pastor's wife has creeped me out from the moment I laid eyes on that woman, I do hope what I'm thinking is wrong.

[cookie]

just catching up..I am in shock...now rape/molestation charges ? when we found out that Melissa took Sandra, I remember feeling relieved that Sandra did not have to go through molestation/rape....then when finding out that the police did not have a motive...I thought...oh oh...hope this woman is not more perverted than we thought, but I could not let my mind go there for Sandra's sake .....now, it seems that it is true?  I am truly sick to my stomach...

I don't think that the rest of Melissa's family had anything to do with this...jmo...sex offenders tend to be secretive and I really don't think that the pastor and his wife had anything to do with porn or porn rings...they might be strange, but I just don't see it as anything but them being strange...Granted, I think that they could have held the Sunday services elsewhere than the church..the whole congregation could fit in their mobile home for crying out loud!
One other thing, Melissa's daughter needs to be checked for molestation jmo...and any other child that would have been near this woman..
has there ever been another case where a woman molested and murdered a girl child?

[klaasend]

Klaas, or any Moderator who might be around, would you mind giving my email address to Blink?  I was hoping to ask her something if she's willing to email me or has the time.

I know that Klaas has the email address that I use, I think it's the same one I registered for this site with.

Thanks in advance!

I sent Blink your email addy.

[AZSunny]

Klaas, or any Moderator who might be around, would you mind giving my email address to Blink?  I was hoping to ask her something if she's willing to email me or has the time.

I know that Klaas has the email address that I use, I think it's the same one I registered for this site with.

Thanks in advance!

I sent Blink your email addy.

Klaas, what are your thoughts on this after today's information?

[Kat_Gram]

OT Phil was remanded in custody.
According to JVM, first time for Phil.
 
  
The jury didn't buy it. They put a number up $ 400,000.00. Costs for experts, H Lee Dr. Baden being two of them. Baden will have to change his tag line from:
Remember, We Work for God to, God and Money.
 

[Tracygirl]

Where is MH daughter??? That is a great question.

[klaasend]

Klaas, or any Moderator who might be around, would you mind giving my email address to Blink?  I was hoping to ask her something if she's willing to email me or has the time.

I know that Klaas has the email address that I use, I think it's the same one I registered for this site with.

Thanks in advance!

I sent Blink your email addy.

Klaas, what are your thoughts on this after today's information?

I find it very hard to believe that Melissa acted alone.  I won't be surprised to hear more arrested and videos involved.  In other words a child porn link. 

[Fanny Mae]

I have a question that has been nagging at me. Didn't we see a news report that one of the things that was found in the suitcase was a missing flyer of Sandra's? I know there was something talked about MH's keys and cell phone, but am I dreaming that about the flyer? TIA

[k9ohana]

Why was the phone interview the MH cut off like that? Any one know?

[JazzTune]

OMG, the charges get more sickening by the minute!  Really scary too to hear it's going to get even worse.  That poor child, Sandra.  My constant prayer has always been that maybe, she didn't suffer much.  That perhaps she was accidentally overdosed and died without waking up.  Yet, these new charges don't even allow me that small bit of comfort anymore. 

What kind of human being could actually do this to a child?  Sociopath is the only word that comes to my mind.  Yet, Tracygirl - you are absolutely right.  I DID jump the gun on that.  I neither have the information yet to base that judgement upon, nor do I know enough about Melissa to say one way or the other.  She's been arrested but I don't even know for sure that she actually killed Sandra.  So I do apologize.  This case is disturbing enough without me adding more fuel to the fire, that's for sure.

I do want to thank you too for all you've added to this case.  Your links and observations have been a tremendous help to everyone here.  So good to have someone right there on the spot, reporting back with the local feedback.  Appreciate it!

Also, thanks to those who made mention of my post helping them to understand better the medical part from my perspective.  Just want to clarify a couple of more things about 72-hour holds.  Weekends and holidays do NOT count during that time (because the courts are closed.  Therefore, if the holds ended on a wk-end or holiday, the MIW could not be as readily obtained, if desired.)  Therefore, many patients end up being legally held in the hospital for up to a week because of this. 

Also, the psychiatrist can discontinue the hold at any time.  Usually, he will then ask the patient to do a voluntary sign-in for treatment.  Some of them treat it as a mind game.  They agree to sign in, get the hold d/c'd, and then say they want to leave the hospital.  If the doctor doesn't feel they're ready, he will then order another hold but that is in place only to give the staff enough time to go down to court and petition for the MIW. 

Our hospital does not keep MIW patients, so I always fill these patients in on the facts.  I tell them if they end up having to be transferred, they might regret it.  Our hospital is considered the Cadillac of in-patient psychiatric services in our state.  The hospital downtown they'd be transferred to is most definitely NOT.  Every day psych life down there is much less comfortable than ours.  They usually get the picture and drop that game.

Sorry for the digression.  Just felt it might help to explain that sticky 72-hour hold situation a little better. 

Tams - thank you for the "new to this place" appreciation as well.  You said exactly what I was thinking!  You mentioned Blink's forum too.  I can see it's a very informative forum too.  Wow, she's really on top of this!  I do hope to eventually make my way around to these different forums.  They have so much to offer.  Right now though I'm still trying to figure this one out.  I'm sort of computer illiterate, I think.  Haven't figured out how to do the quote thing, or the Avatar one either. 

My work schedule is really time-consuming too.  I'm charge nurse so I have to be there for meetings, committees, Joint Commission visits, etc.  Then there's my family.  They expect some of my time too.  Lol...

I will figure this out at some point, I'm sure.  I'm so glad to be here!  I've learned so much and am very thankful for this resource.  Hope I can add my little bit whenever it feels it could be appropriate.

Thanks to ALL!

[Edward]

You mean William ?

He is the one that said it was THE suitcase stolen from the church.. That it was going to be sold at a rummage sale..
He new it was THE suitcase from nothing more then video footage from the news helicopter..
He also gave his theory as to what happened to police..
He is part of the Church..

Just go back to page one of this case and read ...
If there is no more arrested in this case I will be surprised.

[Tracygirl]

Why was the phone interview the MH cut off like that? Any one know?

which phone interview? do you have a link

[klaasend]

You mean William ?

He is the one that said it was THE suitcase stolen from the church.. That it was going to be sold at a rummage sale..
He new it was THE suitcase from nothing more then video footage from the news helicopter..
He also gave his theory as to what happened to police..
He is part of the Church..

Just go back to page one of this case and read ...
If there is no more arrested in this case I will be surprised.

Yep, Fred Williams is at the top of my list

[k9ohana]

Why was the phone interview the MH cut off like that? Any one know?

which phone interview? do you have a link

Sorry, here is the link.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EkbjqccDiIo

[Idgie]

Wow. I know I'm new here but you guys are killing me.

I feel sorry for Sandra's parent...most definitely, but I also have pity for MH's parents and grandparents. You can assume they knew anything about it..and someone earlier called them vermin. I mean, come on...there for the grace of god go I. You can't have complete control over your relatives. If my cousin does something messed up, it's hardly my fault.

I used to be an investigator for a very popular online service (back in the dialup days) and I can tell you it's mostly relatives of the children that are the predators when it comes to actually producing child pornography. Most of it that was traded was either old (70's) or the same pictures over and over again. They'd jump em from a server in the bahamas. It was slick and I can tell you once you've seen it..you never forget it. I remember every picture I saw in sickening detail. It was something not for the faint of heart. I enjoyed getting the perps though. Made me happy.

I'm not saying everyone was not involved but calling these old people who haven't been charged with any crime vermin gives me the heeby jeebies.

I haven't YET gone so far as to call them vermin, but the act of conducting Easter Services at the very church we've been told was the location of Sandra's murder was nothing short of sacrilegious. At the very least, they should have considered how Sandra's family would feel about that. It's like having a party at the murder scene! That act does not put them in a good light in my eyes. And yes, if more comes out about any of her family being complicit in any way then I will have nothing but contempt for them and vermin would be a mild label to apply to that kind of evil.

I was not aware we knew where the murder took place even according to this article the place has not been verified by LE.

"Himmelblau wouldn't provide additional details on any evidence leading prosecutors to consider the sexual assault allegations. Police have not released any details on how, where or why Sandra was killed."

http://www.tracypress.com/pages/full_story?article-Rape%20may%20be%20alleged%20in%20girl-s%20slaying%20=&hash=comments_2310960&page_label=home&id=2310960&widget=push&instance=home_news_lead_story&open=&#comments_2310960

[k9ohana]

You mean William ?

He is the one that said it was THE suitcase stolen from the church.. That it was going to be sold at a rummage sale..
He new it was THE suitcase from nothing more then video footage from the news helicopter..
He also gave his theory as to what happened to police..
He is part of the Church..

Just go back to page one of this case and read ...
If there is no more arrested in this case I will be surprised.

Yep, Fred Williams is at the top of my list

Oh God me too.
Anyone know if he holds an actual paying job other then "caretaker" for the "church"?  Or if he is married and if he is does she work? I am trying to figure out how he has a house worth nearly $400,000? Well, I have my suspicions but....

[Izzy58]

Ok how in the world did I miss this?!!!  Melissa's ex husband is NOT her daughter's father?

http://www.silive.com/newsflash/index.ssf?/base/national-1/1239613825281070.xml&storylist=new_topstories&thispage=2

However, her father acknowledged that Huckaby had struggled with depression, especially after she divorced her husband and had to raise her daughter alone. Court records show that when Huckaby filed for divorce from her husband, John Huckaby, in Orange County in January 2005, the couple had no children. The identity of Madison's father was not immediately clear.