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

[pink angel]

Arrest Made in Sandra Cantu Case
Posted By: Trevor Tamsen     2 mins ago

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TRACY, CA -- Tracy Police arrested 28-year old Sunday school teacher Melissa Huckaby around 2 a.m. Saturday Morning on suspicion of kidnapping and murdering of 8 year old Sandra Cantu.

During a 3 a.m. news conference Saturday morning Tracy Police Chief Janet Thiessen, was called in to speak. She said "over the course of the investigation, agents and investigators from numerous agencies, have been instrumental in identifying Melissa Huckaby as being responsible for Sandra's death."

While she would not elaborate on the cause of death, Thiessen went on to say "We have information that, Sandra, by the time she was reported missing to us, probably had already been murdered."

The arrest was made more than two weeks after Sandra was last seen outside her home at the Orchard Estates Mobile home park.

Huckaby is the granddaughter of Lane Lawless, the pastor of Clover Road Baptist Church. On Friday, Tracy police and the FBI searched the Church and the surrounding area for a second time looking for evidence in her death. Huckaby teaches Sunday school at the church.

Earlier this week, Huckaby told the Tracy Press her black suitcase was stolen on March 27th the same day that Sandra disappeared. Sandra's body was found just days later in a suitcase left in an irrigation pond just two miles from her home.

Tracy police now say that Huckaby's story is a lie, and Sgt. Tony Sheneman confirmed the suitcase Sandra was found in belongs to Huckaby.

Sheneman said during her interview with officers Huckaby gradually came to terms with the situation.

"She was very relaxed for a bit then she became very emotional then she became relaxed again, then she became resigned to what was happening," Sheneman says.

Huckaby has been booked in San Joaquin County jail, where she is currently being held.


http://www.news10.net/news/story.aspx?storyid=57671&catid=2

[pink angel]

Sgt. on MSNBC:

She was put on their radar due to tips from neighbors and comments made on the news.

She drove to the police dept last night. She came in voluntary to talk.

Melissa's daughter and Sandra were good friends.

Melissa was calm during most of the interview, became emotional at one point, then became calm again.

Community will have a tough day today upon waking up.

[NCSunny]

  GM Monkeys, WOW....who'd of thought about a woman, supposedly a Sunday School teacher?  I am so glad Sandra's murderer was found & arrested. I guess I just don't understand people anymore. Guess you can't trust anyone anymore. 

You late nighters did some great sleuthing last nite!!!

I feel so bad for her family.


BTW - Happy Easter everyone, I may not be on for a few days, next time I am I will be NCSunny...lol

[pink angel]

forgot to add to above:
Only one person is under arrest and they are not looking for anyone else.

[pink angel]

http://207.104.50.87/WhosInCustody/InmateDetails.aspx?ID=DAF0723370D288C6624A7007795233ED2EAD0C27289C93EB37E3E3935AF77065CF16B412EA88CAECE6BC53

Inmate Name: HUCKABY, MELISSA
Aliases: HUCKABY, MELISSA CHANTEL
Booking Number: 09-09082
Date of Birth: 02/23/1981
Gender: Female
Height: 5'03"
Weight: 125
Visiting: 24 Hour Lobby Visiting
Mailing Address:
Mailing Information HUCKABY, MELISSA / 09-09082
San Joaquin County Jail
999 West Mathews Road
French Camp, CA 95231
Booking Date/Time: 04/11/2009 at 03:25 AM
Projected Release Date: None
Arresting Agency: TRACY POLICE DEPARTMENT
Type of Arrest:
Charges/Bail:
Case# Pending (00) - No Bail
PC 187 Felony
MURDER
PC 207(A) Felony
KIDNAPPING

Total Bail: Bail not Allowed
Next Court Date: 04/14/2009 at 01:30 PM
Court Location & Department: Manteca Branch Department: I


(credit to ladybug from over yonder)

[pink angel]

[NCSunny]

TY Pink, she sure looks different than in her myspace pic, she looks evil & mean here.
California dropped the death penalty didn't they???

[can]

Thanks Pink angel.

GM SCSunny - sounds like you're moving - hope it goes well and you're back with the Monkeys soon.

Sounds like LE had their eye on the perp all along.

Poor little innocent Sandra.   

[alagary]

Any theories on why ?

[pink angel]

TY Pink, she sure looks different than in her myspace pic, she looks evil & mean here.
California dropped the death penalty didn't they???

Nope, CA is still a death penalty state and kidnapping is considered special circumstances in a murder trial.

So she is eligible for the death penalty if the prosecutors decide to go that way.

Have a nice Easter and a safe trip!


Happy Easter to all da monkeys!

[pink angel]

TY Pink, she sure looks different than in her myspace pic, she looks evil & mean here.
California dropped the death penalty didn't they???

Nope, CA is still a death penalty state and kidnapping is considered special circumstances in a murder trial.

So she is eligible for the death penalty if the prosecutors decide to go that way.

Have a nice Easter and a safe trip!


Happy Easter to all da monkeys!

--------------------

California legislation was passed in 1973 which made the death penalty mandatory in certain cases under certain conditions. Among these were kidnapping if the victim dies, train wrecking if any person dies, assault by a life prisoner if the victim dies within a year, treason against the state, and first-degree murder under specific conditions (for hire, of a peace officer, of a witness to prevent testimony, if committed during a robbery or burglary, if committed during the course of a rape by force, if committed during performance of lewd and lascivious acts upon children, by persons previously convicted of murder).

[pink angel]

According to a news report on Fox News TV:

The police's PIO was speaking and said Melissa's daughter was NOT home at the time when Sandra went over to her house.

And the video of her skipping...she was heading towards Melissa's trailer when she goes off screen.

[pink angel]

Apr 11, 2009 6:15 am US/Central
Arrest Made In Calif. Girl's Kidnapping, Murder
TRACY, Calif. (CBS) ―

Police in the Northern California city of Tracy arrested Melissa Huckaby early Saturday for suspicion of kidnapping and murder in the death of 8-year-old Sandra Cantu, CBS station KPIX-TV in San Francisco reported and police confirmed.

The 28-year-old Huckaby is a Sunday school teacher and the granddaughter of the pastor of Clover Road Baptist Church, which was searched by authorities for a second time Friday.

Huckaby's arrest came after she was questioned by police detectives for several hours on Friday night. She had sent a text message telling KPIX that she was on the way to meet with police detectives.

At 2:25 a.m. Pacific time, police drove Huckaby out of their headquarters in an unmarked car, headed for the San Joaquin County Jail, where she was booked on charges of kidnapping and murder.

"We have information that by the time (Sandra Cantu) was reported missing to us, she had already been murdered," said Police Chief Janet Thiessen.

However, Thiessen would not elaborate on the cause of Sandra's death nor the motive in the case.

"This is a terrible terbible tragedy," Thiessen added. "An act against a child that has wide-reaching implications."

http://cbs11tv.com/national/murder.kidnapping.arrest.2.982516.html


It sounds like she broke down and confessed.

[Leroy]

WOW!! 

Thank you all for the updates.

[Anna]

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,514435,00.html

Says the family is asking only for prayers and thoughts.

Kidnapping and murder, mandatory death penalty if I am reading that correctly.

[cookie]

Wow! I am freaking out! WHY??? why would she do such a thing?
I feel relieved that we know who did it, just not why....
this explains perhaps why she was still fully clothed, even down to her flip flops!
I wonder if that suitcase had a name tag on it? something about that suitcase led the LE to this woman...

great work LE! Now Melissa needs to pay for what she did!

[Nut44x4]

I was noticing on some other news sites that some peeps think more than 1 was involved...perhaps another or more arrests will follow....check comments at bottom...
http://www.tracypress.com/pages/full_story?page_label=home&article-Breaking%20news-%20ARREST%20=&id=2300718-Breaking+news-+ARREST&widget=push&instance=home_news_lead_story&open=&

[pink angel]

Wow! I am freaking out! WHY??? why would she do such a thing?
I feel relieved that we know who did it, just not why....
this explains perhaps why she was still fully clothed, even down to her flip flops!
I wonder if that suitcase had a name tag on it? something about that suitcase led the LE to this woman...

great work LE! Now Melissa needs to pay for what she did!

She admitted in the press she had a missing suitcase and even gave the press the brand name. It didn't take long for the police to connect the dots. From the articles and the reporting this morning it sounds like she was called in, she drove to police station, talked with them for hours and finally broke down and confessed.

jmo

[Anna]

Pink or anyone,

Is there a press conference scheduled yet?  Maybe then they will tell us at least the LE theory on motive.  I am very troubled over what the motive could have been.

[Anna]

Does anyone remember the Judith Ann Neely case?  Female was kidnapping victims for a male.  I do wonder if as Nut read others or another is involved.

This is such a senseless tragedy.  Why on earth did this woman do this!