Martin MacNeill Murder Trial Date Nears

It is expected to last 4-5 weeks, yet the sordid and strange life of Dr. Martin MacNeill should play out like a bad made for TV movie: a mistress named "Gypsy", witnesses referred to as "Inmate #1 and "Inmate #2" and a life so twisted it's hard to believe this is real. Utah vs. Martin MacNeill has been a long time in the making. This is a story so strange and so disturbing.

Martin MacNeill is charged with murder, a first degree felony and obstruction of justice, a second degree felony in the death of his 50 year old wife Michele on April 11, 2007. The pre-trial motions have been filed fast and furiously. The defense motion to not allow Michele to be referred to as the "victim" was granted by the trial judge. Two prosecution witnesses will be referred to only as Inmate #1 and Inmate #2 and will not be photographed during the trial to protect their identities - they both served time with the bad doctor in federal prison. Everybody knows snitches are targets in prison environments.

A defense motion to exclude improper comments during opening and closing statements was granted after they argued their concerns that the prosecutor could make statements that would "invoke the jury's passions". Court documents show the defense has requested that the prosecutors not make references to MacNeills' morality in light of his lengthy affair with Gypsy Willis. The court also ruled that some of daughter Alexis Somers statements would be allowed, and others would not - including any hearsay evidence. Alexis Somers told investigators that her mother told her "if anything happens to me, make sure it wasn't your father", or something similar.

Another woman MacNeill had an affair with is also expected to be a witness for the prosecution - her testimony will also be limited. Anna Osborne Walthall is the woman who told authorities that MacNeill talked about his ability to kill people without being detected. She may be the same woman MacNeill reportedly told that he killed his older brother, and tried to kill his own mother. The defense also filed a motion to disqualify the prosecutor in the case. MacNeill's attorney alleged the prosecutor failed to provide requested information that may have helped their client in a timely manner. 4th District Judge Samuel McVey ruled that any issues had either been resolved or were not prejudicial - and the trial would proceed as planned.

I'm a little confused at the restrictions on the state's opening and closing statements. Don't defense attorneys routinely try to invoke a jury's passions? Recall the big trials like OJ Simpson's, Casey Anthony's and Jodi Arias' trial where bombshell allegations were made - baseless allegations, I should say. Why aren't their hands tied? And why can't Michele be referred to as the victim? I can see where that implies a crime was committed, but she was a victim of either an accidental overdose/drowning or an intentional overdose and drowning - either way, she IS a victim. This stuff irritates me.  I suppose we are supposed to see MacNeill as the victim? Persecuted because he had an affair with a woman named Gypsy, coerced his former beauty queen wife into having unnecessary plastic surgery, banning daughter Alexis from the family because she dared to question his version of events on the day her mother died? Yeah, I can see how Martin is the victim.

MacNeill IS guilty of doing some hideous things to his family. He made one of his children call Michele's two brothers who had driven from California to Utah for her funeral and tell them not to come. That's a fact. Three days after her funeral, MacNeill brought daughter Rachel to a Mormon Temple to "pray" for a nanny, and enter stage left - there's Gypsy Willis, meet the new nanny. That's a fact. He pretended not to know her, like some sort of divine intervention brought Gypsy into the MacNeill's life in their time of need. Fact.  He barred daughter Alexis from speaking to her siblings and family after she dared to ask questions about her mom's death. Fact. He instructed his son Damian to get rid of the remaining drugs prescribed to Michele shortly after she died, essentially removing potential evidence of a crime. That's a fact. He moved nanny-Gypsy into the family home within weeks of Michele's death, fact!

Will MacNeill's white collar rap sheet make it's way into the trial? MacNeill was indicted for fraud, forgery, aggravated identity theft, insurance fraud, improper use of a social security number and the list goes on. He and Willis even jacked adopted daughter Giselle's name, and Willis stole her identity after MacNeill sent her back to the Ukraine and left her to fend for herself there, away from the siblings she grew up with in America. Fact. This guy is a real piece of work. I can see why the defense has filed as many motions as they have - this is one despicable man. By all accounts, he was not a good husband and an even worse father, to at least some of their biological and adopted children. MacNeill even had a charge of sexually abusing Alexis. All of the things he did, and add to that potentially murdering his wife.

This should be a trial full of shocking and confrontational testimony.  The doctor/attorney's dirty laundry list is long. How much will the jury hear? The testimony around the 911 call and the events of April 11, 2007 are at the heart of this trial. Martin MacNeill is guilty of a lot more than he's on trial for. Stay tuned, this should be a doozy.

The Strange Life of Suspected Wife Killer Martin MacNeill

Martin MacNeill is scheduled to go on trial for the murder of his wife Michele on October 15, 2013. Looking into the background of the case, and the background of this defendant left me completely dumbfounded. Dr. Martin MacNeill's personal and family history are the strangest and most disturbing I've ever come across. I started reading about MacNeill because I wanted to become familiar with the circumstances surrounding the death of his wife Michele, but the information I found went far beyond his wife's death. Martin MacNeill is either the unluckiest man on the planet, or he is a cold blooded killer.

Michele & Martin MacNeill (ABCnews)

On April 11, 2007 Michele MacNeill was found unresponsive in the bathtub of her home in Pleasant Grove, Utah. At the urging of her husband Dr. Martin MacNeill, Michele underwent plastic surgery and at the time of her death she was recovering from the routine face lift she had eight days prior.  According to MacNeill's recorded 911 call, he walked into the bathroom and his wife was "under the water" and not breathing.  His voice sounded angry as he talked to the 911 operator, who tried to find out what was happening. She asked him if his wife was breathing, he yelled "NO, she's NOT...she's under the water". The 911 operator told him to get her out of the tub, MacNeill said that he couldn't lift her out but he began to drain the water from the tub.

During the call, the 911 operator kept telling MacNeill not to hang up the phone, yet MacNeill hung up on the operator at least 3 times. The 911 operator called him back, trying to determine what was happening with his wife and if he got her out of the tub. MacNeill told her that he was a physician and was giving her CPR.  How could he be giving her CPR if her body is still in the bathtub? Even if the water had drained, it would be nearly impossible to give CPR to a person lying in an oval shaped tub.  The 911 call would be the tip of the iceberg. The circumstances around Michele MacNeill's death are alarming, but the history of Martin MacNeill's troubled life are even more startling.

The MacNeill's had been happy once, but by April of 2007 it was looking like Michele was heading to divorce court after she discovered her husband was having an affair with a woman named Gypsy Willis.  This wasn't the first affair Michele suspected Martin of having, but it would be the last one she would stand for.  In the weeks before she died, she reportedly told two of her daughters and other relatives that she feared that Martin may want to cause her harm. "If anything happens to me, make sure Martin wasn't involved," she said. She seemed to know what he was capable of, and she was getting out of the marriage - this is the most dangerous time for a woman married to a controlling man. Martin MacNeill was not only a doctor, he also had a law degree. A dangerous combination.

Martin MacNeill convinced Michele to have a face lift, something she really didn't need but he insisted. He made all of the arrangements, even allegedly telling the surgeon what medications to send her home with when she was released into his care. She reportedly was given the following medications:  

• Lortab syrup
• Ambien
• Valium
• Oxycondone

Phenergan was also reportedly in her system at the time of her death.  The surgeon says that this wasn't what he typically would prescribe for a patient following the type of surgery she underwent. I'm not sure why the surgeon felt the need to follow the instructions or the wishes of this patients husband - if he hadn't been a MD and an attorney, I'm 110% certain the plastic surgeon would not have prescribed anything outside of what he felt was necessary. This, in my opinion doesn't get the surgeon off the hook. There is no excuse for a medical professional following the instructions of a patients physician husband!  Granted he didn't administer the drugs to Michele, but Michele was his patient and he had a duty to prescribe medication in a responsible manner.

Naturally, Martin MacNeill assured him that he would oversee her medications and make sure she received the proper dosing etc.  One of the MacNeill daughters, Alexis recalls the night after her mom had surgery her father practically kicked her out of her mom's bedroom. The following morning, Alexis says that her mom was "listless and unresponsive" - she confronted her father about over medicating her mom but he denied it.  Michele became so suspicious and fearful that her husband was trying to give her too much medication - was he trying to kill her and make it look like an accidental overdose? After reading up about Martin MacNeill, that doesn't sound like a stretch whatsoever.

Alexis MacNeill told investigators that her mother had always been very sensitive to medications and in the days following her surgery, she didn't need or want to be taking the pain medication Martin was feeding her. Michele's face was wrapped after the surgery to where she couldn't see clearly, so she actually was trying to feel the shape of the pills he was giving her because she didn't trust him at all. Alexis distinctly recalls her mother saying to her "if anything happens to me, make sure it was not your dad".  Can you imagine your mother saying that to you? I can't imagine how scared Alexis must have been, or how she felt when she found out her mother was dead.  

Just five days later, Alexis returned to Las Vegas where she was attending medical school. Within 18 hours, Michele MacNeill was dead. Looks like Martin may have sensed that Alexis and Michele were united against him, so with Alexis safely in another state, he moved swiftly. Alexis says her mother had resumed some of her normal activities, she was actually doing laundry and seemed to be in good spirits. Yet her father left her a voicemail telling her that Michele wouldn't stay in bed?  Alexis was confused by the message, so she began calling her mom's cellphone repeatedly. There was no answer, until her father answered the phone and told her he had just called 911 and was performing CPR on her mother. He hung up the phone. Alexis immediately believed that her father had killed her mother.

Where was Martin MacNeill at the time Michele ran the bathwater and prepared to take a bath? Why did the MacNeills' 6 year old daughter Ada report seeing her mother fully clothed in the bathtub, which she told an interviewer was full of "reddish brown" water? Neighbors reported seeing Michele sitting in an upright position in the bathtub. What happened in that bathroom? Was the 6 year old confused about Michele being fully dressed? According to some reports, Martin told people that Michele must have fallen while preparing her bath, and he told others that he found Michele draped over the tub with her head submerged in the water. Alexis said her father told her he found Michele submerged in water with only her feet above the water. Which, if any of these stories are true? I have a feeling none of them are true.

After Martin picked up Ada and they found Michele in the bathtub, he told the 6 year old to go to a neighbors house to get help. When she returned with neighbor Angie Aguilar, Martin said he needed a man to help pull Michele out of the tub because he wasn't strong enough to do it alone. Angie Aguilar reported seeing no water in the tub, and Michele was dressed in an "upper undergarment". Another neighbor, Doug Daniels arrived at the home and helped MacNeill take Michele out of the tub and begin CPR. Daniels later told investigators he did not see Michele's chest rise while they performed CPR. Police would later seriously question the actions or in actions of Martin MacNeill, a licensed physician who didn't seem to make any efforts to clear the airway of his wife during CPR.

As emergency medical personnel began to arrive, MacNeill was quick to tell them that Michele had been taking a great deal of medication while recovering from recent surgery.  He told them he found her "hunched over the tub", with her head under the water. Martin told another doctor at the American Fork Hospital that his wife must have passed out and fallen into the tub. Pleasant Grove emergency responders reported that Michele threw up a lot of water while they were performing CPR on her. If Martin MacNeill had previously performed CPR on her prior to the EMTs, the water should have been regurgitated within the first few breaths of CPR. Apparently regurgitating water during CPR can be an after effect of "dry drowning", which happens when an airway spasm shuts off the lungs after first exposure to water, to prevent additional water from going into the lungs.

Unfortunately according to the Utah Medical Examiner, no scientific tests could be done to prove drowning occurred. After Michele's body was removed from the house, neighbor Doug Daniels recalls there were no towels in the bathroom when he tried to help clean up. When he went into the laundry room, he found a pile of wet and bloody towels! Although nobody knows when the towels were used and who used them, Daniels says that no cleaning was done after he arrived at the home. This led investigators to believe that Martin MacNeill may have attempted to clean up blood and water prior to neighbors and emergency medical personnel arriving. Cleaning at a time when he should have been trying to save his wife's life.

Alexis MacNeill has always believed that her father had help that day from his girlfriend, Gypsy Willis. There were many things that complicated this suspicious death and potential crime scene. For one thing, it took paramedics 30 minutes to arrive because Martin MacNeill gave them a bad address. Pleasant Valley police reports concluded the death was accidental. "The victim apparently slipped and fell after filling the bathtub with water", one report said.  "Martin said he found her hunched over the tub as if she passed out while preparing the tub", another report said.  And yet another officer reported "it appears the female was drawing a bath when she potentially passed out or fell". What a mess. The initial autopsy indicates she died a "sudden natural death" partly due to myocarditis. Then, in October of 2010, Michele's cause of death was changed to include drug toxicity - and under manner of death, it states that Michele could not have administered the medication to herself.

Investigators believe the original medical examiner who conducted the autopsy was not given complete or accurate information on Michele's death. The fact that she threw up water was only uncovered through investigation more than a year later! To complicate everything, the original medical examiner has since died, leaving many unanswered questions. What happened after Michele's death is even more strange. Martin MacNeill was telling people at his church that he was dying from cancer. The drugs prescribed to Michele after her face lift were found to have been administered within an hour of her death. Yet Alexis reported her mother had not needed or wanted to take any of the medications - she was doing well, and even had been resuming some of her normal activities. How did those drugs get into her bloodstream? Alexis believes her father may have crushed them up and hidden them in the food. Immediately after Michele's death, Martin had his son Damien get rid of all of Michele's medications. When Alexis questioned him about the missing pills, he told her the police must have taken them from the house.

When Michele's older brothers drove from California to Utah for the funeral, Martin MacNeill had one of his children call them and tell them not to come! Mick and Steve Somers held their own ceremony for Michele the following day. What kind of monster does this? Has his own children make this type of phone call asking immediate family not to attend their sister's funeral? Evil, despicable man. Martin MacNeills behavior on the day and evening of his wife's funeral was also disturbing. A neighbor reported going to the MacNeill's home after the funeral, and instead of being upset or saddened, Martin MacNeill gave them a full tour of the house and told them about home improvements he planned on making. Yes, I know, I know - people cope with grief in their own way, but come on...and we haven't even gotten to "the nanny" yet.  Only three days after Michele's funeral, Martin told the children that he needed to find a nanny to help take care of them. He took one of the older daughters, Rachel to an LDS Temple to "pray". And what do you know, out of nowhere, a woman appeared. This woman was unknown to Rachel and was supposedly unknown to Martin. It was Gypsy Willis. Martin's prayers were answered. Are you kidding me? Rachel quickly realized something wasn't right about this scripted meeting she just took part in at the Temple.

Within a few weeks of the meeting, Gypsy Willis was living at the MacNeill home. Alexis knew the name Gypsy, she also knew her mother suspected this was the woman Martin had been having an affair with. When Alexis confronted her father about this information, she was "banned" from the family and no longer would be allowed to talk to her siblings.  The other children would eventually learn the true nature of their father's relationship with Gypsy Willis.  Gypsy wasn't the only woman Martin had been involved with during his marriage to Michelle. Another woman Martin was involved with told investigators that she believed Martin MacNeill was a serial killer. Martin allegedly told her that he killed his older brother Roy MacNeill, and he had tried to kill his mother - but emergency medical personnel foiled his attempt on his mother's life.

Roy MacNeill was indeed found dead in the family's New Jersey home, according to Utah County Attorney's office. Martin told the woman he found Roy in the bathtub with both of his wrists cut - a suicide attempt. Apparently Martin found suicide to be an embarrassment for his family, so he pushed his head under the water and drowned him. MacNeill told some people his brother died with a needle still in his arm, yet he told others his brother was an alcoholic who drank himself to death. What really happened to Roy MacNeill? Just two months before Michele died, another MacNeill brother killed himself and Martin's sister reportedly died while in her early 20's by self-inflicted strangling? Does any of this make sense to you? Why do suspicious deaths and apparent suicides seem to follow Martin MacNeill where ever he goes? He has only one living sister, and she's not talking.

Martin's only son, Damien - the one who disposed of Michele's prescription drugs after her death, died in 2010 from a prescription drug overdose. The carnage continues. Isn't this all too much to happen to one person? Martin MacNeill may have eluded the police for some time in the death of his wife Michele, but the law did catch up to him for other white collar type crimes. In January of 2009, MacNeill was indicted in federal court on 9 counts of aiding and abetting in aggravated identity theft, misuse of a social security number and making false statements. He plead guilty to two counts and in August of 2009 he was sentenced to 4 years in federal prison. In September of 2009, Martin MacNeill plead guilty to additional charges including insurance fraud - and was given 3 years of jail time to be served after he serves his federal sentence.

You may be wondering what happened to Gypsy Willis during this time - she was indicted on 11 counts, and sentenced to 21 months in prison. She was found to be using one of MacNeill's (adopted) daughters identity, Giselle. The family would later learn that Giselle was sent back to the Ukraine, and left there to fend for herself at just 16 years of age! She was going by "Jillian Giselle MacNeill", and the pair used the date of Michele's funeral as their supposed wedding date. This is just about as low as it can get. These two deserve each other - Martin MacNeill also changed his will after Michele's death, leaving each one of his children $1.00 each - and the rest of his estate going to Gypsy Willis under an assumed name. With MacNeill and Willis both serving federal prison time, Michele's family was relentless in trying to get the police to take another look into her death. In January of 2008, the Utah County Attorney's office began investigating the suspicious death of Michele MacNeill.  

All of this is just the tip of the iceberg with Martin MacNeill, a man who has committed too many crimes to recount - who is suspected of inappropriately propositioning women he treated as a doctor. Rachel MacNeill says she has been contacted by many women who were harmed by her father, and she believes them. Martin MacNeill is also believed to have sexually abused his daughter Alexis! They have him on tape apologizing to Alexis for touching her inappropriately, telling her he thought she was his wife. Alexis has always believed her father was responsible for her mother's death. She believes he had the medical knowledge to know what drugs to give her and how to get her to take them. Alexis wasn't alone in her thinking. Michele's family firmly believes Martin killed her, and neighbors who were around the MacNeill's when this happened suspected something wasn't right in that house. This is what gut instinct is all about.  Michele's mother, Helen Somers felt uneasy about her daughter dating Martin MacNeill from the very first time she met him. Further, Somers' bishop warned Helen to not allow Michele to go out with Martin MacNeill. He was not able to elaborate, but that bishop may have had knowledge that Martin was bad news.

The trail of destruction Martin MacNeill left in his wake is only now being realized. He served his federal prison term, but didn't remain a free man for very long. He was arrested in late August of 2012, finally charged with the murder of his wife Michelle more than 6 years ago. His trial is slated to begin on October 15, 2013. Daughter Alexis Somers (she goes by her mother's maiden name) couldn't be happier to see her father finally face murder charges. Already the legal posturing has begun. MacNeill's defense filed a motion so the prosecutor can't refer to Michele as the "victim". Sound familiar? This is likely a common motion filed by defense attorneys across the country. The state of Utah vs. Martin MacNeill should be a trial to remember and hopefully it will be televised. Prosecutors believe Martin MacNeill drugged and then drowned his wife Michele on April 11, 2007.

We may never really know if MacNeill had any involvement in the suspicious death of his brother Roy, or if he really tried to kill his own mother. His son Damien died at a young age of a prescription drug overdose, and although his other biological and adopted children are still alive, he has banned one, shipped another off to the Ukraine - what kind of father does this to his family? What kind of man takes away a child's mother? What kind of man takes a child to a Temple to "pray" for a nanny, and has his mistress appear? Using religion against his own daughter, sexual abuse of another. This man deserves what he has coming to him in prison.  Let the trial begin!

Aquelin Talamantes Pleads Not Guilty At Arraignment in Yolo County

Photo: Sacramento Bee

29 year old Aquelin Talamantes was arraigned in Yolo County Superior Court on Monday, where she plead not guilty to charges of murdering her 5 year old daughter Tatianna Garcia.  Talamantes reportedly showed little emotion during the brief hearing, resting her head in her hands several times during the proceedings.

The hearing shed little new information on exactly what happened to her 5 year old daughter Tatianna, who was pronounced dead at an area hospital after being discovered unresponsive in trunk of Talamantes Honda Accord last Thursday afternoon at the apartment of a relatives in Sacramento. Although the coroner has yet to release a cause of death and authorities have remained tight lipped about the condition of Tatianna's body, prosecutors allege Talamantes beat her daughter and filed a second charge of "assault on a young child with force likely to result in death." It's not difficult to read between the lines here - there had to be a reason that the child's mother was initially arrested and charged with murder. This leads me to believe there may have been visible marks, bruises or trauma to Tatianna's body when she was found in the car's trunk.

Several family members were present at the arraignment and could be heard sobbing openly as she was led in, chained to other inmates who were being arraigned on Monday. Talamantes reportedly glanced back into the gallery at her family. As she was being led back to jail after the brief court appearance, a supporter shouted "we still love you Aquelin". She is due back in court on October 15, 2013 where she will appear with her court appointed attorney. She is being held without bail.  None of her family or friends who came to support her in court spoke with reporters.

New details on the troubled life of Aquelin Talamantes are emerging. A friend of hers spoke with Sacramento CBS13 and reported that Talamantes' own mother was murdered in 1995, when she was just 11 years old. The friend, who wished to remain anonymous also reported that Aquelin had recently been diagnosed as a paranoid schizophrenic, but had not been taking medication for the illness. She visited Talamantes in jail, where Talamantes told her "she loved her daughter very much.  She won't talk about what happened. She said that she loves her son. She wants her son to be contacted to let him know she loved him", the friend said.  I'm wondering why she is saying she loved her son, and not that she loves him. 

It sounds like this is another tragedy in a difficult and dark life. Rosa Talamantes, Aquelin's mother, went missing back in 1995 and her body was discovered in a field a month later. Rosa's boyfriend was eventually charged with murdering her. Rosa Talamantes left behind seven children, one of which was Aquelin - the very mother who is charged with killing her own 5 year old daughter.  Additional reports reveal that Aquelin Talamantes was in the middle of a custody battle at the time of Tatianna's murder.  Tatianna's grandmother, Martha Garcia told CBS13 in Sacramento that Tatianna should have been with her and not with her mother.  Garcia's son is Tatianna's father, and they lived with her in their Suisun City home for nearly 3 years before the couple broke up and Aquelin and her children moved out.

Tatianna's aunt Claudia Garcia said she saw some signs of depression in Aquelin, but never felt the children were in danger. Martha Garcia expressed her frustration that the police who encountered Aquelin acting strangely on Thursday morning didn't intervene.  "The police should have taken the kids",   but they left them," she said.  

Aquelin Talamantes To Be Arraigned Monday In Yolo County

Aquelin Tamalantes - Photo: Sacramento/CBS Local

29 year old Aquelin Talamantes of Davis, CA is expected to be arraigned Monday in Yolo County.  Talamantes was arrested after Sacramento police officers performing a "welfare check" searched the mother's Honda Accord and discovered 5 year old Tatianna Garcia unresponsive in the trunk.  Officers and bystanders on the scene desperately tried to render medical aid to the girl, who was rushed to the hospital where she was pronounced dead.

It is still unclear exactly what happened to Tatianna Garcia and how she ended up in trunk of her mother's car.  The child had been seen earlier with her mother and 5 year old brother at their Glide Drive home in Davis. Davis police actually had contact with Talamantes earlier in the day, when responding to an unrelated traffic incident in front of Talamantes home at 9:30AM. Something about Talamantes behavior concerned the officer enough to make him call for backup. When backup arrived, the two officers went to Talamantes home and spoke to her and another unknown adult for 30-40 minutes. According to the responding officers, the home was clean and 5 year old Tatianna and her 4 year old brother did not appear to be abused or neglected. The officers provided Talamantes with information on family resources and left without incident.

Exactly what happened between 9:30AM and 2:30PM that Thursday is a mystery. Neighbors in Davis reportedly overheard an argument between Aquelin Talamantes and an unknown male.  Later that afternoon, Aquelin drove to a relatives apartment near Pocket Road in Sacramento.  When she arrived without her daughter, family members became concerned enough to contact police and ask them to conduct a welfare check on the child.  This in itself raises questions.  Why would it concern them that Talamantes arrived alone? By all reports it sounds like she has 2 children - 5 year old Tatianna and a 4 year old son.  I would imagine she may have had access to babysitters, or daycare - and depending on who the unknown male police encountered earlier that day was, perhaps she had left the children in his care?

Something about her behavior must have caused her relatives in Sacramento to become so concerned and suspicious that they contacted law enforcement. Those are the questions that have not yet been publicly answered.  Tatianna's father's name has not been disclosed, and I have no idea if he was a part of her life. Her family in Sacramento have posted a sign on the front door of their apartment telling the media that they are not ready to talk about this incident. I'd imagine they are in shock and are grieving. They need time to process what has happened and how this could have happened in their family. I hope the media allows them the time to privately grieve their loss. I'm sure in time the pieces of this puzzle will fall into place. 

Aquelin Talamantes is scheduled to be arraigned on Monday. At that time, we should learn more about what charges she is facing. The coroner has not disclosed a cause of death, and toxicology reports could take 4-6 weeks to come back.  Until then, how the little girl's life ended in the trunk of her mother's Honda Accord remains a complete mystery. Talamantes doesn't have a police record, with the exception of a 2007 conviction for disorderly conduct while under the influence of a controlled substance. Drugs, as well all know, can lead people to do the unthinkable.  Did the officers who encountered Talamantes that Thursday morning suspect her of being under the influence of something that caused them to be concerned? Obviously, the initial officer involved with the unrelated traffic stop/accident observed behavior that concerned him enough to call for backup and spent 30 minutes in her house.

Could this tragedy have been prevented? We may never know. All we do know is that a 5 year old girl is dead. Her mother is under arrest, and being held for suspicion of murder. Police believe Talamantes Glide Drive home is the primary crime scene, but haven't said why they believe that. We don't know if little Tatianna's body showed any signs of trauma at this point.  My prayers go out to this little girls family. 

5 Year Old Girl Dies After Being Found in Trunk of Mother's Car - Update

More details have been released around the 29 year old woman arrested in connection with the suspected murder of her 5 year old daughter, who was discovered unresponsive in the trunk of her mother's car Thursday afternoon.  Aquelin Talamantes is being held at the Yolo County jail. Thursday afternoon, Aquelin Talamantes drove from her Glide Drive home in Davis to a relative's apartment in Sacramento. When she arrived without her 5 year old daughter, identified as Tatianna Garcia - family members became concerned and contacted Sacramento police to conduct a welfare check.

When officers arrived at the Sacramento apartment complex, they spoke to Talamantes and then searched her Honda Accord which was parked nearby. In the trunk, they discovered the child unresponsive and in need of "immediate medical care". She was transported to an area hospital where she was pronounced dead.  It is not known how Tatianna ended up in the trunk of her mother's car or how long she had been there, but neighbors in Davis reported seeing the two together earlier in the afternoon.  There had been reports of an argument between Talamantes and an unnamed man in the hours before the crime is believed to have occurred. 

New details are emerging about another encounter police had with Talamantes on Thursday. Davis Assistant Police Chief Darren Pyten said that his officers initially came into contact with Aquelin Talamantes Thursday morning at 9:30AM, when an officer who was conducting an unrelated traffic stop in front of her home encountered Talamantes acting strangely. She came out to ask what was happening, and her behavior reportedly concerned the officer enough that he called for backup. When backup arrived, the two officers entered Talamantes home and spent 30-40 minutes speaking with her and another unknown adult in the home. The officers reported that the home was clean, and the 5 year old girl and her 4 year old brother showed no sign of abuse or neglect.

Police didn't elaborate on what about Talamantes behavior caused them to be concerned. When no signs of neglect or abuse was detected, the officers gave her information on "family resources" and left the home.  By 2:30PM Thursday afternoon, officers in Sacramento had arrived to conduct a welfare check and found 5 year old Tatianna in the trunk. What happened between 9:30AM and the time she arrived in Sacramento remains a mystery.  It is also unclear why her relatives were so concerned that she arrived without her daughter.  Theoretically, she could have left the child at home in Davis with the other adult who was reportedly at the home or with a babysitter. I'm also wondering where Tatianna's 4 year old brother was during this time - his name has not been disclosed, nor do we know where relatives believed he was at the time of Talamante's arrival in Sacramento on Thursday afternoon.

There has to be more details on this case that are not being released to the public. They haven't released the name of the other person who was at the Glide Drive home in Davis when the police first encountered Talamantes, nor have they confirmed the argument neighbors reportedly heard earlier in the day.  The information is sketchy at best. All we know for sure is that 5 year old Tatianna Garcia is dead, and how she ended up in the trunk of the car is unclear. The police must have some theory that would lead them to arrest her in connection with her daughter's death. Most reports I've read seem to indicate that Tatianna was alive when they discovered her in the trunk, but just barely alive. No details have been released about potential signs of trauma on Tatianna's body and the coroner has not released the cause of death, pending results of the autopsy.

The Sacramento and Davis police departments were both involved in this case. Since the "crime scene" is believed to be the family's home on Glide Drive in Davis,the Davis police department is spearheading the case. Talamantes will be arraigned on Monday at 1:30PM, according to Yolo's chief district attorney Jonathan Raven.  His office has not yet determined what charges will be filed against Talamantes because police reports have not yet been finalized. This appears to be Aquelin Talamantes first major brush with the law, but records indicate that in 2007 she was arrested on suspicion of misdemeanor disorderly conduct while under the influence of a drug in Solano County. Court records indicate she appeared in court in July on a traffic violation.

Meanwhile, relatives at the apartment complex on Pocket Drive in Sacramento posted a note on their front door indicating they were not ready to speak to the media, and attempts to reach Tatianna's father were unsuccessful, according to the Sacramento Bee. 

I can't help but think of the similarities of this little girl's fate and the fate of 2 year old Caylee Anthony - who law enforcement officials believed was in the trunk of mother Casey's car for some period of time before her body was discarded.  At the same time, there are some major differences in these cases.  Tatianna is believed to have been clinging to life when she was found by police in the trunk Thursday afternoon.  Casey Anthony has always denied that Caylee was ever in her trunk, for any reason. However, evidence presented at her murder trial indicate a hair linked to Caylee was found in Casey's trunk - characteristics on that hair indicated that it came from someone who was deceased.  The disappearance of Caylee Anthony changed course after several people reported a strong odor coming from her mother Casey's car. It was reportedly the smell of decomposition, and the missing person case gave way to a potential homicide case.

Perhaps the only thing these two cases have in common is the notion that both involve children ending up in the trunk of their mothers cars. In the end, Florida prosecutors were unable to convince a jury that Caylee Anthony was murdered by her mother and placed in the trunk of her car, where she remained for a period of time before being discarded in several trash bags in a swampy wooded area just blocks from the Anthony family home. Although it seemed to be a very strong circumstantial case, the jury wasn't satisfied that the coroner could not definitively say how Caylee died - therefore, they had a difficult time convicting Casey of her homicide. The real shocker there was that the jury didn't find Casey's failure to report her daughter missing until she could no longer hide that fact from her concerned parents - and her parents, not Casey, contacted police to report the child was missing. In this case, it was again concerned relatives who contacted police.

In this case, the child was discovered by police in the trunk.  Will the mother claim that she didn't know Tatianna was in the trunk? Will she say the child got into the trunk without her knowledge?  The autopsy report will be key in this case.  In keeping an open mind, accidents happen - it's not a stretch of the imagination to think a child may want to go with her mom, and hide in the trunk. I personally don't believe that, but it's not unheard of. The physical evidence and the autopsy results should fill in the blanks in this case.  I'm sure the police have a statement or some definitive evidence that caused them to believe this death was suspicious and there may have been foul play. If the evidence pointed towards an accident, I'm not sure they would have arrested a grieving mother - but I may be way off.

I will continue to update this blog as more details of the case become available. I live around 90 minutes from Sacramento, so I consider this to be local news.  Have a great weekend!

Jodi Arias Trial - Mysterious "Settlement Conference" Scheduled For Oct 24

It appears there are some new developments in the never-ending Jodi Arias penalty phase retrial.  The next status hearing was scheduled for October 4, 2013. However, yesterday a October 24, 2013 "settlement conference" between the two sides was announced. According to Maricopa County Attorney spokesman Jerry Cobb,the court asked both sides if they would be willing to sit down and discuss a potential resolution. "Neither side has presented an outline or agreement or an official position to the court", Cobb said. Retired Superior Court Judge James Keppel will reside over the conference.  In settlement conferences, the original trial judge is not involved.  Judge Sherry Stephens could come back into the picture to ultimately decide if Jodi Arias receives natural life, or life with the possibility of release after serving 25 years.

Neither side is revealing what prompted the settlement conference and neither side seems to have much leverage to settle - one possible scenario would be if the DA's office and Travis Alexander's family were to agree to take the death penalty off the table in exchange for Jodi Arias dropping any and all appeals.  Ironically, Jodi Arias' best chance for an automatic appeal would occur if she received a sentence of death. What prompted this settlement conference? Has the Arias defense strategy of delaying the process for as long as possible finally paid off for her? I'm sure that the defense has sought to delay the retrial all along in the hopes that the public outrage over this brutal murder would fade with time. 

I'm surprised at this latest settlement conference news. It doesn't necessarily mean there will not be a retrial. I'd love to know what prosecutor Juan Martinez thinks of the settlement conference. He seemed to be 110% for taking this trial all the way to the end, and pursuing the death penalty - with disregarding the notion of any plea deals. Has something changed?  For now, it remains a mystery, but common sense would tell us it's at least a possibility that an agreement could be hatched out to avoid the ordeal of another trial. Just my opinion, but I feel like IF this re trial would have been kept on a tighter schedule it could have been done and over with.  Juan Martinez and the court seemed ready to start in July. Arias' defense was not. Not hard to figure out who this will most likely benefit.

The saga continues!

5 Year Old Found In Trunk of Mother's Car Dies - Aquelin Talamantes Arrested

Another sad story is unfolding in Sacramento, CA.  A 5 year old child was found unresponsive in the trunk of her mother's car yesterday afternoon.  She was transported to a hospital after being discovered, but it was too late. Authorities are trying to determine how long the child may have been in the trunk - and the coroner has not released a cause of death.

Photo: Sacramento Bee

Why does this kind of horror story seem to repeat itself? From coast to coast, we hear reports of children dying or being injured at the hands of the very people who are supposed to love and protect them from danger. I don't get it. I don't want to get it.  It's just wrong on so many levels and its frightening that this has become a far too common occurrence these days.

Police are not releasing much information on this ongoing investigation, but here is what is known.  29 year old Aquelin Talamantes, the child's mother was arrested on suspicion of murder and is being held at the Yolo County jail. Talamantes arrived at a relatives Shore Park Apartment on the 7900 block of Pocket Drive in Sacramento Thursday afternoon. She was alone. Her family became concerned and suspicious when she showed up without Tatiana Garcia, her 5 year old daughter.  They subsequently called the police, who arrived at 2:35PM to conduct a simple "welfare check." When they searched Talamantes' Honda Accord, an unresponsive child was discovered in the trunk.  It was not immediately known how long she had been in the trunk, but she was rushed to the hospital where she was pronounced dead.  The coroner hasn't released a cause of death for the child.

Family, friends and neighbors in the Sacramento apartment complex where the car was parked were stunned by the discovery.  Aquelin Talamantes lives on Glide Drive in Davis, and police conducted a search of that residence Thursday night. Police believe the Davis location is where the crime was committed, and evidence was removed from the house. Neighbors on Glide Drive in Davis reportedly told authorities that Talamantes was seen or heard arguing with a man on Thursday, prior to the time they believe the child was put into the trunk of the car.  Earlier on Thursday, neighbors reported seeing Talamantes with her daughter - so when she showed up in Sacramento Thursday afternoon without the child, family members were suspicious and concerned about the whereabouts of the child. No additional details have been released by authorities.

The Sacramento Police Department are seeking tips from the public, and have set up an anonymous tip line:  Sacramento PD (916) 264-5471, or Crime Alert at (916) 443-HELP, or you can call in a tip to 274637 by entering SACTIP followed by the tip information. Callers may remain anonymous, and may be eligible for a reward of up to $1,000.

I'm going to follow this local story and post updates as more information is uncovered.