News Scrapbook 1984

San Diego, CA (Son Diego Co.) Ev ning Tribune (Cir. D. 127,454) EC 0 .Jlllm'• , c. e

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a gag order be imposed on attorneys and court officials. Hanscom did direct that all re- straints be removed from Lucas be- fore he entered the courtroom. A transcript of Massingale's pre- liminary hearing last May has been sealed, but court records show the primary evidence linking Massingale to the slayings involves his own statements to police investigators and to two men who drove across country with him in 1980. The investigation focused on Mas- singale in 1981 when one of the men, convict Jiml\ly Joe Nelson, told Texas authorities that Massingale had admitted the slayings. Police investigators have declined to talk about the case against Mas- singale since his return to San Diego March 21. /

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Municipal Judge Richard J. Han- scom yesterday scheduled a Jan. 2 preliminary hearing. After the arraignment, defense at- torney G. Anthony Gilham said of his client: "He feels confident that he'll be cleared. My guy's innocent." Gilham said that he may a k to have the trial in another county. He said Lucas was arrested only be- cause of his 1973 convictions of rape and assault with a deadly weapon, charges of which he said Lucas "was innocent." After those convictions, Lucas served nearly four years with the California Youth Authority. "There was a lot of pressure on the sheriff to make an arrest in this case," Gilham said m reference to the Swanke slaying. The special circumstances of mul- tiple murders could, if proved, result in the death penalty. During the arraignment, Gilham said his forensic investigator has "certain evidence" taken from Lucas' house. After the hearing, the lawyer said the evidence includes gasoline receipts that could show "where he was on certain dates" and clothing. Hanscom refused G1lham·s re- quests that Lucas be allowed to wear civilian clothes, that cameras be ex- cl~ from the courtroom and that

Lucas linked to 2 other slayings Development follows plea ofinnocent in murder of 3 a,_q s-s-

By Mike ,Konon Tnbuoo Staff ltrit r

Jacobs, 3

in the 3400 block of Arthur Avenue. Lucas, 29, of Spring Valley, is accused of killing U9iversity of San ~o--1lfiltors student' Anne Catherine Swanke, 22, of San Carlos, on Nov. 20, and Rhonda Strang, 24, and a child she was baby- sitting, Amber Fisher, 3, both of Lakeside, on Oct. 23. All had their throats slashed. He also is charged with kidnapping Swanke and kidnapping, raping and trying to murder Jody Santiago on J~~'1.· Please see LU~ B-4

Johnny Massingale, 29, of Harlan, Ky., has been in county jail since March 21, charged with the slayings. He faces a Jan. 14 trial, and could be sentenced to death. if convicted and special cir- cumstances charges are proven. Massingale's attorneys, James Tetley and Tim Rutherford, declined comment on the new devel- Jacobs and her son both had their throats slashed in a brutal daylight attack in their home opment.

David Allen Luca , who pleaded innocent ye·. of murdering two women and a girl, today wru; bcmg examined as a po peel m two dd1tional laymgs for which another ible su . Di trict Attorn y Ed Miller's office today ·aid th y arc taking "a hard look" at Lucas in connec- 1th the May 24, 1979, ·layings of Suzanne 31, and her son, Cohn Michael lion Camile Jaco man has been Jail d tcrday to charg

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Lo • Angele • , CA (Lot Anoelet Co.) Time, (San Dleoo Ed .)

(0. 50,010) (S. 55,573) EC

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Court Orders Lucas Held Without Bail in 3 Slayings By GLEN BURKI S, Timu Staff Writer A prmg Vall y man was ar- raign ,d Wedne day on three counts or murd r in the slaymgs of Uruv rs t f San Diego honors stud nt Anne a nne Swanke, had her throat slashed, as did the other three victims.

Son Diego, CA (Son Diego Co.) San Diego Union (Cir. D. 217,324) (Cir. S. 339,788)

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• David Lucas pleads not guilty to m~dering 2 women, baby David All~~ucas pleaded not Amber Fisher, 3, all found with their slashed but she recovered: guilty yesterday to charges of mur- throats slashed. . . Attorney G. Anthony Gilham, who dering two women and a baby and If a Superior Court 3ury convicts was retamed by Lucas to r~pr~ent the attempted murder of another Lucas of first-degree murder in any him, requested Ha~om llm1t the woman. of the cases and finds the allegation amount of electromc media coverage Lucas is accused of murdering a that multiple murders were commit- of the proceedings, exclude the pub- University of San J)iego student, a ted, the jury could condemn Lucas to lie and to impose a gag order on au- Lakenrte-=wom:m-and the baby with die in the state's gas chamber. thorities. whom she was baby-sitting. He is Hanscom ordered the self-em- Gilham also requested that bail be also accused of the attempted mur- ployed Casa de Oro carpet cleaner set for Lu~as, but Hanscom said he der of a Seattle woman. held without bail and scheduled a did not believe Lucas was entitled to It was a description given by the Jan. 2 preliminary hearing, which have bail set. • . Seattle vi~tim that led to the arrest could last three to five days. Gilham also revealed that h!S m- o( Lucas, the Sheriffs Department Lucas also is charged with one vestigators were in possession of evi- said. count or attempted murder, rape and dence that was recovered from , The 29-year-old Lucas displayed kidnapping June 9 of Jody Santiago, Lucas' home in Casa de Oro. He re- little emotion d mg arraignment 30, and kidnappi g of Swanke. quested his investigators be ~llowed proceedings before Municipal Court It was Santiago's description of to retain possession of the evidence Judge Richard J Hanscom. her assailant that helped authorities for at least two weeks. Deputy District Attorney Daniel T. to piece together a composite draw- Gilham revealed after the pro-

If convicted on all counts, Lucas could receive a death sentence or life in prison without possibility of parole, said his attorney, G. Antho- ny Gilham. Gilham said he doubts if Lucas will ever be eligible for parole if convicted on any of the counts because he was convicted in 1973 of rapmg and assaulting a 20-year-old woman. Swanke was abducted after mid- night on Nov. 20 after her car ran out or gas near Jackson and Park- way dnves m La Mesa. A hike found her fully clothed body four day later in the hills near Spnng Vallev. In the Lake ide k'

nd of a Lake d baby sitter and the 3-year old girl for whom he wa c ring. an Diego Municipal Judge Richard J Han com ordered David Allen l,uca . 29. held without bail In th murder of Sw nke, 22. on ov. 20, and Rhonda Cheryl Strang, 24. and young Amber Fish- er on Oct 23. Lucas, a self-employed carpet cleaner, w s also charged with att mpted murder m a June 9 kidnap, rap and ault on a 30-year old woman In La Mesa. The target of the La Mesa attack

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BARIIARA MARTIN / 1.,. 'nmn David Allen Luca at arraign- m nt Wednesd y in murder . I

s vpECT: Arraignment in 3 Slayings

Williams said he has alleged special circumstances of multiple murders in connection with the Nov. 20 death of Ann Swanke, 22, and the Oct. 23 deaths of Rhonda Strang, 24, and

ing that led to Lucas' arrest. She allegedly was abducted June 9 while walking from an El Cajon res- taurant to her car. Santiago alleged- ly was raped and her throat was

ceedings that the evidence he re- ferred to were gasoline station re- ceipts showing where he was on cer- He said he was uncertain what dates the receipts were received. Swanke allegedly was abducted from a La Mesa street where author- ities found her car abandoned. Her body was found several days later in , a remote area of Spring Valley. Strang and the Fisher baby were found in Strang's Lakeside home. Gilham said Lucas' spirits were high and that he was confident that he would be exonerated of all charges. He said he probably would seek a change of venue in view of all the publicity the case has generated. He said he believed the sheriffs office was under considerable pres- sure to come up with a suspect in the Swanke killing. Gilham represented Lucas in the 1973 rape case in which a 21-year-old maid was abducted and raped, suf- ...-fering a slight slash on her throat. / tain dates and clothing.

Lucas was one of several sus pects police watched for more than a week before making an arrest, Bo1essaid. Lucas was arrested for a traffic violation last Thursday, B01es said. but was a suspect before then. Two days after Lucas was stopped on the traffic offense, he became the pnme suspect when the Seattle woman 1denlif1ed him from the photos, Boies said. Now that Lucas has been charged m Swanke's slaying, pohc are not sure who, 1f anyone, will share a $26,000 reward offered for informat10n leading to the arrest and conviction of her killer. The money may be divided be- cause police got such a large num• ber of tips. Boies said. And because so many people contributed tips m the case, it JS possible no one may receive the award, those adminis- tering the reward said. /

or rorcmg a cook from her employ- er's home and rapmg her at knife- pomt on Cowles Mountain. Court records show that Lucas knew the woman's family. After the rape, the woman man- aged to take the kmfe away from Luca , but not before she was cut on her hands and throat during a struggle, trial transcripts show. "I think what happened is that they were lookmg for a person with the same m.o. (method of opera- tion) . . knife at the throat."' Gilham said or the investigalton that led to Sunday's arrest. 4 Yean in Custody Lucas served nearly four years m the custody of the California Youth Authonty ror that attack. But a psychiatnc test conducted during his trial concluded that he was not a "mentally disordered sex offender within the Jaw."

Contiau from Pare l 5-year old daughttr returned horn from chool ro find the clothed bodies of her mother and the Fisher child. rang's 11- month-old baby girl was In the hou e but was not tnJU d Th Jun 9 attack cum, who now hv in Seattle, n Saturday 1d ntlf1 d Lucas a h•r assailant wh n she was shown photographs of possible suspects, sad Lt. Scott Boles, a homicide investigator for th Sheriff Department Bot said there wa additional ev1d nee hnk ng Lucu o the three laymgs, but d t!l d to !.'laborate. Gilham said the distnct attor- ney's orrtee has not told htm what vid nee 1t h gainst Lucas, who was arre ted at his home on Sun- d :, He said he believe Lucas is mnoc nt and that he w charged m the attacks bccau of the 1973 cas ln which Lucas w convict d

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