News Scrapbook 1984

San Diego, CA (Son Diego Co.) Evening Tribune (Cir. D. 127,.45.4) OE .Jlll,n'• P c e

Son Diego, CA (San Diego Co.) Evening Tribune {Cir. D. 127,4541 DEC

ru. 1888 Lucas' bid for bail is denied -;;.q~- - Accu ea sfayer must remnm m custody By Roy Schneider Tribune 1.3(! Writer tunic1pal Court Judge Nicholas Ka 1m tis today denied a defense at• tempt to et bail for David Allen Lucas, charged with three layings , nd a u ·peel in at least two others. t a ba1l-rev1ew hearing. Kas1- m ti denied the request. saying th law does not allow bail in murder ca wh re the death penalty may be 1mpo ed Pro ecutors have alleged special c1rcum lances in the case against Luca , meaning that if he I convict- d of committing murder he could foe the death penally. Deputy District Attorney Dan Wil- hams oppo ed bail for Luca , who i bem h Id v.1thout bail at county jail Luca 29, 1s currently charged w1 h murdermg Anne Catherin wanke 22 n honor tudent at the University of San Die o who disap- p1!ared Nov. 20. 1h ta Mesa, and with the laymgs of Rhonda Strang, 24 and Amber F1. her, the three-year- old child Strang was baby-sitting Strang and the child were slain Oct 23 Luca 1s al o charged with the Jun 9 kidnapping, rape and a ault of Jody Santiago, who urv1ved after her throat wa slashed by her attack• r Authorit1 · consider Lucas a sus- peft In another d uble laymg. a case complicated by the fact that Johnny a ingale, 30 of Harlan, Ky~ is ch duled to tand trial Jan 14 on murder charg<' in the case Deputy District Attorney Bernard Revak, who was exploring the po s1- b1lity of securing Massingale's re- lea c today, said Friday would be the earliest possible lime for a decision. 1 would have liked to cut him oh could get home for Chri:;t- ma but w JUSI had to go very care- fully" Revak said. "We're not mak- ing any decisions today. I'm hoping we have the information to make an informed decision Fnday." Suzanne Camille Jacobs, 31, and er on, Colin, 3, were found slashed to death in the1r home m the 3400 block of Arthur Avenue tn Normal Height on May 24. 1979 Investiga- P/ea t' ee Ll/CA : -4

:~<::/ 'an Diego authorities had decided ti y had charged the wrong man rhaps the mo t dramatic ib• tance of San Diego authorities' de- dmg they had wrongly accused omeone of murder was the case of Sergeant Herbert Jackson Ie served 10 months in state prts• after being convicted m 1974 of a ing murdered a Southeast San go ervire stallon attendant m :Jackson was serving a hfe term hen two other men were arrested d charged with the murder. Jack- o settled hi suit again, t the city year 1 1970. Lakeside carpenter Roger n Linder, now 45, was arrested on harge of murdenng Mary Bona- tura, 32. He was held in the coun- ail for five days before Jack Lyle 1gh, 15, of Lakeside, confessed to lie killing. Linder settled a false-ar• n•st suit against tht: county for 55,000. Hector Cortinas, 26, was cleared midway through hi. murder trial in 1977 when defense investigators found alibi witnes,es for their client m the fatal shooting of Mark A. ezta, 22. Ramon de! Rio, 31, was sub equently convicted of murdering 1ezta. In the Jacobs ca e, Massingale was arrest d m March in Kentucky. Police h d Jacked leads in the kill- mgs unt I 1981, when convict Jimmy Joe• Nc~n a friend of Massingale, told Texa authorttles that Massm- gale had admitted the killings in 1980 whale Ne! on, Massingale and John ' Shorty Smith Jr. were driving across the country. Authorities said Smith, contacted at his Harlan home, confirmed por- ons of the conversation as reported Nelson. The statement~ o elson pd Smith along with taternrnts ade by :\,lassmgale to police inves- 1 tors, were the key evidence in smgale's May preliminary hear- I

I

Jl[/a,

:~1~, ( tors ay Jaco

P. C. B E.<1. I 8/lll PLucas probe might clear a1Y?})lp man If multiple-murder defendant David Allen Luca were charged with two more killings and another man held in tho slayings were cleared, 1t would not be the fir t time San Diego authoritie decided they had charged the wrong person with homicide. Lucas, 29, is charged with murder- ing Anne Catherine Swanke, 22, a Univeh1ty of San Diego honor stu- dent w o "disappeareo'Nov. 20 after being seen carrying a can of gasoline toward her car on Parkway Drive in La Mesa, and with murdering Rhon- da Strang, 24, and a child she was baby-sitting, Amber Fisher, 3, on Oct. 23. He also is charged with the kidnap, rape and a ault of Jody Santiago on June 9. Santiago's throat was slashed, but she survived. Distnct Attorney Ed Miller aid yesterday that investigators were taking a "bard look" at Lucas in con- nection with the killings of Suzanne Camille Jacobs, 31, and her son, Cohn, 3. They were found slashed to death in their home in the 3400 block of Arthur Avenue in Normal Heights on May 24, 1979. At the time, Jacobs IS believed to have been waiting for a man who had answered her newspa- per advertisement of a dining-room table for sale. Meanwhile, Johnny Massingale, 30, of Harlan, Ky., remained in the coun- ty jail, charged with murdering the Jacobses. He was scheduled for trial Jan. 14. If convicted, he could face a death sentence. If Massingale were cleared by the investigation and Lucas charged with murdering Jacobs and her son, 1 it would not mark u,, first time that Please see LUCAS, f 12 By Mike Konon Tribune Sl.311 Writer

ing, which was closed to the public at the request of Massingale's attor- neys. James Tetley and Tim Rutherford, Massingale's lawyers, refused to comment yesterday on the latest de- velopment. A source said that several agen- cies, including the San Diego Police Department and the Sheriff's Depart• ment, are continuing to look at Lucas a· a possible suspect in a number of similar crimes.

apparently had been waiting for a man who answered her newspaper advertisement for the ale of a dining-room table. Massingale was later arrested and charged with the slayings, but au- thorities now say that evidence un- covered after Lucas arrest may lead to Massingale' release. . Williams said that at th1S pomt he had ''no idea" whether Lucas will be charged with the additional murders and the current defendant set free. Staff writer Ann Levin contributed to this article. /

•

San Diego, CA [Son Diego Co.) Evening Tribune [Cir. D. 127,-45.4) 7 .Jl[(,,. '• P C. B

fat 1888

Lucas' emotional state prompts transfer By Ro~tiei ment sources say they are convinced Lucas was the handwriting on the note found in Lucas' cell

now is being analyzed by homicide investigators trying to determine whether it matches that found on a piece of paper at the scene of a 1979 Zuniga confirmed that the note is part of the slaying. The 1979 case is complicated by the fact that a Kentucky man, Johnny Massingale, 30, already is charged with the 1979 murders and is scheduled for trial Jan. 14. Prosecutors now say new evi- dence in the case may lead to the charges against Massingale being dropped as early as tomorrow. Zuniga said that on Dec. 18, Lucas' attorney, G. Anthony Gilham, told authorities he was con- cerned about his client's mental state. That same day a staff psychologist interviewed Lucas and bis cell was searched. The psychologist deter- mined that Lucas was "depressed but not suicid- The psychologist recommended that Lucas be transferred to a cell that would allow him more verbal interaction with other inmates. / investigation. al,, Zuniga said ' ·

planning suicide, but was foiled by the search. Regardless, investigators say the incident pro- vided them with new evidence - the handwritten that might link Lucas to two murders now attributed to another man awaiting trial in coun- note - Luc~ is being held ~i th out bail on charges of mturddertIDtgthAnnU ~al h e!tIDefSSaowanDk~, 22 • ahn dh_onor La Mesa, and Rhon~a Slrang, 24 , a nd Am~~ FJSher, th e 3-year-ol~ child St ra~g was baby-sittIDg. st rang a nd th e cblld were slaID _The 29 -year-old _carpet_ cleaner also IS charged Wl th th e ~une 9 kidnappIDg, rape a nd assault _of Jody Sa~tia~o, a Sea_ttle wo~an ~ttacked ~bile on vacation ID_ El CaJon, ao d IS be~ng questioned about th e slay~g of Suzann~ Camille Jacobs, 31 , and her son, Colin, 3. The bodies of Jacobs and her son were found May 24, 1979, in their Normal Heights home. All the victims bad their throats Oct. 23 · . ty jail. s u en a e ~uversi Y O iego w O isap- peared Nov. 10

Tribuae Staff Writer

David Allen Lucas, accused of the throat-slash- ing deaths of two women and a child, was moved to new quarters in county jail last week after sheriffs deputies concerned about his emotional state searched his cell and found torn sheets and A sheriffs department spokesman, however, downplayed the incident, saying there was no "clear evidence of a suicide attempt." "There was some torn linen, but it was nothing we would consider a suicide attempt," said Sgt. Barry Zuniga, adding that there was "nothing specifically suicidal" about the note. "It's in the eye of the beholder." One law enforcement source, however said the correspondence appeared to be "a half-baked" suicide note. The handwriting in the note 1s now being examined to see if it links Lucas to two Zuniga said the sheets were not fashioned into a rope and did not appear to have been used in a suicide attempt. However, other Jaw-enforce- other slayings. a note.

slashed.

La Mesa , CA (San Diego Co.) La Mesa Courier (Cir. W. 5,500)

Sources close to the current investigation say

27

.J/./(~,i 1 1 P. C. B

hr t88R

/.. LuDc,~~~~~f~p?.~gGu~~gj

EstablisL~d

e SR~haarndkH~anAscowmard

Joseph Pusateri, dean of ti,~ o ege of Arts and Sciences. 1s award will not only com- memorate Anne, b •• it will also future outstandmg c II "Th' A Swanke Award recipient be selected by a faculty the Honors Program at the school. Selec- · aca em1c achievement and ser- vice to the program and univer- sity. The first Swank Award recipient wul be anno need at USD's annual Hon rs Convoca- ·11 w1 committee from t· ·11 b b ion w1 e ased upon d e Swanke Awar<1 likely w1U be a plaque or a medallion /'I recognize stu ents Program." d in the Honors tion, held m Ma) Th .

· I

refused to set ba1·1. Lucas 1· 5 ing held at a federal detention until a prel 1'm 1·nary hearing scheduled for Jim. 2. be- facilit_v of San Diego's HonorS'"f"l'l1gfam faeult) es~ed an Anne C. Swanke Award to honor the slaui. USO student. The award will be presented each spring to an . outstanding graduating the Umvers 1·ty's senior rn Last week the Un1·vers1'ty

a I \ plt•,1d1•d nit ••111lty last tu murder, kidnapping ., Wt>t•k uca,. Is charged with the nne Cathnine an Carlos, traTJ6 24 ofLak<'s de, m er Fisher, 3. b d f mu1 er o S \\ nnke, 22, c.f Rhonda d A an t Jct Attorney eeking the Dan W11l1arru,; is death penalty by alleging specia circumstances · I · ., ann Iapl h.1rge:s • L D D eput)

•

Lucas i al o charged with Honors Program.

Sv.anke w s a French and

kidnappmg Swanke, and with

the Honors

the rap , k1dnappmg and the mu ic major 1n

Program.

attempt d murder of Jody S n tiago, whosc de cnpt1on of her a ailant I d police to arrest

"Anne Swanke was an out;;tanding student in USD's onors Program," said Dr C. H

L

ucas