Monday January 7, 2008
New Search
Return to results
Printer Friendly
About your archives purchase:
Your purchase of articles expires on 12/14/2015 11:59 PM.
You have viewed -3806 articles and have 3806 articles remaining.
Davis Enterprise, The (CA)
No Headline
Lauren KeeneEnterprise staff writer
Published: January 25, 2007
SACRAMENTO — A Sacramento County prosecutor was expected to introduce
today the DNA evidence that allegedly links Richard Joseph Hirschfield to the 1980 murders of UC Davis sweethearts John Riggins and Sabrina Gonsalves.
That evidence — a semen stain that authorities believe Hirschfield left on a patchwork blanket in Riggins' van after abducting the couple from Davis — comes on the third day of Hirschfield's preliminary hearing in Sacramento Superior Court.The
hearing, scheduled to extend into next week, will conclude with Judge
Trena Burger-Plavan's ruling as to whether there is sufficient evidence
for the 58-year-old Hirschfield to stand trial for the slayings.
Hirschfield has pleaded not guilty to murder and rape charges that could bring the death penalty if he is convicted.Wednesday's
proceedings saw testimony from several witnesses who took part in the
initial murder investigation, including a former Sacramento County
homicide detective who was assigned to describe the crime scene and the
forensic pathologist who conducted Riggins' autopsy.Pierce
Rooney, who retired in 1985, testified that Riggins died from a
four-inch cut to his throat, but also suffered strangulation injuries
and several major blows to his head. Gonsalves also died from a throat
cut, and authorities allege she had been raped by her assailant.The
latter opinion differs from that of Anthony Cunha, the pathologist who
conducted Gonsalves' autopsy in 1980. His report notes that the teen
showed "roughening and irregularity" in her vaginal area but concludes
she was not a victim of sexual assault.But Rooney testified Wednesday that "somebody was doing something down there."So far, Cunha has not been called to testify during the current hearing.The discrepancy was one of several issues that Hirschfield's
defense attorneys seized upon Wednesday in an apparent strategy to
expose flaws in the initial investigation. Witnesses were also quizzed
about evidence collection and processing techniques back in 1980, as
well as the security and preservation of the crime scene.Many questions centered around the handling of the patchwork blanket, arguably the case's most crucial piece of evidence.Riggins
and Gonsalves, both 18, were found Dec. 22, 1980 — two days after their
abductions — in a ravine just east of Hazel Avenue in Sacramento
County. Riggins' van containing the stained blanket had been abandoned
about a mile away.Earlier Wednesday, Supervising Assistant
Public Defender Linda Parisi continued her cross-examination of
Sacramento County homicide Detective Ed Newton. On Tuesday, Newton
testified about the November 2002 discovery of a map inside Hirschfield's prison cell in Washington, where he had been serving time for a child-molest conviction.Attached
to the map were numerous small pieces of paper, on which were written
the names of 27 cities, including Davis and Sacramento, as well as the
name "Sabrina."Armed with copies of the map, Parisi noted it
also listed cities seemingly unrelated to the homicide case, as well as
names such as "Jolinda," "Jack," "June" and "Billy," the latter being
written just below the name "Sabrina.""As far as you know, that doesn't have any relevance to this case?" Parisi asked."Not that I'm aware of," said Newton, who had traveled to the Washington prison to collect DNA samples from Hirschfield in connection with the Riggins/Gonsalves investigation.Parisi also asked whether Hirschfield had a cellmate at the time the map was discovered. Newton said he did not know.— Reach Lauren Keene at lkeene@davisenterprise.net or 747-8048.
Copyright, 2007, The Davis Enterprise. All Rights Reserved.
|