Special to The Tribune
NEW YORK, N.Y. - The man accused of murdering Laura Garza pleaded not guilty today in his first court apearance related to the aspiring McAllen dancer's death in 2008. Convicted sex offender Michael Mele was arraigned on an indictment charging him with murder, manslaughter and evidence tampering in the death of the 25-year-old Ms. Garza (shown in photo above).
Orange County District Attorney Francis Phillips has not said how Garza died.
According to officials, Mele continues to refuse to cooperate with authorities in the Garza case, the Associated Press reported. Today's plea was entered by his lawyer, John Ingrassia. He declined to comment to reporters after the brief proceeding.
Garza had moved to Brooklyn only five months before her fateful encounter with Mele. Security cameras at the nightclub Marquee on Tenth Ave. filmed Garza leaving with Mele in the early morning hours of Dec. 3, 2008. Law enforcement officials believe Mele, 25, took the raven-haired beauty to his condo in upstate Wallkill, where is accused of killing her.
Despite an intensive search in the countryside near Mele's home, the Garza case went cold until her skeleton was found in a Pennsylvania field in April by people riding all-terrain vehicles. Her remains were analyzed in a state crime lab in Albany, but Mele was not indicted by a grand jury until last week.
Phillips called the discovery of Garza's remains "a substantial milestone," but he would not reveal whether any new development in the case led to the indictment. "The case has been taking a long time to develop, and we just wanted to go through it very methodically," he said.
After Garza's remains were found, state police combed Interstate 84 from Danbury, Conn., into Pennsylvania, searching the highway's shoulders and medians for evidence. Authorities would not say whether any witnesses spotted Mele in the area where Garza's body was dumped...
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[EDITOR'S NOTE:...Writer Herschel Hernandez resides in Newark, New Jersey, where he moonlights as a sparring partner for a number of professional boxers, including Hurricane Carter. This is his first report for The Tribune...]
5 comments:
It just shows how messed - up the American racist system is. I wonder what will happens if it was the other way around: " THAT STARVING ILLEGAL - ALLIEN LAURA GARZA CHICK - SHE'S JUST A TROUBLE - MAKER MESSING THINGS UP... -LET'S HANG AND BURN HER" !!!
> The True and real " CASTRATION and IMPOTENCY OF THE 3rd - CLASS American - born Mexican - American Citizens " ....
I hope this guy goes to prison for the rest of his sick life. Some SOB had to kill this poor gal. May they send him to the electric chair.
Kino Flores gets 5 years probation while our good buddy, bubba Juan Montoya sits at the County palace for drinking and driving.
What a travesty of Justice. May all the blogs, repudiate this Judge. And may the Feds, overturn the conviction and send this character to prison.
What a pretty looking girl, too bad this bastard, took her life away. May you rut in Jail and in Hell.
ANONYMOUS:...Yes, she was a very pretty young lady. We choose to applaud her desire to accomplish her biggest dream. Going to New York was on her map. It's too bad she met the wrong guy on that road... - Editor
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