Post by Graveyardbride on Jan 17, 2015 14:37:29 GMT -5
'48 Hours' Spotlights Unsolved Pinyon Pines Murders
PINYON PINES, Calif. – More than three months have passed since the Pinyon Pines triple murder case was abruptly dismissed by prosecutors, and as it stands today, it's unclear if the matter will ever return to a courtroom. However, new clues may arise after this weekend, when one of the Coachella Valley's most notorious murder mysteries is thrust into the national spotlight when 48 Hours broadcasts an hour-long episode, “Murder in Pinyon Pines,” Saturday night. The show began compiling this episode almost a year ago and the broadcast will include a comprehensive examination of the unsolved case.
Susan Zirinsky, senior executive producer for 48 Hours, said the program has decided to focus on this case because a national spotlight could spark progress in the investigation, and potentially help solve the longstanding mystery. In the past, coverage by 48 Hours has prompted tipsters to step forward with long-lost information and critical clues. "We are hoping to put some pressure on someone who may know something, or may have a guilty conscience," Zirinsky said. "A family member, or a friend, or even just someone who may have heard a story. The role we see for ourselves in this hour ... is to help drive the investigation back on to the front burner, so the next shoe can drop." Zirinsky said the episode will also show the murder mystery from both sides. 48 Hours conducted rare interviews with the family of suspects Robert Pape and Cristin Smith, who have been otherwise unwilling to speak with most journalists.
The Pinyon Pines case began on September 17, 2006, when three charred bodies were found at a burned house in Pinyon Pines, a small mountain community south of Palm Desert. The victims were Jon Hayward, a handyman with three children, his girlfriend, Vicki Friedli, who worked at Macy's in Palm Desert, and her 18-year-old daughter Becky, a student at College of the Desert. Hayward and Friedli had been shot with a shotgun and handgun inside Friedli's house, which had been set on fire. Becky's body was cradled in a wheelbarrow in the yard, burned so badly that authorities could not tell how she died.
Investigators worked tirelessly after the bodies were found, but their findings did not produce enough evidence for a viable case. The killings were left unsolved for years, slowly becoming one of the most notorious crimes in the history of the Coachella Valley.
And then, seven years later, two people were arrested. Last March, authorities indicted two men, Smith, a decorated Army Ranger, and Pape, a local air-conditioning repairman, for the murders. Smith and Pape maintained their innocence, and their case was progressing to trial until it came to an abrupt end in October. With little explanation, prosecutors suddenly dismissed all charges. Smith and Pape were freed and returned to their families.
In a vague statement released following the dismissal, the Riverside County District Attorney's Office said charges were dropped because "legal issues" arose during the grand jury proceedings against Pape and therefore it was "appropriate" to dismiss the charges against both suspects. He said murder charges were expected to be re-filed in the "near future," but no such charges have since been filed.
There has also been a change of leadership in the DA's office since the dismissal. Former DA Paul Zellerbach, who approved the decision to file charges against Pape and Smith back in March, has been replaced by DA Mike Hestrin, who was sworn in earlier this month. Hestrin has said he plans to review the strength of the Pinyon Pines evidence with "fresh eyes," but has not yet done so.
Defense attorneys John Patrick Dolan and Richard Blumenfeld, who represent Smith and Pape, respectively, both said Friday they had not heard any updates on the case from prosecutors since the charges against their clients were dismissed. Dolan said he was confident Hestrin will not recharge his client and that he was "baffled" charges were ever filed in the first place. He added he wasn’t concerned about the 48 Hours episode. "I think it's going to be a balanced discussion, from what I am told," Dolan said. "They are going to talk to both families and I guess it's going to end with an open question. Because, that's where we are in reality."
Source: Brett Kelman, The Desert Sun, January 16, 2015.
