Post by Graveyardbride on Dec 12, 2015 9:19:04 GMT -5
Man Who Posted Photos of Dead Girlfriend Will Stand Trial
PORT ORCHARD, Wash. – Family and friends of 33-year-old Amber Coplin (above right) cried in relief late Friday afternoon after a Kitsap County judge refused to throw out the murder charge against the man accused of killing her. But, Judge Jeanette Dalton did chastise prosecutors for "prosecutorial misconduct."
The accused killer, David Kalac (above left), returned to court asking, hoping, that his murder charge would be thrown out, despite a written confession. Kalac is charged with beating and strangling Coplin to death at their apartment near Port Orchard last year. He then posted photos of her grotesquely-posed lifeless, nude body online and wrote about the deed in grisly detail next to photos, timing everything so that Coplin’s13-year-old son would find his mother’s corpse.
The packed courtroom was on edge and a large group of Coplin's friends and family sat together clutching each other, with anxious expressions as they hung on every word the judge spoke. Judge Dalton began by underscoring the importance of honesty and truthfulness of prosecutors as an essential ingredient in the administration of justice and some thought she was building up to a dismissal of the charges against Kalac. She said prosecutors misled her in asking for an extension of Kalac's right to a speedy trial by claiming they needed more time to work on processing DNA, autopsy evidence and Kalac's cell phone. "The mismanagement by the prosecution was, in fact misconduct," Judge Dalton declared. "But, I do not find the misconduct to be intentional nor do I find it to be prejudicial to the administration of justice, in this case."
The Murder. Beginning around 3 o’clock on the afternoon of Tuesday, November 4, 2014, Kalac bagan posting images of his girlfriend’s naked, battered body on the internet site 4Chan, commenting "Turns out its way harder to strangle someone to death than it looks on the movies."
There were red marks on the woman’s neck and she appeared to be dead. Kalac added: "She fought so Damn hard."
He then proceeded to post the following: “Check the news for port orchard Washington in a few hours. Her son will be home from school soon. He’ll find her, then call the cops. I just wanted to share the pics before they find me."
As he was posting, the 13-year-old boy arrived home and saw his mother – whom Kalac had covered with a blanket – on the sofa. At first he thought she was a asleep, then he became alarmed and called his father, who lived nearby. When his father arrived, he called 911. By then, it was 3:32 p.m.
When the police and paramedics arrived, they discovered Coplin’s body and determined she was dead. They also found her purse and someone had placed her driver’s license beside her head with the word “DEAD” written on it.
Another message: "She killed me first," was written on the wall and "Bad News" was written on a window blind.
Kalac had also posted on 4Chan: "I bought a bb gun that looks realistic enough. When they come, I’ll pull it and it will be suicide by cop."
Neighbors reported having heard a violent argument the night before and reported the woman’s boyfriend had been living with her during the past several days. However, he was nowhere to be found and his car was gone. A warrant was issued for 33-year-old David Kalac, who was described as 6'2" tall, weight 200 pounds, with brown hair and eyes, presumed to be "armed and dangerous."
The woman’s boyfriend had been living with her in recent days, but he was nowhere to be seen, and her car was gone.
The Kitsap County Sheriff’s Office secured an arrest warrant for 33-year-old David Kalac, described as 6-foot-2, 200 pounds, with brown eyes and brown hair and presumed to be "armed and dangerous." A criminal history check revealed his numerous arrests included a felony assault charge in 2011, however, he had served only three months of a six-month sentence. Earlier in 2014, he was arrested for domestic violence involving another woman, served three months and took up with Coplin following his release. Coplin had been working since March 2014 as a claims representative for State Farm Insurance at an annual salary of $25,000.
Kalac turned himself in to law enforcement the night of Wednesday, November 5. During interrogation by police, he admitted, "I strangled her with my hands, then a shoelace I had. ... She pissed me off."
Sources: Jeff Burnside, KOMO News, December 11, 2015, Michael Daly, The Daily Beast, November 6, 2015; KIRO News, and Sara Malm, The Daily Mail, November 10, 2015.
