McClish gets new lawyer, doesn't enter plea

Really a pretty straightforward posting here--the title says it all. I was not able to be in court today due to the fact that I am not feeling terribly well (something disagreed with me yesterday at the library cafe over at the alma mater). McClish will return to court June 26th to enter a plea, and I plan to be there.

Michael McClish Sentenced

Michael McClish was sentenced today for rape and other counts. Click on the link to see the Sentinel article.

One part of this terrible saga surrounding the death of Asha and Anina Veil is closed, somewhat--can there ever be closure for a crime this terrible--but this community awaits charges to be filed for the double murder. Please, if you can, come to Ben Lomond this Sunday, September 9th, to pay your respects to Asha and Anina--7:00 at the Ben Lomond Bridge (nearest to Glen Arbor Road), and then we will walk to the Ben Lomond Park for the service.

Peru Earthquake and the Red Cross

I would like to give a link to an article regarding the terrible earthquake in Peru.
Local Red Cross organizations in my area, and national ones, are sending supplies and help to Peru right now. The article I have given provides phone numbers you can call to make a donation. I took an extensive Red Cross training course with my daughter Kat last semester, so I have a special fondness for this organization (having been through two major earthquakes and years of wild weather in Santa Cruz, I figured it wouldn't hurt me to have some first aid training).

You can also visit the website of the Red Cross: www.redcross.org

I am deeply saddened by this event. I know how terrifying a large earthquake can be, though we had nothing near the widespread death and destruction in Santa Cruz during the 1989 Loma Prieta quake.

In local news, there has been a bit of talk on the Ben Lomond Topix board about people's frustration that it has been nearly a year since Asha and her daughter died, there has yet to be an arrest in the case,
and there is now some speculation going on. I am extremely sorry there is so little to report right now.
Please know that I will update whatever I know about the murder and the McClish sentencing as soon as I know anything at all, and I intend to be at the McClish sentencing on September 7th.

Recent comments can be found at this link:

http://www.topix.net/forum/city/ben-lomond-ca/TJ5F3L1S9AIEE131H/p124

(sorry, I am link-impaired. If anyone knows how to turn these things into clickable links, email or comment and let me know--thanks).

McClish sentencing September 7th

McClish's sentencing for the rape trial will be September 7th, 8:30 a.m., department 9 at the Santa Cruz County Superior Court building. Apparently he will not be getting a new attorney for now; a motion for a new trial will be filed by Mark Garver, McClish's defense attorney. I will try to attend the sentencing trial (if it doesn't get moved around again).

Folks on the Topix board are continuing to report and discuss this, so here is the link:

http://www.topix.net/forum/city/ben-lomond-ca

Sorry, I can't create links right now due to the fact that I am not using my usual computer.

Topix is, as I've said, a great place to take the "temperature" of what is going on with these cases.

Scraps of News re: McClish Trial and Asha Veil

Sometimes the Topix board for Ben Lomond really is the place to get news about the McClish trial. Someone has posted that forensic results are now trickling into the D.A.'s office from the state crime lab. This might be extremely good news for eventually getting some resolution with Asha Veil's murder--or at least more information.

I do plan to go to whatever hearing is going to be held on August 3rd, but I have begun to have a major struggle this week with both of the usual ailments (lupus and fibromyalgia). I am trying to stay home (having to miss all my exercise classes so far this week), can't drive, can't be in the sun (lupus is worsened by sun exposure), trying to take things easy--and as many of you who know me realize, this is very hard for me to do. I feel like the kid on the margins of the playground, looking on. Still, I am grateful there ARE times I do not have to be like this. When my body screams at me to slow down, I slow down and accept what I can't change today. Still, if it turns out I can't go, I will give a recap from the good folks over at the Topix message boards, who often give excellent summaries of what goes on in court.

McClish trial update

There will actually be some courtroom action on August 3rd, which is Friday of this week. McClish will be appearing in court for rescheduling of his sentencing hearing and a ruling on the "ineffectiveness of attorney" issue he has raised. The Press-Banner is carrying the story this week; click on the link and go to Page 2.
If I am feeling physically up to it, I will be going to this particular hearing, as I want to attend when I can.

That's all for today. Thanks for stopping by!

Not Much to Post Today...'Cause I Am Working on Book

I am plugging away at the book, I keep talking about it more than writing it lately, which I have found to be a way of avoiding writing altogether. Strange how that is.

At any rate, I have no news to report, but am including a link to the Press-Banner's latest edition, which has information about the rape trial. BTW, a request to my faithful readers: I usually read the Press-Banner when it arrives in my mail, and do not check out the website ahead of time. This is because my computer does not like its PDF format very much. I include it here, but if you happen to see something in the Press-Banner ahead of me, or hear new information about the case, do let me know...I don't mind correcting my information that I present here, and I certainly am not the last word on the McClish trial, or the Asha Veil investigation. I'm generally just a fly on the wall around town, observing and trying to make sense of things.

This said, it has been brought up in the Press-Banner that McClish admitted in jail that he had an affair with Asha Veil when she was separated from her husband. This is literally the first time I have ever heard of this (you have to dig through the articles to find it in this edition of the Press-Banner). So, one more piece of the puzzle in place.

That's all for tonight...I have a long, long rest of the week, with my last two dental appointments for this go-round. And I will keep blogging about the crimes that have rocked our little pocket of heaven.

My Interview at Bloginterviewer

I had a request for an interview about my blog, which you can click on the link to view. I was really beat when I wrote the answers, so they are definitely not my best work--do feast your eyes on what happens when I neither edit nor run a spellcheck! :) As I said on the interview, I have the "keyboarding skills of a blind cave fish." I really appreciated being asked to give some thoughts on blogging.

At any rate, Mr. Strega and I had a long drive yesterday, delivering my youngest son unto music camp.
I do love my dear son (nicknamed Riff here). It's funny--Riff recently told me he never knew how tight things were monetarily when he was growing up--I was pretty good about finding free things to do in town for kids, and I discovered that you could check out two kids' videos a day at the Felton Library. So, on Fridays, if Riff had done all that he needed to do (homework and such), he got to check out two videos for the weekend (we rented "ET" a lot, as I recall). He still thinks that was the coolest thing, that you could get videos at the library. He gave me a big hug yesterday before disappearing into the housing for the folks at the music camp, already surrounded by his friends from last year. He really is an amazingly gifted guitarist--as hard as it would be to see him go far away next year to study music, I want him to, because I want him to pursue his dream, as all his siblings have done. Besides, when every one of his music teachers has come to me and said Riff could easily become a professional musician, I listen.

Our Felton Library is the soul of cuteness, by the way--it used to be a small church, so I always think of it as a monument to the religion of books and literature.

Anyway, there is a lot of fighting going on at the Ben Lomond Topix boards over the McClish trial outcome. I hate to see how this crime has torn up our community. It's natural for such things to bring up strong emotions and even fear, but hard to see people lashing out in pain and frustration.

More on McClish trial, and happy 4th

Someone on the Topix board did an excellent job of recapping the prosecutor's closing arguments yesterday in the Michael McClish case. Click on the link and look at the first posting. I do wish there was a recap of the defense's argument.

It is really frustrating to know that these things do not get published fully in the media. The prosecutor looks like he gave a very strong and meticulous closing argument.

Well, on the heels of this, we are spending the 4th in the traditional way: FIREWORKS!
It's always a little crazy to go to the Scotts Valley fireworks display, with huge traffic jams, etc., but it is so much fun. I have always loved fireworks all my life. We always bring a little picnic for the festivities.

We used to go to Sepulveda Park when I was a kid and watch the displays--fireworks are all computerized now, but "back in the day," as my kids say, a guy would walk out and just light off a fuse!

I hope that everyone has a safe 4th, be careful with ordnance if you have it (especially in tinder-dry areas), and have fun!

McClish trial goes to the jury

The McClish trial is now in jury deliberation. I will let people know ASAP what the verdict is and if there are any further developments after that.

I got my hair done late tonight at a shop on Mill Street in Ben Lomond. When I was finished, I walked out and saw that the pet grooming place next door has a picture of Asha Veil and a little note in red marker, on purple construction paper, that says something like "you are missed." I wondered why I didn't notice this picture before, with Asha's kind, open-expressioned face and cheerful smile. Everywhere in Ben Lomond, the oleanders are in bloom, light and dark pink, and starry white, everything at that early-July peak of flowering and brightness. The wind had come up, everything cooling down from a hot day.


I also stood in the back of the Ben Lomond Super tonight, waiting my turn for the bathroom, and got a terrible, creepy feeling--probably just my imagination running away with me. I looked at the row of employee lockers and wondered which one was Asha's. I wondered what she kept in her locker, and if they had to cut the lock to open her locker after she died. Just idle, sad thoughts, and an equally sad wish that I had known Asha better in life.

I looked at the back door and wondered if that was the door she went out of on the last night of her life. And I wondered, while McClish's fate for an unrelated crime is in the hands of the jury, what happened to Asha on the night she walked out of the market--with no inkling that she was hours away from death--and vanished forever.

And I hope we have some answers, soon.

Something Strange in the Neighborhood

**possible correction**--I read on the Topix board later today that someone said the Press-Banner was innacurate in reporting that plainclothes officers were observing McClish today, that they were actually attorneys-in training....

What's the right side of this, I wonder? I don't know yet...


The editor of the Press-Banner included a current article on the Topix board (click on the link and go to the second post by "From the Press-Banner"):

I found one statement to be rather odd:

"When McClish took the stand Thursday, the courtroom was packed with more than 60 spectators. Among them were about a dozen plainclothes sheriff’s deputies, each conspicuous by his suit, tie and notepad."


Why are a DOZEN plainclothes law enforcement officers observing McClish making statements (this was his cross-examination) IN PERSON? One or two might be understandable, but a dozen? There has to be a reason they are in the courtroom, in person. If they wanted to be covert about gathering information on him, they could study the court transcript, or an audio or video of his testimony, if they exist.
For what reason are there this many officers in the courtroom observing McClish?

Interesting....

Closing arguments in McClish trial apparently tomorrow.

One of the Topix message boards is full of information about McClish's final testimony
today, one step ahead of the Sentinel for now.

This week could prove fruitful for the end of this trial and...whatever else happens.