Just a few days ago, John Albert Gardner III was sentenced to life in prison for raping and murdering two teens in California, and now investigators say he admitted to having more victims. Investigators are looking into those other possible crimes right now, but they aren’t releasing any details yet. Chelsea King went missing on February 25, 2010, and her body was found a short time later in a park near San Diego. Then, a few days later, the bones of 14-year-old Amber Dubois were discovered. Amber went missing more than a year ago on February 13, 2009 as she walked to school. When John Albert Gardner III was arrested last month, he wasalso charged with assault for an attack he allegedly committed on December 27, 2009 on a woman in the same park whereChelsea was found.
In light of the recent tragedy in San Diego where 17-year-old Chelsea King was raped and murdered, the fact that convicted sex offender John Albert Gardner could be the man responsible is sparking an outrage across America. The big question is how can a man who should have spent 10 years behind bars, servefive and be on probation for merethree?
Gardner was convicted in 2000 of sexually assaulting and attacking a girl in his own home. He punched the 13-year-old in the face numerous times during the attack. If Gardner is guilty of murdering Chelsea, one has to wonder if giving him the maximum sentence could have prevented this horrific incident.
Then, over the weekend, the bones of Amber Dubois were found. This teen went missing more than a year ago, on February 13, 2009 as she walked to school. We are waiting for the autopsy and toxicology reports to come back, and if this is, in fact, a murder, there may be evidence linking Gardner to her death as well. Gardner wasalso charged with assault for an attack he allegedly committed on December 27, 2009 on a woman in the same park whereChelsea was found. Investigators throughout the area are opening up cases on women who say they were attacked to see if Gardner could be linked to them as well.
Convicted sex offender John Albert Gardner is charged with murder in the disappearance of missing teen Chelsea King. The District Attorney filed the charges and the complaint was read at an arraignment earlier this week when Gardner made his first appearance. Gardner entered a plea of not guilty. I spoke with the District Attorney in San Diego, and he tells me that a status hearing will take place next week, and a preliminary hearing is set for March 18, 2010. At the preliminary hearing, the court will decide if there is enough evidence to move forward with a trial. The charges come after a body was found earlier this week in Lake Hodges, an area near where Chelsea King went missing while she was running through the Rancho Bernardo Community Park. We are still waiting for a positive ID on the body. Investigators say thatChelsea, 17, was a runner for her high school, and parked her car nearby as she went to exercise. Inside her vehicle, police found a cell phone and other personal belongings.
Convicted sex offender John Albert Gardner is charged today with murder in the disappearance of missing teen Chelsea King. The District Attorney filed the charges and the complaint was read at today’s arraignment when Gardner made his first appearance. Gardner entered a plea of not guilty. The charges come after a body was found yesterday in Lake Hodges, an area near where Chelsea King went missing last week while she was running through the Rancho Bernardo Community Park. We are waiting for a positive ID on that body. Investigators say thatChelsea, 17, was a runner for her high school, and parked her car nearby as she went to exercise. Inside her vehicle, police found a cell phone and other personal belongings.
Registered sex offender John Albert Gardner was arrested on Sunday and held on preliminary charges of suspicion of murder and rape in the disappearance of the missing teen. Gardner has a conviction for lewd and lascivious acts with a child under 14 years of age, and served five years in prison. He was staying with his mother in the Rancho Bernardo Community where Chelsea went missing. It is widely reported that 10 years ago, Dr. Matthew Carroll, a psychiatrist who spent time and interviewed Gardner after his conviction said he lacked remorse for the incident, making him “an extremely poor candidate for any sexual offender treatment.”
Registered sex offender, John Albert Gardner, is being held on preliminary charges of suspicion of murder and rape in the disappearance of missing teen, Chelsea King. Gardner has a conviction for lewd or lascivious acts with a child under 14 years of age, and he was staying with his mother in the Rancho Bernardo Community where Chelsea went missing. Authorities say Chelsea vanished last Thursday after she went for a jog at the Rancho Bernardo Community Park. Chelsea, 17, is an avid runner for a local high school. She left her car in the park nearby, and her cell phone was inside the vehicle. Gardner is scheduled to be arraigned Wednesday in San Diego Superior Court, and investigators have 72 hours to file official charges.
Investigators say physical evidence found at Lake Hodges lead them to Gardner, and there may be a chance he is linked to a December 27, 2009 attack on another jogger in area. The victim in that incident told investigators she was tackled by a suspect who demanded money from her. At this point, Gardner is not charged with that attack. At a press conference last night, authorities said Gardner could have played a role in the Amber Dubois case as well. Amber disappeared more than a year ago as she walked to a nearby high school.
Michelle Sigona is a crime fighting, victims advocate extraordinaire, but for Michelle -- the good fight doesn't stop there. In her spare time, she is a volunteer firefighter -- and now, she is tackling the issues and cases that mean the most to her....
