DA files murder-kidnap charges against man in girl's slaying [Samantha Runnion]

Associated Press ^ | 7-22-02

[Oldeconomybuyer]

12:39 PDT SANTA ANA, Calif. (AP) --

[Brad’s Gramma]

I think it was in the local paper this a.m. that he says he may have been set up.

There's really no comment needed for that hideous statement.

[OldFriend]

Pray for Samantha's family....and all the little children who depend upon us to protect them.

[ken5050]

Isn't it about time for OJ to come forwards and say that he suspects Avila killed Nicole?....

[Brad’s Gramma]

http://www.ocregister.com/

Prosecutors reviewing death penalty in Runnion case
Alejandro Avila is scheduled to be arraigned this afternoon.

July 22, 2002

By CHELSEA J. CARTER
The Associated Press



STANTON – A prosecutor said he would meet with the family of 5-year-old Samantha Runnion and attorneys for the man arrested in her kidnapping and killing before deciding whether to seek the death penalty in the case.

Alejandro Avila, 27, faces charges of abducting, sexually assaulting and strangling the girl, the Orange County prosecutor's office said. Avila is scheduled to be arraigned today.

Orange County District Attorney Tony Rackackaus said Sunday he would meet with the girl's family and defense attorneys before making the death penalty decision.

"After I review what they have to say with my staff and also review the evidence, then I'll decide whether or not to pursue the death penalty," Rackackaus said on NBC's "Today" show.

Meantime, ABC's "Good Morning America" today interviewed Avila's mother, Adelina, who said she talked with her son before his arrest about the brutality of the killing and how the person who murdered Samantha should suffer in kind.

Adelina Avila said she and her son were watching television reports "when they said that they found the little girl and what they did to her and I just made a comment."

"I said they should get that person and tie him up alive and burn him."

"And then he said, 'What about the electric chair?' And I said no because he's not going to suffer that much."

Adelina Avila added: "If my son is found guilty and sentenced to the death penalty I could forgive him but it would be hard."

Funeral services for Samantha were pending.

The girl's mother, Erin Runnion, broke a long silence late Saturday night and met with well-wishers in the courtyard outside her home, where they have left flowers, candles, cards and toys.

"You are truly wonderful to us," she said, and warned: "Take care of your babies. Take care of each other's babies."

[kayak]

I don't see how they could consider anything less than the death penalty. If it were up to me, I would be figuring out ways to get around the "cruel and unusual punishment" thing.

My prayers remain with Samantha's family. May God be with them and comfort them!

[BornOnTheFourth]

I agree. The death penatly is too easy for this evil man.

I was thinking of Samantha's family today, I cannot imagine their grief. They're in my prayers.

[CougarGA7]

I am a staunch supporter of the death penalty. Now I just wish there was a way to make this guy dead enough to satisfy me. I've been thinking about this case all weekend. My wife and I have been trying to think of a manner of execution that would satisfy us and havent been able to come up with a method haneous(sp?) enough.

[Libertina]

Orange County District Attorney Tony Rackackaus said Sunday he would meet with the girl's family and defense attorneys before making the death penalty decision.
Absolutely DESPICABLE! After all this family has been through, now the DA puts them in the middle to "choose" the punishment. Individual families do NOT choose the punishments for the community! How dare he put them in this position. They will be attacked by all sides. I say if this DA can't make such a cut and dried decision he should be snatched out of office and replaced with someone who has a backbone! His actions harm this family IMHO.

[ElkGroveDan]

The face of evil

[BornOnTheFourth]

That's a good point about the DA's actions. Pathetic. I don't see why it's such a tough decision, IMO.

[gunnedah]

If he will plead they may give him 20 years like John Boy Lindh.
"The Rule of Law" very fasicinating!Now our enemies are going to use it to destroy us.Thank Satin for Lawyers.

[Brad’s Gramma]

I was listening to Dennis Prager this morning. He'd been on vacation last week, and covered this today, finally. He did a segment where he only took callers who did NOT believe in the death penalty, and I've gotta say, I've never heard a weirder, sicker group of people.

One man said that he was so against murder of any kind, that if he saw a school yard of children being killed, he couldn't kill the killer......

Absolutely incredible.

[Humidston]

Moral relativism has run amuk in today's society.

BTW, Dennis Prager is one of my all time favorites! But we don't get him here in Houston.

[texasbluebell]

Absolutely sickening that poor little Samantha had to look at that disgusting thing as her last sight on this earth.

[Thisiswhoweare]

I've thought the same thing. Just like the horror the children killed by their Mother's must have felt. The little girl that gave the police the description that led to the arrest should get the reward money. Saw a post the other day on a thread here that said the ex girlfriend should. Why?

A few years ago, there was an eight yr old boy that was playing in his grandma's front yard when this as*hole attacked him with a knife. A woman passing by tried to help and the perp staabbed her as well. The grandma tried to stop the attack and was stabbed as well.

Meanwhile, the perp caught a cab and asked to be let out along the interstate, where he ditched the knife. (later to be found by police, as well as cabby and cab)

After alot of hulla-baloo, they found that the perp had been released from jail only 12 days earlier and found a note pad with a racial statement on it about wanting to kill white children.

Seems to me, decent folk are in prision and the criminals are "cherry picking" on us. What a sad world this has become.

[HiJinx]

"two counts of forcible lewd acts on a child"

TWO counts?
Think about it.

I like the idea of Apache or Yaqui torture...see how much of a man your enemy is. Stake him out over a fire-ant hill, shoot burning slivers of pine pitch into him, wrap him up in a wet, green hide...toss him into a patch of cholla cactus! These are all good ways for an evil man to die.

[lsee]

Well, I was wondering when someone would post a photo that made him look less cuddly and "harmless" than the fuzzy color photo we've been seeing. Take the glasses off, put a more defensive look on the face, and suddenly he doesn't look like Mama's little boy anymore.

[tinacart]

"suddenly he doesn't look like Mama's little boy anymore."
Speaking of which, did you see "mama" on tv, she now says "well, IF my son did it he will be forgiven (or has been, I don't remember which she used) and I ask the family to please forgive him too." I don't think forgiveness works like that... Not when the VICTIM isn't around any longer to forgive, after all, SHE'S the one that was wronged!

[uncitizen]

do you know where this photo came from? is this the picture of him at the arraignment today? If so, i'm surprised the lawyers didn't shave the mustache yet.