Wednesday, May 1, 2013

Spider Squashers

Recently, Eviliz.com posted a question from a reader as to what ever happened to James Craig? You can see that post here: http://www.eviliz.com/2013/03/q-on-james-craig.html You may also want to check out this thread: http://www.eviliz.com/2012/02/discovery-park-murders-info-from.html and this one: http://www.eviliz.com/2011/08/discovery-park-murders-death-of-james.html

Above is another copy of the article describing how Robert Chrisman turned himself in in 1978 regarding the murder of James Craig. Farf further filled us in as follows:

"On the same day Craig died, just across the river in Yolo County on Interstate 80, two CHP officers were killed. Roy Blecher and William Freeman were shot by Luis Valenzuela Rodriguez, who was accompanied by his girlfriend Margaret Klaess. At the time they were living in the Bel Air Motel in West Sacramento, CA (still in operation). While stealing two cars, robbing three people and consuming cocaine and drinking, they managed to murder two police officers. Margaret Klaess was given no more than a three year sentence and immunity from all crimes, if she testified fully and truthfully in the Rodriguez murder trial. She must have been somewhat credible since the jury found him guilty and dropped the death penalty in his lap. During the trial, Margaret Klaess testified that around October 1978, she along with Rodriguez, were teamed with Barabas and Craig. Their collective mission was to rip off a “North Area” cocaine dealer. Are the two crimes related? I don’t know, but if the testimony of Klaess was good enough for a murder conviction, then I would give some weight to what she said about Barabas and Craig. But no definitive conclusion."

Thanks again Farf, for your excellent knowledge of the minutiae. Here's a little gift for you from Patty.


PS: The owner is a kind, petite, eagle-eyed Indian woman who wanted to know what Patty was looking for? This is the first time anyone has ever asked her what she was doing while photographing a Manson related site. Patty told her that "someone famous" used to stay here in the 1970's. Her smile was so big that Patty did not have the heart to tell her who...