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Topic: Does this sound familiar? (Read 157 times)

Colleen
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Does this sound familiar?
« on: Jul 19^th, 2005, 10:11pm »

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NEWS STORY
Body confirmed as pregnant wife

Tuesday, July 19, 2005

EDMONTON -- Pregnant mother Liana White's body was too decomposed for the medical examiner to determine how she died, Edmonton police said Tuesday.

The partially clothed body of the 29-year-old hospital clerk was found in a ditch by a farmer's field Sunday, five days after she was reported missing.

Her husband Michael White, 28, has been charged with second-degree murder in her death. White is also charged with committing an indignity to a dead body.

"It was in a state of decomposition hence the undetermined cause of death," Det. Michael Campeau announced at a news conference.

He wouldn't comment on whether White was stabbed or strangled, but did say "there are signs on the body she was involved in a struggle."

Further tests need to be done to determine cause of death, he said.

When asked about a motive, the veteran detective would only say "We are still working on that. There are still many leads to follow up on."

The police announcement came only hours after an exhausted-looking Michael White made his first court appearance where he reserved plea on the charges.

White closed his eyes and winced as the charges were read out in court.

Outside court, his lawyer, Larry Anderson, was tight-lipped.

"We are anxious to answer these allegations," said Anderson, a former president of the Law Society of Alberta.

"The matter has simply been put over for a few weeks so they can find a prosecutor and then we can get enough information so we can begin formulating our defence."

White showed little emotion as he scanned the courtroom while the charges were read out. His next court appearance is July 26.

Campeau said the families of both Michael and Liana have been devastated by the developments. Their daughter, Ashley, 3, was believed to be in the custody of Liana's mother, he said.

"It's a tragic day, it's not a victory for the police service. It's just a tragic day for two families. We're not here to celebrate anything. Unfortunately it's a tragedy for both sets of families. Liana's mom is not doing well at all."

Campeau said he felt especially sorry for little Ashley.

"I do. She's lost both her mom and dad."

Liana White's Ford Explorer was found abandoned just blocks from her home with her purse, shoes and cellphone scattered nearby.

Nothing appeared to have been taken, nor were there any signs of a struggle.

Campeau said she was seen just before midnight last Monday by someone other than White, about seven hours before the SUV was reported in the parking lot.

After days of fruitless searching by police, the body was discovered by a crew of volunteers, including White.

Earlier that day he said his nights since Liana's disappearance alternated between nightmares and sleeplessness.

"If they're thinking it was the husband, forget the husband. Let's find my wife," he told a reporter, adding that he feared the worst.

"I want people to know she was an outstanding person who contributed to the community," he said. "There's no reason why this should have happened."

Neighbours and co-workers of the Whites were in shock, describing the couple as normal people who held barbecues, worked on fixing up their house and helped out their friends.

The manager of the truck repair shop where White worked for almost three years said he just can't believe his friend and colleague had been charged with murder.

Some of the other employees at the shop helped White search for his wife.

"We're all in shock and awe. I wouldn't have seen it coming for a million years," said Rob Hansen, who added he had spent time socially with the couple.

"We all thought he was a very solid person, which makes us very distraught. She was always smiling and happy. This has hit everybody like a ton of bricks."

Another colleague, Aaron Coulter, said he still can't believe his friend is in jail charged with murder.

He remembered White occasionally bringing his wife around the truck repair shop.

"We never would have expected anything from him like this. He was an `everybody's best friend' kind of guy. He would do anything for you. Stick around late to help you," Coulter said.

"They always got along great as far as I could see. He was a good family man."

Michael and Liana White met at a nightclub in 1998, not long after she moved to Edmonton from Kelowna, B.C., and while he was still working in the Canadian military.

They had a small wedding in 2000, and a year later, welcomed a daughter. The couple sometimes spoke of returning to his hometown of Mar, Ont.

Published reports say the couple were heavily in debt, with liens on two vehicles and a $166,000 mortgage on a $170,000 house.

The fact that Liana was four months pregnant has prompted chilling comparisons to Scott Peterson, a California man convicted of killing his wife, Laci, and their unborn child.

Campeau said police could not charge White for that death.

"Unfortunately in Canada, you can't charge a person with the death of an unborn baby," he said.

The charge of committing an indignity to a dead body was laid because White's body was disposed of improperly.

Campeau said they believe Michael White acted alone.

While he doesn't have a criminal record, White did have a record during his time in the military, he said.

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Rhune
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Re: Does this sound familiar?
« Reply #1 on: Jul 20^th, 2005, 4:10am »

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Reads like a sociopath to me. Charming to others, and unremoreseful seeming at his own actions.

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Pocket
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Re: Does this sound familiar?
« Reply #2 on: Jul 20^th, 2005, 11:25am »

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Just looking at this story, the husband doesn't seem to be a murderer. I'm sure the police and prosecutors know more if they were able to charge him. Fairly or unfairly, the spouse is always the first suspect.

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