Deja.com search: McMartin & (abuse | tunnel* | evidence)
Articles culled from the Witchhunt Mailing List: Virginia McMartin obituary:
Date: Mon, 18 Dec 1995 19:39:00 -0800 Subject: Virginia McMartin Dead At 88 To: Multiple recipients of list WITCHHNT <WITCHHNT@MITVMA.MIT.EDU AP 18 Dec 95 20:02 EST V0140 Virginia McMartin Dead At 88 TORRANCE, Calif. (AP) -- Virginia McMartin, the grandmother acquitted of molesting children at her pre-school in the nation's longest and costliest criminal case, has died. She was 88. McMartin, who bitterly denied the charges leveled against her, her daughter, her grandson and pre-school staff, was pronounced dead Sunday in the emergency room at Little Company of Mary Hospital. "It was natural causes. She apparently had a series of strokes lately," said police Lt. David Marsden. McMartin founded the now-defunct McMartin Preschool in Manhattan Beach, which became the focus of a child abuse investigation in 1983 when a mother later diagnosed as mentally ill told police she suspected her 2 1/2-year-old son had been molested. McMartin was arrested in 1984 with her daughter, Peggy McMartin Buckey, and grandchildren, Ray and Peggy Ann Buckey, and three teachers. In the months that followed, allegations were made that teachers at the school had molested dozens of children, often during bizarre rituals. McMartin became a familiar figure in the heavily-publicized case as she went to court in her wheelchair. In 1986, felony child molestation charges were dismissed against all but Peggy McMartin Buckey and her son. They were charged with molesting 11 children over a five-year period. Mrs. Buckey was acquitted in 1990 after a three-year trial. The same year, Raymond Buckey was acquitted of 40 counts and a jury deadlocked on another eight counts against him in a second trial. The entire case lasted seven years and cost Los Angeles County $13 million, making it the longest and costliest criminal prosecution in U.S. history. The O.J. Simpson trial cost $9 million. Date: Mon, 18 Dec 1995 22:58:51 -0500 From: "Laura E. Pasley" <LEPasley@AOL.COM Subject: Virginia McMartin To: Multiple recipients of list WITCHHNT <WITCHHNT@MITVMA.MIT.EDU I'm sure you all have heard Virginia (the grandmother) and owner of the McMartin Pre-School died in her sleep today. I was very troubled by the short bleep on CNN. It stated she was at the "heart of the McMartin" situation and although they made mention she, nor any one else was ever convicted on that case - there was more time spend telling about the charges. I think the world owes Virginia McMartin an apology. Through everything this family went thru - this woman held her head up with dignity. This woman, her daughter and grandchildren remind me constantly of the system that went terribly wrong. Nothing could counter the injustice done to them. It was the beginning of the reason we need a witchhunt board in the first place to debate this issue on. This case continues to haunt me and always will. It's the first case I dealt with that made me ashamed of the American justice system - a system I have worked in since being a teenager. Today - 10 years later - the witchhunts march on. Laura Pasley Date: Mon, 18 Dec 1995 23:35:18 -0500 Reply-To: Falsealleg@AOL.COM Subject: Re: Virginia McMartin To: Multiple recipients of list WITCHHNT <WITCHHNT@MITVMA.MIT.EDU I agree they are due an apology. I also believe we owe them many thanks for being strong and fighting like they did. Although we still suffer through the witch hunts today, there was much learned during the McMartin trials which have helped others. Date: Mon, 18 Dec 1995 21:19:31 -0800 From: George Hero <ghero@IX.NETCOM.COM Subject: Virginia McMartin dies To: Multiple recipients of list WITCHHNT <WITCHHNT@MITVMA.MIT.EDU Grandmother cleared in molestation case dies TORRANCE, California (CNN) -- Virginia McMartin, a central figure in a child molestation case that became the nation's longest criminal prosecution, died Sunday. Authorities attributed the death of the 88-year-old grandmother to natural causes. The saga of the McMartin Pre-School began in 1983, when a mother -- later diagnosed as mentally ill -- called Los Angeles police to say she suspected her 2-year-old son had been molested. Mrs. McMartin was arrested in March 1984 with her daughter, Peggy McMartin Buckey, and grandchildren, Ray and Peggy Ann Buckey, along with three teachers. In the months that followed, allegations were made that teachers at the school had molested dozens of the children. In 1986, felony child molestation charges were dismissed against all but Peggy McMartin Buckey and her son. They were charged with molesting 11 children over a five-year period. Mrs. Buckey was acquitted in January 1990 after a three-year trial. Raymond Buckey was acquitted of 40 counts and a jury deadlocked on another eight counts against him in a second trial. The entire case lasted seven years and cost Los Angeles County $13 million.
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