Opinion ID: 2639471
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: Murder of Denise Galston

Text: Denise was last seen on June 12, 1984, the day she was murdered. Joanna witnessed her murder, but did not come forward with this information until late October of 1984. On July 31, 1984, Denise's remains were found. Loggers John Keyser and Todd Story were working off Ferrari Mill Road. They testified that they reached that spot by driving down Iron Mountain Road, also known as Mormon Emigrant Trail, crossing two dams and making a right turn onto Ferrari Mill Road. On Ferrari Mill Road, they traveled approximately three-quarters of a mile to an intersection known as Four Corners, turned right and traveled about one-half to three-quarters of a mile. There they found a human skull and other bones. They found no clothing. Through dental records, including X-rays, it was determined that the bones were the remains of Denise. The pathologist was unable to determine the cause of death; all she could state was that there was no observable trauma to any of the bones. On the evening of June 12, Joanna went to a church parking lot and began drinking. Thereafter, she went to downtown Placerville. She witnessed a commotion, during which Ron Burelco threw a cement block through the windshield of a patrol car. This incident took place between 9:10 and 9:30 p.m. At this time, she saw defendant by the Bell Tower (a local downtown landmark) in his car. He told Joanna that he wanted to talk to her. She got in his car and they drove to the city park. Defendant made a sexual overture to Joanna and grabbed her breast. Joanna returned downtown, where she saw Denise arguing with police officers. She pulled Denise aside and spoke with her. She then walked over to the Stancil's Toyota dealership, where she again saw Denise, and the two spoke briefly. Denise left, and Joanna watched her walk under an overpass, toward the foster home. [2] Joanna then saw defendant drive by and she made a rude gesture using her third finger, in response to the earlier incident in his car. Defendant stopped where Denise was walking. Joanna stated that it looked like they were arguing and Denise got into his car. The car turned around, approached Joanna, and stopped. Denise asked Joanna to get in the car. Joanna agreed, and sat in the front seat next to Denise. The three left Placerville and headed onto Highway 50. Defendant said they were going to a party. They got off at the Sly Park exit and drove onto Sly Park Road, and then onto Mormon Emigrant Trail. Soon thereafter, the car then turned onto a dirt road, which was Ferrari Mill Road. Joanna saw yellow letters on a tree stump and asked to stop to go to the bathroom. The car eventually stopped and Joanna got out, walked about 100 yards away from the car and vomited. She climbed up a wooded area and washed her face in a little trickle of water, a stream, which was just barely enough to wash [her] face. She could see by moonlight. She then heard Denise screaming her (Joanna's) name, and went to the area where she heard Denise's voice. She saw Denise running in the nude with defendant chasing her. It looked like Denise's hands were tied behind her back. Defendant pushed Denise down, put a knife to her throat, and stabbed her. Joanna stated she ran away while Denise was still screaming. Joanna reached the road from which they had turned off to get onto Ferrari Mill Road (Mormon Emigrant Trail), saw a car coming, and hid. A second car drove toward her, and when she realized that it was not defendant's, she ran out in front of the car. The driver turned out to be a person named Joe whom she previously had met at a place called Happy Trails. She got in his car, told him nothing, and he dropped her off at the Burger King in Placerville. Once in town, Joanna said she met Bruce Nesthus and stayed over at his house. Nesthus confirmed that he saw Joanna by the Bell Tower at approximately 3:30 a.m. Nesthus stated that Joanna was very jumpy and her mind seemed elsewhere; she would look over her shoulder and, when a car came by, she would try to hide; and, when she walked into his house, she sighed with relief. Nesthus stated that they had sexual relations and Joanna left the next morning, telling him she was going water-skiing. Adele Nelson, Joanna's social worker, met with Joanna on June 13, 1984. She had spoken with her on seven to 10 occasions prior to that date. She said Joanna's demeanor was substantially different on June 13. Nelson stated that it seemed that what they had discussed two days earlier was completely out of her mind, and [Nelson] wondered what had happened to obliterate what had been important to her from her mind. Joanna testified that she told no one of the murder, including the police, Nesthus, Chapman, her boyfriend Larry Wright, or Darlene because she thought she would get in trouble and be arrested for the murder. She added that she was ashamed that she had not helped Denise. Thereafter, she avoided defendant and the foster home, and often stayed with her boyfriend's grandparents. She left Placerville the last week of August 1984 and moved to Renton, Washington, to live with her brother. Joanna couldn't live with herself and returned to Placerville by train on October 29, 1994 because she had to come back and tell somebody. The evening of her return, Joanna talked to Placerville Police Officer Phillip Dannaker. She was visibly shaking and crying at times. She said she knew something about the murders but was afraid the police might think she was involved. The next day, October 30, 1984, Joanna chanced upon Fay Harnage, the wife of El Dorado County Sheriffs Detective Erol Harnage. Fay Harnage testified that she and Joanna began talking after her dog barked at Joanna. It was the first time she had ever met Joanna. Joanna, she said, started talking about the murders and was on the verge of becoming hysterical. Fay Harnage informed her that she was a sheriffs wife and suggested that Joanna accompany her home and meet with her husband, Detective Harnage. Joanna agreed. Once at the residence, Joanna met Detective Harnage and agreed to speak with him and El Dorado County Sheriff Sergeant Bill Wilson about the murders. Joanna told the two sheriffs deputies that she had information about the case they were investigating and wanted to talk to them, but was hesitant because she was afraid she had done something wrong and would be arrested. She explained that she had gone to Washington to try to get away from it, but found she could not live with it and had returned to talk to them. She also said she was ashamed of herself. It was ultimately agreed that Joanna would talk with a psychologist, Dr. Frank Dougherty, who might be able to help her overcome her reluctance to tell the deputies what she knew about the case. On November 1, 1984, Joanna had her first session with Dr. Dougherty. She met with him again on November 2. She told him that on June 12, she went to Sly Park with defendant and Denise, and that defendant murdered Denise, but she offered no other information. She later testified that, at this juncture, she had just wanted defendant to get arrested, she was not yet ready to tell the whole truth about what she had witnessed, and that she had lied to Dr. Dougherty about certain details. On November 2, Dr. Dougherty and Sergeant Wilson conducted an interview with Joanna that was tape-recorded. That same evening, Sergeant Wilson suggested they take Joanna in a vehicle to the location. Joanna agreed to direct Detective Harnage, Sergeant Wilson and Dr. Dougherty along the route she took the night of the murder. They left at 9:00 p.m. Joanna directed them to Highway 50, then to the Sly Park Road turnoff. From Sly Park Road, they drove to the intersection of Mormon Emigrant Trail, crossing two dams. Whenever she told them to make a turn, they would stop after the turn. Joanna would tell them that she did not wish to go any further; she wanted to go back home. They kept reassuring her that everything was all right. As they passed the second dam, Joanna told them to drive slowly. After crossing the dam, they turned right on Ferrari Mill Road, finally reaching the intersection known as Four Corners. They stopped. Joanna was sunk way down low in her seat and did not respond when Sergeant Wilson suggested she get out of the car. They turned around and headed back to the sheriffs office. On November 5, 1984, Joanna and Dr. Dougherty had another session. The following day, November 6, Dr. Dougherty, Detective Harnage and Sergeant Wilson took Joanna in a vehicle and returned to Four Corners to see if Joanna could direct them any further. The closer they got to that location, the more fearful and reluctant Joanna became. Once on Ferrari Mill Road, as they approached Four Corners, Joanna said she remembered going further and started crying. At Four Corners, there was a stump with some yellow paint on it. Joanna told them to continue straight ahead, on Ferrari Mill Road. After about a half-mile, she told them to turn around because they were on the wrong road. Back at Four Corners, Joanna said, We went further down that road, pointing to the road where Denise's remains had been located. Joanna became very quiet and sat there crying. They returned to Placerville. On November 7, Joanna had another session with Dr. Dougherty. After that session, Joanna gave a complete tape-recorded statement to the deputies describing the events of June 12. She said that when she saw the yellow paint on the stump she finally decided to tell the truth and leave out nothing. On cross-examination, Joanna admitted having told a different story on November 7, compared to what she had said on the 10-minute tape prepared on November 2. The November 2 tape was played to the jury. She also admitted drinking a pint of rum and a six-pack of beer the night Denise was murdered. She stated that she applied for a reward in this case, but there was no evidence that Joanna was aware of the reward when she came forward. Joanna stated she thought the moon was full that night. In fact, it was one night before a full moon. Joanna stated that she previously recalled saying that there was a stream in the area where she had washed her face. Whether water was actually present in the area where Joanna claimed she had washed her face was the subject of much testimony. Susan and Charles Greenwood, who lived at the end of the road where Denise's remains were located, stated there was no standing water anywhere near where Denise's body was found. However, Ronald Jones, Director of the El Dorado County Irrigation District, testified that he maintained the rainfall records at Sly Park Dam. He stated that in 1984, it rained .19 inches on June 4, .74 inches on June 5, .24 inches on June 6, and .15 inches on June 7. Prior to June 4, the previous rainfall had occurred on May 3, 1984. Brian Morris, a registered professional forester with the United States Forest Service, who studied soil hydrology and watershed management, testified that he viewed Denise's remains on July 31, 1984, the day they were discovered. The body was on the uphill side of a log, 200 feet up the slope of the roadway, about 100 feet east of an ephemeral draw. He described such a draw as a swale with a rounded bottom that occasionally collected water. He also found culverts that would form shallow puddles during the time of a runoff. He stated that, given the rainfall in that first week of June 1984, he would reasonably expect that on June 12, 1984, water would pool and go down into the culvert. John Cleever, a logger, testified that he went to Four Corners on June 9, 1984 (three days before the murder) to report for work. He said that he drove up Ferrari Mill Road to Four Corners and wanted to make a right turn (onto the road where Denise's remains were found), but there was a big mudhole with standing water, so he parked elsewhere. The Greenwoods testified that the yellow painted stump that was identified by Joanna first appeared in August 1984, after the murder was committed. But Dennis Ringnes, a timber sale administrator with the United States Forest Service, testified that in a timber sale, trees to be cut are painted with a special tracer paint that is kept under lock and key in order to prevent individuals from painting additional trees not included in the timber sale. He stated that the yellow stump identified by Joanna was painted with that yellow tracer paint in 1979. John Cleever also testified that the trees in that area were painted yellow prior to June 1984. Darlene testified that she was with defendant the night Denise was murdered, and they had driven to Sports Kingdom Hall and McDonald's in Placerville. She said defendant kept a knife above the car's sun visor and handcuffs in the backseat. She stated that defendant was cleaning his gun and sharpening his knife and told her he was going to take care of business. On cross-examination she admitted that at the preliminary hearing, she said that petitioner had said, Tonight is going to be a good night for business. She said that defendant took her back to the foster home at 10:00 p.m. She ate a banana and went to the top of the hill near the foster home to smoke a cigarette. From that vantage point, she saw defendant pick up Denise underneath the overpass, turn around and stop. She never saw Denise again. She did not see defendant the following day. [3] On April 30, 1985, James Stalford was scouting for wood 100 yards off Ferrari Mill Road by the Four Corners intersection when he came across a reversible [jacket] either dark blue or black on one side and orange on the other. He stated that underneath the coat was a purple sweatshirt, bra, tennis shoes, and denim pants. There was no blood on the clothes. Bruce Nesthus stated that the reversible jacket belonged to him, and that he had loaned this jacket to Denise while they were standing by the Sports Kingdom Hall on June 12, the night Denise was murdered. Nesthus testified that he saw Joanna at that time as well, standing by the fence at the Stancil's Toyota dealership. On June 22, 1985, during trial, Sergeant Wilson directed Joanna to take him to the spot where Denise had been killed. Joanna did not want to go, but Sergeant Wilson insisted. Once at Four Corners, he told her to direct him. Joanna said to drive straight ahead. After about 75 yards, Joanna said that this was not the road, and to turn around. Once back at Four Corners, at Joanna's direction, they next took the road to their right. After about 150 yards, she said that this was not the road either, and they returned to the intersection. When he asked her which was the correct road, Joanna pointed to the road to the west. They drove down that road. Joanna told Sergeant Wilson that it was the correct road but that it looked different. Wilson said it was possible it looked different because it had been logged. At the first landing, or wide spot in the road, Joanna said she did not recall this location, but to keep going. They next went directly into some trees and Joanna stated, Now I remember this being this way. At the second wide spot, Joanna said she remembered going this way, and said to keep driving. At the third wide spot in the road she asked Wilson to stop. He asked her why. This is the spot, she said, and she became very quiet and began to cry. Wilson stated that this was almost the same spot where the jury's bus had stopped when the jurors viewed the area where Denise's remains had been located.