Arrest In Murder Of 8-Year-Old Calif. Girl

Sources Tell CBS News 28-Year-Old Sunday School Teacher Told Conflicting Stories Of Day Sandra Cantu Went Missing

(CBS/AP)  An arrest has been made in the murder of eight-year-old Sandra Cantu in Tracy, Calif., CBS News has revealed.

Police arrested 28-year-old Melissa Huckaby, a neighbor whose own daughter was one of Sandra’s playmates.

Huckaby is a Sunday school teacher, and granddaughter of the pastor of a nearby church that was searched extensively Friday by police investigators.

Soon after that search, Huckaby drove herself to the police station, where she was questioned until early Saturday morning.

Sources tell CBS News that Huckaby told four different stories of what happened the day the 8-year-old girl disappeared - inconsistencies that prompted further inquiries from investigators.

"She gave enough information to us during the course of the interview that probable cause was there to arrest her," Police Sgt. Tony Sheneman told the Associated Press.

CBS Station KPIX reports that at 2:25 a.m. Saturday, police drove Huckaby out of their headquarters in an unmarked car, headed for the San Joaquin Jail, where she was booked on charges of kidnapping and murder.

She is being held without bail, with arraignment set for Tuesday afternoon.

"We have information that by the time (Sandra Cantu) was reported missing to us, she had already been murdered," Police Chief Janet Thiessen told KPIX.

At a press briefing this morning, Tracy Police Sgt. Tony Sheneman said there will be no other arrests.

"I couldn't begin to even theorize what her motive might have been," he said.

Sheneman said that during the course of her interview with police, Huckaby's emotions ranged from appearing relaxed to very emotional, and ultimately "resigned" to the course of events.

In a phone interview on Friday, Huckaby told KPIX that Sandra visited her home March 27, the day she disappeared. Huckaby also said she had left a suitcase in the driveway that day, and that it was missing.

Sandra’s body was found 10 days after she disappeared, stuffed into a suitcase and dumped in a farm pond.

Huckaby's family had been questioned at length during the investigation, and their home and vehicles had been searched, Sheneman said.

Sheneman said investigators had not expected that the suspect would turn out to be a woman.

"It's unusual for it to be a woman statistically and according to the FBI," he said at the news conference.

Discovering it was a woman and a member of the tight knit Tracy community who knew the family was "a double blow," he said.

"Today's going to be a very difficult day for everyone to digest that," Sheneman said. "This was an anomaly in the murder of a child."

"There's still a lot of work to be done in the next several weeks to ensure that Miss Huckaby pays for what's she's done," Sheneman said.

Cantu's disappearance had left the city of Tracy on edge, wondering how a little girl could just vanish so close to home.

The last time her mother saw Sandra alive, the little girl was going outside to play with friends, and surveillance video taken in their trailer park showed Sandra happily skipping on the trailer park's grounds.

The slain girl's aunt, Angie Chavez, said in a phone interview with The Associated Press early Saturday that she was happy to learn of the arrest.

"I want to know why she did it, if she did it," Chavez said. She added that she had no indication that Huckaby could be a suspect.

At an early morning news conference, Tracy Police Chief Janet Thiessen said investigators had worked on the case tirelessly.

"We have information that Sandra, by the time she was reported missing to us, that she probably had already been murdered," said Thiessen.

"It has helped us to bring Sandra home, again not in the way that we would've hoped, but that was out of our hands shortly after she went missing."

Huckaby is a granddaughter of Pastor Clifford Lawless, whose Clover Road Baptist Church (left) was the subject of a police search. Huckaby taught Sunday school at the church and lived with Lawless in the Orchard Estates Mobile Home Park that also was Sandra's home.

Lawless did not immediately respond to a call seeking comment Saturday.

The Tracy Press reported that Huckaby was released Thursday from Sutter Tracy Community Hospital, where she spent several days in intensive care for what she described as "internal bleeding."

KPIX also reports that Huckaby was recently convicted for petty theft in San Joaquin County. According to court records, the judge ordered her to be examined by physicians after Huckaby claimed she was not mentally competent to stand trial. It was determined that she was competent and she pleaded guilty.

Huckaby was also convicted in November of 2006 for petty theft at the Bellflower Superior Court in Los Angeles County.

Huckaby was scheduled to appear in court on April 17 to check in with a county mental health program as part of a three-year probation sentence for a petty theft she pleaded no contest to.

In an interview with The Tracy Press on Friday, Huckaby said someone else by the same name was facing charges for the attempted November theft from Target.


To listen to KPIX's phone interview with Huckaby click on the video player below.

[LIZBETH68]

WOW! my heart goes out to sandra's family! i'm not shocked at all! just confused. what is going on with woman these days? with people in general are we no longer human? I have a beautiful 10yr old daughter whom i love so much! and i think, i would lose my mind if something like this were to happen to her.(god forbid) When i saw this childs picture it broke my heart. my daughter is friendly,always happy,outgoing,so full of life.she loves people and loves to make friends. and sandra reminds me of my child. her long blonde hair and her beautiful smile. to sandra's mother keep those wonderful and beautiful memories in your heart. she is in gods hands now. he will take care of her until you arrive. and to all parents. keep your children as close as possible. trust no one ! they say you don't know someone till you live with them. not true! you can know someone forever and you'll never know who they really are. god bless the chavez family. sandra may you rest in peace.

[Dgunner]

MUBRYANT . CAN'T FATHOM TAKING A ANOTHER LIFE . MAYBE NOT? GOOD FOR HIM SOME DO AND CAN. wHO DO YOU THINK IS STANDING WATCH AT NIGHT WHEN YOU SLEEP? SUNDAY SCHOOL DEACONS? PERHAPS THE ORGAN PLAYER AT YOU LOCAL CHURCH?

[Dgunner]

I cannot fathom the mind that would take another life. mubryant posts these words. That has got to be one of the stupidest statements of the twentinth century. Well my fellow american pick up a newspaper the minds of killers are rampant in our government in our congress and three doors down from your quaint litlle secure world you live in. Who do you think is standing the wall at you night ? LIfe takers and liberty makers. I surely hope you are not a armed citizen.

[murbryant]

I am not any more shocked at this arrest than if the murderer had turned out to be some creepy guy- my heart just goes out to the family of Sandra Cantu and to all the people that find themselves questioning their relationships with Melissa Huckaby. I can not fathom the mind that would take another life, much less that of a child. Mentally Ill? yeah, probably, and all the more reason to be sure it does not happen again.

[on_alert247]

How Ironic! I don't know how many people like I read this story and just feel utter sorrow and disgust for such a horrific crime and wonder how the accused could have done such a thing without being mentally ill. Then I read some of the posts here that disparage religion and wonder just how pervasive mental illness is in this country.

[libyth]

WOW!!! Ronald Austin just posted his belief that one who is capable of petty theft is also capable of murduring a child!? Whooooaaaa...... somehow that seems a bit EXTREME!

[libyth]

I can't believe this forum (about an 8 year old murdered), has turned into a religious debate!? Why? Because her accused is a Sunday school teacher and daughter of a preacher??? What about school teachers who molest & rape their students? In honor of those cases, shouldn't we attack the education system? Or, how about Susan Smith
? Should we have bashed housewives in general for her actions? Maybe we can somehow find a way to transfer blame to politics and law, being that those were passions of Ted Bundy? The problem with today's society when it comes to enstating laws to PROTECT children is exactly what's going on HERE! Everyone starts moaning and groaning about their own agendas & the greater purpose gets lost in the shuffle! Enough already about what this monster did for a living or who her father was....connecting those factors to the incident, is all speculation at this point....let's stay focused on what we know to be factual at this point....her involvement! Isn't it possible that regardless of her upbringing or influence, she was just a "bad seed", ala Ted Bundy?
How can you expect for the courts to hold her liable for her own actions if you (society) is already giving her an out????

[Ichabod09]

There's no one left to be severe about genius. Most of these people are being pushed to the breaking point by the economic crunch engineered against the middle class by corporate a-holes and the GOP? Does your dumb morality ever get around to punishing them?
Posted by Splatastic at 6:12 PM : Apr 11, 2009

True morality doesn't punish. Morality is simply the rules left over when we've forgotten the lessons of the past.

One simple rule you may want to keep in mind is the law of the con. You can't con an honest man. A good con depends on the dishonesty of the mark. How many of our good citizens took out loans knowing they were not really qualified?

I've found that morality appears dumb only to those attempting to defend something they can't let go-whether it be overeating, tobacco, drugs, or alternative sex.

Just curious.. what little habit are you dealing with that is opposed by conventional morality?

[flolake]

jonesjep at 9:31 PM : Apr 11, 2009 :

The murderess is Baptist...See newest update on this site. BTW: Your statement(s) sans link= your OPINION. And your bottom line was to slap a sitting president of the U.S.

I suppose in the future, you might need to put your posts where I suspect your heart truly is.

[flolake]

DoubleHappiness88: Your remarks to that particular moron you addressed @ 12:18 AM were spot on. I get so sick of mindless garbage posts and their lack of moderation; I could puke.

Thank-you for having the guts to lay it on the line! I often wonder if likeminded babblers like the one in question ever recover from the depths of being eaten up with the screaming dumbs. Somehow I suspect it only gets worse as time passes.

[flolake]

If this murderess pulls a "madoff'; pleads guilty without trial: she'll never be required to say another word about any motive she may have had.

The fact that Huckaby was 'raising' her own 5 yr. old daughter at the time, just makes my case of the creeps all the more distressing.

[Rlroso]

Rupert L Roso, on April 12th, 2009 at 1:41 am Said: Your comment is awaiting moderation.
I think ?Melissa Huckaby ? should be put to death if she is found guilty for the Murder of Sandra Cantu.

This is Horrible that a Sunday school teacher could commit such a crime. ?What about thou shall not kill?

Obviously I believe that this church forgot to run a criminal back ground check and a therapy test on this person.

All Churches should run these tests before allowing any one person Male or Female to represent a church.

Well she shall not only have to pay for her crimes but if found guilty she should have to appear before national television giving her reason why.

I am so sorry this had to happen too her parents and I hope that justice is served. My heart goes out to all her family and friends. My Family and I will be praying for all of you.

Sincerely:
Rupert L Roso
[e-mail].

[DoubleHappiness88]

Isn't it typical of religious zealots to require everything be proved to them because they are mentally incompetent or lazy to do the reading themselves but they demand you BELIEVE their myths, superstitions and dogma without question.

Erichsh, you are not only ignorant of history and the religious superstitions you hold so dear, you have a serious reading comprehension problem. Little wonder you are so confused and uninformed. Perhaps, if you sought information from a source other than an ignorant preacher, your pitiable condition might be improved. Seek help.

If you want the truth, it is availble but not from religion.

[erichsh]

erichsh,
I will not attempt to educate you. That is your responsibility. Suffice it to say, your ignorance of history is appaling. Both 150 million figures are straight from history text books
DoubleHappiness88

Please do educate me. PROVE IT. Show me the links regarding the "150 million Native Americans" killed in the name of religion. And while you're at it, PROVE your reprehensible speculation that religion was the motive behind this child's death.

So you quote a few people who "agree" with you. Funny, I don't see the word "poison" in any of those quotes. To try to claim that George Washington thinks that religion is "poisonous" simply because he advocates separation of church and state is quite a stretch, don't you think? I do believe, however, that there might be a couple of billion of people who DISAGREE with you. Are they all "poisoned" for that reason?

[jonesjep]

The media always makes a point to highlight if someone is a Sunday school teacher, clergy or some church related profession. In some part because it is shocking and rare. In a larger part because they want to demonize religion like many of you here. Maybe they should start pointing out the religious affiliation, or lack thereof, on every crime reported. 99.9% of crimes by someone who does not go to church and never will go to church. 0.1% by someone who has a church affiliation. For all of the others who like to look back several thousand years and blame murders on religious groups. Each of those groups that claimed to be a part of some religion were not practicing the basic tenets of that religion when they were supposedly murdering. Therefore they were not Christians, Catholics or any other religion. They were pretenders. Like Obama during the campaign.

[DoubleHappiness88]

erichsh,
I will not attempt to educate you. That is your responsibility. Suffice it to say, your ignorance of history is appaling. Both 150 million figures are straight from history text books.

As for WWII, Hitler used the churches to promote christian hatred of Jews so as to rob them of all property before murdering them.

RELIGION POISONS EVERYTHING.

A few people who agree with me:
"The Bible and the Church have been the greatest stumbling blocks in the way of women's emancipation." --Elizabeth Cady Stanton

"I almost shudder at the thought of alluding to the most fatal example of the abuses of grief which the history of mankind has preserved - the Cross. Consider what calamities that engine of grief has produced!" --John Adams, Fourth Us President

"The United States of America should have a foundation free from the influence of clergy." --George Washington

"Why has a religious turn of mind always a tendency to narrow and harden the heart?"--Robert Burns

"The Christian religion has been and still is the principal enemy of moral progress in the world." --Bertrand Russell

"I call Christianity the one great curse, the one great intrinsic depravity, the one great instinct of revenge, for which no means are venomous enough, or secret, subterranean and small enough - I call it the one immortal blemish upon the human race."
--Friedrich Nietzsche

"Faith is often the boast of the man who is too lazy to investigate." --F.M. Knowles


"We would be 1,500 years ahead if it hadn't been for the church dragging science back by its coattails and burning our best minds at the stake." --Catherine Fahringer


This crime called blasphemy was invented by priests for the purpose of defending doctrines not able to take care of themselves.
- Robert Green Ingersoll

[erichsh]

religion poises EVERYONE, particularily children.
Posted by betterworld

Well, it's certainly poisoned you. Look at how your hatred of religion elevates you into a position of final judgment on the "poisonous" impact that it has on "EVERYONE". The thing is, betterworld, that billions of people (yes, billions, because most of the world's population identifies themselves as ascribing to one faith or another) take personal comfort and guidance through their religious beliefs in their daily lives. And they're all "poisoned" in your humble opinion? Only enlightened individuals such as yourself really know better?

[erichsh]

You're entitled to your views, Doublehappiness, and I can take issue with your "facts" (150 million Native Americans killed - where did that number come from, thin air?). But I resent your trying to pre-assign religion as a motive for the murder of a child in this case, when like I said even the police have no idea why she did it. Furthermore, you act as though religion is the be-all and end-all cause for all wars (hint: the most deadly wars in history, like the two World Wars, were not religion-based).

Then you go on to trivialize as "petty" the collective millions of acts of kindness and decency that people of faith commit daily, whether impromptu (like the ABC story about churches helping tornado survivors), or organized. The Salvation Army, which is perhaps the largest charity organization in the world, is faith-based. How smug and arrogant.

[betterworld]

For those critical of doublehappiness's "sociopathic rant" perhaps you should visit the website of the Clover Street Baptist Church where this monstor taught sunday school and her wacko grandparents preached.

worth repeating..again...

religion poises EVERYONE, particularily children.

[DoubleHappiness88]

Erichsh,
Recent, petty good deeds cannot excuse 2,000 years of religious wars, inquisitions, the murder of 150 million European nature worshipers and the deaths of 150 million Native Americans in North and South America and the un countable individual crimes committed in the name of religion. Ant that is only to mention some of christianity's crimes. The crimes of Islam, Hinduism and Buddhism are too many to list here.