Infanticide, trafficking in body parts
Disturbing news from Los Angeles County
(Editor's Note: Below we reprint two troubling news releases recently issued by the Los Angeles district attorney.)
Oct. 17, 2008
"Former Director of UCLA's Willed Body Program Pleads Guilty"
LOS ANGELES – The former director of UCLA's Willed Body Program pleaded guilty today to conspiracy to commit grand theft in a body-parts-for-profit scheme and agreed to cooperate in the trial of his co-defendant, the District Attorney's office announced.
Henry Reid, who was indicted by a Grand Jury in May with selling body parts to businessman Ernest Nelson, who then resold them to medical, pharmaceutical and hospital research companies, entered the plea before Judge Curtis Rappe. The 58-year-old Anaheim resident also pleaded to the special allegation that he damaged or destroyed property exceeding $1 million.
Under the negotiated plea, he will be sentenced to four years, four months in state prison, said Deputy District Attorney Marisa Zarate with the Major Fraud Division who is prosecuting the case. He also must pay restitution between $100,000 to $1 million to UCLA's Willed Body Program. The amount will be determined later by the judge. Reid was hired in May 1997 as director of UCLA's Willed Body Program. According to the indictment, between May 7, 1999 and Feb. 26, 2004, Reid and Nelson conspired to defraud UCLA's Willed Body Program of its donor bodies for personal financial gain. Reid allegedly sold human body parts from UCLA's program to Nelson and deposited thousands of dollars into his personal bank account. In turn, Nelson allegedly made more than $1 million by selling the human cadavers and body parts supplied by Reid to more than 20 private medical, pharmaceutical and hospital research companies.
Reid and Nelson were charged with one count of conspiracy to commit grand theft and one count each of grand theft and grand theft of personal property. The indictment alleged the theft was more than $1 million.
Reid is scheduled to be sentenced Jan. 30, 2009. The remaining counts will be dismissed at sentencing. A trial date has not been set for Nelson.
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Oct. 16, 2008
"Mother Sentenced in Murder of Infant Girl"
SAN FERNANDO – A mother convicted of killing her newborn girl and dumping her body in a trash bin was sentenced today to 25 years to life in prison, the District Attorney's office announced.
Judge Alice Hills sentenced Jacquelin Linaras, following the 25-year-old's conviction last month of first-degree murder and assault on a child causing death.
A San Fernando Superior Court jury deliberated less than two hours before finding Linaras guilty. Deputy District Attorney Carolyn McNary said Linaras killed her newborn girl shortly after giving birth on May 1, 2006, by hitting the infant's head on a cabinet. Linaras then dumped the body in a trash bin near her home in the Polynesian Mobile Home Park in Santa Clarita. The body was discovered May 2 by a resident searching for recyclables.
Under California law, parents or legal guardians can drop off unwanted children within 72 hours of birth to designated sites such as fire stations or hospital emergency rooms with no fear of arrest or prosecution.
