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OAKLAND, Calif. — A Northern California jury has found Giselle Esteban guilty of first-degree murder in the killing of nursing student Michelle Le, who was missing for four months last year before her body was found dumped in a remote canyon east of San Francisco Bay.
The jury announced its decision Monday shortly after 2:15 p.m. at the Rene C. Davidson Courthouse in Oakland.
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After the verdict was read, Le's family hugged each other in the hallway. Her brother, Michael Le, said he felt like a "burden had been lifted." His family had sat in the front row holding hands during the announcement.
A handout photo shows 26-year-old nursing student Michelle Le before she disappeared.
As the jury read its findings, Esteban looked as if she knew the jury was going to come back with that verdict.
Le's body was found on Sept. 17, 2011, four months after the Oakland-based Samuel Merritt University nursing student disappeared from the Kaiser Permanente Medical Center in Hayward, where Le was doing a clinical rotation.
Prosecutors said Esteban stalked Le, 26, and attacked her in the Kaiser parking garage after becoming increasingly enraged at a friendship between Le and Scott Marasigan, who has a young daughter with Esteban.
Esteban, 29, attended high school with Le in San Diego. Based on DNA and cellphone records, Esteban was charged a few days before Le's body was found.
“I am very gratified with the jury's decision," Deputy District Attorney Butch Ford said. "I want to acknowledge the Hayward Police Department for their dedication and persistence in investigating and solving this horrible murder. The jury's considered evaluation of the evidence today led to a just verdict."
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After the verdict, District Attorney Nancy E. O’Malley stated, “I am pleased the perpetrator of this heinous, calculated crime has been brought to justice. I hope today’s verdict will help the family and friends of Ms. Le to continue the long process towards healing following this tragic and senseless crime.”
Esteban's attorney, Andrea Auer, has never disputed that her client killed Le, but argued in court that the evidence against Esteban was done in the "heat of passion" and her client should not be convicted of first-degree murder.
Esteban, who had pleaded not guilty, is scheduled to be sentenced Dec. 10.
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Leave a Comment:
Smoke her now! Oh, wait, it's California. Never mind. She'll get a slap on the wrist and time served.
Hang Her High
She probably will be. I'm sure pot is pretty easy to come by in a CA prison.....
This is bleeding heart USA...she'll get out in a few years and make a killing selling her story to TV.....
No, it's California. They will make a case that since she is vital to the environment, organic and for conveniance a lesbian she should be let free to smoke herb.
The jury took a week to arrive at a verdict. Finally! Justice for Michelle Le and her family. I hope this psycho bitch stays behind bars for life. My prayers are with the family.
Wait.... really? Real live person kills a friend over a man? Father of her child? Guess the little girl got a lesson in how to be a real woman. NOT. HOW COMPLETELY NUTS. Everyone knows you kill the man. Duh
This is a tragic situation on at least two points. First for the victim murdered, desiring to get into a field helping those in need of assistance. At least now her family may begin to move forward. Then the youngest victim scarcely mentioned, Esteban's young child, who now loses her mother and faces an uncertain future. She too is a victim in this crime.It is always a tragedy when people murder others, especially where young children are involved in the consequences.For in addition to the loss of a parent by incarceration, often they get targeted by other kids for bullying. Research shows such children can be deeply scarred emotionally by these parental crimes.
Not trying to be rude, but what you wrote is profoundly common sense.
iGay... If only "common sense" were a little more common on this planet. But, alas...
iGay-Less well known, is the difficulty loved ones face being allowed to ever say anything good done, no matter at what age, about the killer. Without giving the appearance of condoning or lessening the crimes committed. Like the mother of a mass killer recently talked about. So to, the implication some make a kid will grow up to become a killing monster like the parent- heard on some playgrounds. It isn't just about the shock of having a loved one who killed someone, nor losing a loved one to murder. But all the subsequent consequences which continue to wreck lives.
That is why murdering another person is such a cruel, despicable and horrible act. For all the innocent lives destroyed,devastated and their impact on society for so long.If there was more common sense, there would be less murders and crime because people would see the results and seek never to make those mistakes.
Yes, but, you can't teach common sense, and stupid is forever...
So, iGAY, as you pointed out, what was posted IS common sense, but since it is in such short supply, it must be spelled out...
How could they not find her guilty of murder 1 it was plainly premeditated. I don't know the laws in CA or if it was tried as a death penalty case. The way I see it, it should be life without parole at the least.
Finally. Justice for Michelle Le and her family. I hope this psycho biatch spends the rest of her miserable life behind bars. Notice how Esteban's boyfriend/father of her child took her threats seriously and got a restraining order against her but did he warn Michelle of Esteban's threats? My prayers are with Michelle's family.
déjà vu
"Esteban's attorney, Andrea Auer, has never disputed that her client killed Le, but argued in court that the evidence against Esteban was done in the "heat of passion" and her client should not be convicted of first-degree murder."
whatever. She did the crime now it's time to pay the price.
Life without parole at the least. I don't know if it was tried as a death penalty case. Does anyone know? The story didn't say. In GA if your found guilty in GA of murder you are sentenced right then and there usually life in prison unless it's a death penalty case.
As the old saying goes, he or she who dances must pay the fiddler.
Piper. Pay the piper.
Pay the 10 Lords a leaping, 9 ladies dancing, 8 maids a milking, ...ahhhh who cares...just pay the bill!!
(jokingly)
I am very happy that this murderer was found guilty.May Michele Le rest in peace and her family know that many are as heartbroken as they are.She was a beautiful young woman who did not deserve her life to end this way.I don't believe this was a heat of passion killing.I am voting to keep the death penalty in California.This is a death penalty case if ever there was one.
I always enjoy reading your comments JACL... I agree with your post...
ty mpa lol
If California doesnt have the balls to excute this woman send her here to Texas we have an express lane down here. Did they ever say is she a legal or illegal
Hey, Slufoot, I've got a better place to send her. Send her to Virginia where the average time a prisoner spends on death row is 7 years, and 75% of death row inmates get executed. Even Texas is liberal compared to that.
EddieTheKid: Virginia executes people? I thought obama won that state???
Estaban is behind estabars. Right where she belongs !!!!
Wow, a commentable story! I got nothin'.
Guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
Instead of sentencing her on Dec. 10 - juice the beatch!
May you now Rest in peace Michelle and your family now have peace and rest.
No justice until the killer is dead!
I hope she gets life without parole. There's no sense holding death penalty hearings that will take another month because California never executes anybody anyway.
Of course she wont get executed, obama won this state dont you know???
I can see why Gesille felt threatened she has the face of a pig!!!! What a loser now her son is without a mother. She should stay in prison for life after killing an innocent friend. Yikes, who needs friends like Gesille?
Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned!
Hell hath no fury like
a woman scornedsomeone who knows that they can get away with murder.Just make sure Bubbette knows it was a student she offed.
the death penalty is too good for her. Let her suffer in prison,
p.s. what a rotten mother.
Let her rot in prison, why,? if she gets executed she will go straight to hell, I would have to say that is a little more suffering then life in prison.
Anytime there is rock solid evidence the perp should die, and not twenty or thirty yrs later either, but as soon as they are found to be guilty. As long as people know they will get away without having to pay the ultimate price this kind of $hit will only fester and grow.
I think we've not seen the last of this. If you notice, it said she plead not guilty. It also said her lawyer defended her on grounds of heat of passion.
I believe she will appeal on grounds of poor defense.
you forgot to mention that she was poor growing up and that is why she murdered her friend, right?????
Califas.Thought that state was supposed to be a model of societal livin...