The sister of a woman , whose burned body was found in a dumpster in Northern California last year, has slammed Northern California’s prosecutors for dropping charges against two men charged in her death. She cited the case’s connection to derogatory and racist text messages which have shaken up a local law enforcement department.
Nicole Eason, NBC News’ senior reporter, said that the messages — released earlier this summer after a joint FBI-Contra Costa District Attorney’s Office investigation of the Antioch Police Department — shouldn’t have affected the prosecutions of Ashton Montalvo or Deangelo Boone.
Montalvo, Boone and Mykaella Sharlman were both charged with arson as well as mutilation human remains for the death on 17 October of Mykaella. Both have pleaded guilty to the charges.
Eason said the decision to drop charges was “unacceptable.” She also suggested that prosecutors “recant” and “scrutinize” the evidence, which she called insurmountable. This included security videos and eyewitness testimonies.
Eason stated, “We are getting ready to fight.” “We are getting ready to fight.”
A spokesman from the Contra Costa District Attorney’s Office refused to comment. In an statement released Wednesday, the prosecutor’s office expressed its “deepest sympathies” for Sharlman’s family. It also said that it would try to renew the case if at all possible.
In an email sent earlier, Ted Asregadoo said that prosecutors “hopeful APD will pursue other investigative avenues, and bring more evidence for our office to review before a decision is made on charging.”
In a statement, the prosecutor’s said that the office had dropped the charges as the investigation was heavily dependent on the work of the officers who were involved with the texts.
The statement read: “After carefully reviewing the officers’ roles in this case and applying relevant legal principles as well as ethical responsibilities, Contra Costa District Attorney’s Office has no confidence in the integrity” of the prosecution.
It is not clear what messages the officers sent or received.
A spokeswoman for the Antioch Police Department did not respond to an inquiry for comment. Neither did an attorney for the local police association.
Images and slurs that are homophobic or racist
According to a report by the Contra Costa District Attorney’s Office, the messages were sent by and received by dozens officers. They included homophobic remarks, racist images, and casual discussions about using “less-lethal” weapons against people. This includes the Black mayor of the city.
California Attorney General launched an investigation last month in order to determine whether the police department engaged a pattern or practice of unconstitutional law enforcement.
Asregadoo stated that Wednesday’s announcement was the first time a criminal case relating to the messages had been dropped by the prosecutor’s offices.
Overdose death
Eason described Eason’s younger sister as “the life of the party.” She loved praise dancing in church and had dreams of opening a hair salon. Eason described her younger sister as a “life of the party” who loved praise dancing at church and dreamed of opening a salon.
Eason said that the medical examiner had determined that Sharlman’s death was due to a fentanyl-related overdose. Her family attended all court dates related to her sister’s death, which included the preliminary hearing where a judge decides whether prosecutors have enough evidence to bring a defendant before a jury.
Eason stated that Montalvo, Boone and others were accused in court of disposing of her sister’s corpse in a dumpster from a nearby apartment after she had overdosed in an abandoned Antioch apartment. Antioch is a city with a population of 114,000 people northeast of San Francisco.
Eason reported that the men were caught on surveillance cameras using a dolly borrowed from a 7-11 and pushing the trash can four blocks down a paved path, where witnesses at a homeless camp nearby saw them pour lighter fluid in the dumpster and light Sharlman’s corpse on fire.
Eason confirmed that Sharlman had died about a week after her family reported her missing. Eason likened the events to labor.
She said, “I did not have the pleasure of removing the baby.” “We got death instead.”
Montalvo & Boone’s lawyers did not respond when contacted for comment.
Eason stated that the family was comforted by learning about Sharlman’s death. Eason stated that she died before her corpse was burned. Eason said that the family was also encouraged by the way the police handled the case.
She said, “Having suspects in our custody was an exceptional thing.” “It wasn’t something that happens every day.” They did their homework before detaining these two men, even though they are under scrutiny.
Eason said that her family had been “devastated,” to discover that the texts were linked to a detective in the case.
Eason stated, “However this scandal was revealed after the death of my sister.” It shouldn’t have affected the evidence.
