1984 El Camino Village murder not a "whodunit," but a "whoisthis?"

Considering how many trials - including murder trials - I sit through, it's rare that I think one would make great fodder for book or a Law & Order episode. But the trial that started yesterday for Gorgonio Gonzalez has enough twists and mystery to be pretty riveting.

As usual, way more happened in court than I could possibly fit into one newspaper article. 

In an interesting move to show Gonzalez is not the killer, Salvador Alcantar, the defense team of Michael Brush and Loredana Nesci (who calls herself the Legal Diva and has a myspace page), are trying to prove that descriptions of Alcantar do not match those of their client. For instance, Alcantar's former girlfriend, Marie Sandoval, testified he was about 5-feet, 9-inches tall. Brush, claiming to stand 5-feet, 10-inches, had his client stand next to himself and Nesci, who he said is 5-feet, 5-inches. It was clear the defendant was only an inch or two taller than Nesci.

I found this curious, so I used my iPhone to check the Sheriff's Department inmate Web site. Gonzalez is listed 5-feet, 10-inches tall on his booking documents. Hmmmm....

During opening statements, Nesci told the jury she'll show Gonzalez is not Alcantar because Alcantar had tattoos. However, Sandoval said she did not recall Alcantar having any ink.

Nesci ran into some hurdles during her opening by going places she just wasn't allowed to. For instance, she told the jury that her client's "life is now on the line here," earning her an objection from the prosecutor and a sidebar with the judge. Lawyers can't say anything that would suggest to the jury that they can consider penalty in their deliberations. Judge James Brandlin also stopped her as she started to argue the law as it pertains to reasonable doubt - also not appropriate during opening statements.

Noticing I was there, Brandlin - who already instructed the jury not to read anything published about the trial - asked the jurors if any of them read the Daily Breeze. Four of the 14 panelists (including two alternates) raised their hands.

Wow. So, knowing now that only about 28 percent of the community reads the paper, I would like to say to you, dear reader: "Thanks for reading! It's good for you, good for us and good for the community!"