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Thread: Karishma Dhanak (20) was found burnt to death on a hiking trail

  1. #51
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    Re: Karishma Dhanak (20) was found burnt to death on a hiking trail

    Great links, I've been trying to keep in the loop with this investigation, it's looking bad for these guys now. Religion is something no two people will agree on, bleh.

    I've also been away so I'm gonna have to keep reading up.

    Theres only so much they put then it dissapears, I tried finding articles on the twin pines homicide where a family was burned inside but one outside the house!?! I wish I worked for law enforcement already!
    <br />Kitty loves MDS.

  2. #52
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    Re: Karishma Dhanak (20) was found burnt to death on a hiking trail

    They took another guy into custody this week.

    Second Man Arrested In Anaheim Hills Slayings
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    (CBS) ANAHEIM, Calif. A second man was in custody in connection with the slaying of a man and his daughter in Anaheim Hills, authorities said.

    Vitaliy Krasnoperov, 21, of Hollywood, was arrested Thursday evening in Arizona and is being held without bail at the Maricopa County Jail awaiting extradition to California, according to Anaheim police Sgt. Rick Martinez.

    Krasnoperov is believed to be an acquaintance of Iftekhar Murtaza, who is charged with the murders of Jayprakash Dhanak, 56 and his 20-year-old daughter, Karishma Dhanak. Their charred bodies were found May 22 in Irvine after firefighters extinguished a fire along a bike trail, police said.

    Leela Dhanak, 53, the mother of Karishma, was found beaten outside the family's burning home on Camino Correr in Anaheim Hills the night before, police said.

    Krasnoperov was apparently visiting friends in Arizona when he was taken into custody, Martinez said.

    Murtaza was arrested May 26 at Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport before boarding a plane to Bangladesh, police said.

    Murtaza is also charged with three special circumstance allegations of multiple murder and murder during a kidnapping, making him eligible for the death penalty, said Orange County District Attorney's office spokeswoman Susan Schroeder.

    The affidavit drafted in support for a warrant for Murtaza's arrest suggested the parents of Shayona Dhanak, who was in her dorm room at U.C. Irvine when her family was attacked, objected to her relationship with Murtaza on religious grounds. Shayona Dhanak and Murtaza, a Muslim, had dated for about three years.
    With all this talk of thinking outside the box, I am beginning to wonder what&#039;s left inside the box. -Me

  3. #53
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    Re: Karishma Dhanak (20) was found burnt to death on a hiking trail

    Bump as remembered this and wondered about a trial-


    Wednesday, May 21, 2008

    It's been a year since burning bodies were found

    Three men were arrested following the May slayings of two members of an Anaheim Hills family and the near-fatal beating of another, but the case is not expected to go to trial until late 2009, authorities say.

    By DENISSE SALAZAR
    The Orange County Register
    Comments 12| Recommend 15

    ANAHEIM – A year after an Anaheim Hills father and his daughter were brutally murdered and the mother suffered a near-fatal beating, three young men remain behind bars accused of committing one of the most gruesome murders in recent Orange County history.

    The three suspects in the killings – Iftekhar Murtaza, 23, of Van Nuys, Vitaliy Krasnoperov, 22, of West Hollywood and Charles Anthony Murphy Jr., 23, of Mission Hills, are accused of killing Jayprakash Dhanak, 56, and Karishma Dhanak, 20, the father and sister of Murtaza's former girlfriend, Shayona Dhanak. Mother Leela Dhanak was severely beaten but survived.

    It's a complex case. Let it take its course.

    The case has been moving slowly through the system because of its complexity and the prosecution and police have been keeping most of the mum on the details.

    Prosecutor Howard Gundy said they are in the process of evaluating and processing evidence --including physical, forensic, eyewitness, electronic, computer and cell phone evidence.

    &quot;Without a doubt this is the biggest case I have in terms of volume and everything else,&quot; Gundy said. I think we have every possible type of potential evidence in this case.&quot;

    Death penalty possible

    The three men have each pleaded not guilty to two counts of murder and one count of attempted murder charges. If convicted of all charges and special circumstances, they could get life sentences without the possibility of parole. Prosecutors can also seek the death penalty.

    In the last few months, there have been several discovery motion hearings where the defense has requested that the prosecution turn over evidence.

    Jim Appel, one of two public defenders representing Murtaza, said they are waiting for more evidence from the prosecution.

    &quot;We are working with the defense team to get them the things that they need so they can get up to speed,&quot; Gundy said.

    The next step will be to get the case into a trial court by the end of the summer for a preliminary hearing or to a grand jury. A preliminary hearing has been set for August 12.

    Gundy said he is hopeful the case will go to trial by the end of 2009.

    &quot;It's unbelievable,&quot; Gundy said about the case. &quot;Truth sometimes is stranger than fiction and that idea may fit this case pretty well.&quot;

    Charred house stands

    In the year that has passed, some things have remained the same while others have changed. The charred Dhanak home has stood still in time – a constant reminder of the attack.

    Leela Dhanak has recovered from her physical injuries, authorities said, but it's unclear if she has lingering effects. She and her business partner, Carlos Aguirre, have sold their Irvine-based courier company; Cygnus Enterprise, Inc. Daughter Shayona is continuing her college education.

    Court records indicate that the Dhanaks, who are devout Hindus, disapproved of their daughter's three-year relationship with Murtaza, who is Muslim. Murtaza was &quot;angry&quot; with the Dhanaks for interfering with his relationship, according to the warrant for his arrest.

    &quot;Murtaza did this, in part, to win back Shayona's heart by removing those closest to her whom he believed were responsible for the breakup,&quot; court documents indicate.

    In a jailhouse interview in December, Murtaza told The Orange County Register he was innocent: &quot;Everyone that knows me knows I couldn't be capable of such a heinous crime,&quot;

    Court records show that in March 2007, Murtaza conspired with Krasnoperov to murder the Dhanak family. Two months later, Murphy joined the conspiracy, the records indicate.

    Murtaza and Murphy are accused of going to the Dhanak home the night of May 21, where they confronted and subdued Jayprakash Dhanak, who was home alone. The two then waited for Leela and Karishma to arrive, set the home on fire and forced the Dhanaks out of the burning home.

    A passerby noticed the commotion and smoke coming from the Dhanak home and called police.

    Witnesses said two assailants were seen beating Leela Dhanak with a blunt instrument outside her home before speeding away in what some described as a white van. Police later recovered a light gold 2004 Honda Odyssey in Los Angeles County they think was used in the slayings, said Anaheim Lt. Chuck O'Connor.

    Leela was found unconscious and severely beaten on a neighbor's lawn.

    Several hours later, authorities responding to a brush fire inside William R. Mason Park in Irvine discovered the badly burned bodies of Jayprakash and Karishma. They had been strangled, bludgeoned, burned and stabbed, according to court records.

    While Murtaza insists he is innocent, Gundy says the evidence is going to demonstrate otherwise.

    &quot;I've never seen a homicide case that is so horrible,&quot; Gundy said in December. &quot;I don't have any question in my mind that he is responsible.&quot;

    http://www.ocregister.com/articles/dhanak-murtaza-case-2047897-home-gundy


    Can't find anything newer, guess this case will start rolling again this year.

  4. #54
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    Re: Karishma Dhanak (20) was found burnt to death on a hiking trail

    I found a little more...

    Friday, June 20, 2008
    [size=11pt]Detective honored for work on family's tragic case[/size]
    Karen Schroepfer led investigation on crimes that left father and daughter dead and mother clinging to life.
    By DENISSE SALAZAR
    THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER

    ANAHEIM – In the wake of one of the most gruesome cases in Anaheim history that left two family members dead and a third nearly bludgeoned to death, one detective led the investigation that put three suspects in jail.
    Homicide detective Karen Schroepfer, 52, was recognized Fridaywith the Special Recognition Award at the Anaheim Police Department Awards Ceremony and Retirement Dinner. The award is given occasionally to employees for their superior devotion to duty.
    Schroepfer is the lead detective in what has been described as one of the most complex and high profile homicide investigations in department history.
    The phone call woke her up in the middle of the night more than a year ago. Schroepfer initially thought she was dealing with a family dispute but quickly realized it was a horrendous crime.
    The attacks took place around 11 p.m. May 21, 2007 at the Dhanak family's Anaheim Hills home, police said. About five hours later, the bodies of Jayprakash Dhanak, 56, and Karishma Dhanak, 20, were found near an Irvine bicycle trail. They had been strangled, burned and stabbed.
    The mother, 53-year-old Leela Dhanak, was found bludgeoned and unconscious in her neighbor's yard as the family's home burned.
    &quot;I've been a homicide detective for 10 years. This is one of the most – if not the most – violent crimes I've seen,&quot; Schroepfer said.
    In the days following the crimes, Schroepfer oversaw 50 officers working on the case. She put her personal life on hold and worked for the next two months without a day off.
    The clues started trickling in as she and her team interviewed family and friends of the Dhanaks. Interviews led to Iftekhar Murtaza, 23, the on-again-off-again boyfriend of the Dhanak's youngest daughter, Shayona, who was not at home during the attacks. Court records indicate that her Hindu family disapproved of her relationship with Murtaza, who is Muslim, and Murtaza was angry with the Dhanaks for interfering.
    &quot;I interviewed Murtaza before he went to Arizona. It was a routine interview that … you hope will point you in the direction of a suspect.&quot;
    Days later, Murtaza was arrested at Phoenix International Airport attempting to board a flight to India.
    &quot;Things just started falling into place after we found the key piece to the puzzle,&quot; she said.
    Last June, Vitaliy Krasnoperov, 22, of West Hollywood, was arrested near Phoenix. A third man, Charles Murphy Jr., 23, of Mission Hills, was arrested in August at the Irvine Spectrum.
    The defendants are each charged with two counts of murder and one count of attempted murder. [glow=red,2,300]They are in jail awaiting an Aug. 12 preliminary hearing.[/glow]
    During the peak of the investigation, Schroepfer was suffering from severe knee pain and underwent surgery after the third arrest. During the two weeks she took to recover, she continued to work from home and then returned to work on crutches.
    Police Capt. Joe Vargas said he doesn't know how Schroepfer was able to give 100 percent the whole time.
    &quot;What I see is passion for justice,&quot; Vargas said.
    Prosecutor Howard Gundy said he was glad Schroepfer, who he described as a &quot;quiet hero,&quot; is being recognized for her dedication, knowledge and focus.
    Through the lengthy and ongoing investigation, Schroepfer has occasionally talked to the surviving Dhanaks to answer their questions.
    &quot;Leela is traumatized. She lost her husband and daughter and nearly lost her own life. She is trying to come to grips with all this and trying to make it to the next day,&quot; Schroepfer said.
    http://www.ocregister.com/articles/schroepfer-family-murtaza-2072853-dhanak-one

    Hearing had been pushed back to December 2008...

    MURTAZA, IFTEKHAR/ KRASNOPEROV, VITALIY/MURPHY, CHARLES ANTHONY Murtaza, the ex-boyfriend of UCI student, and co-defendants, Krasnoperov and Murphy, are charged with murdering the girl’s father and sister and dumping their bodies and attempting to kill her mother. They have been charged with two felony counts of murder for Karishma Dhanak and Jayprakash Dhanak and one 12/16, C5, 9 AM PRELIMINARY HEARING HOWARD GUNDY HOMICIDE •
    count of felony attempted murder for Leela Jayprakash Dhanak. They also face sentencing enhancements for committing multiple murders, murder during the commission of kidnapping Karishma Dhanak, and murder during the commission of kidnapping Jayprakash Dhanak.

    12/16, C5, 9 AM PRELIMINARY HEARING HOWARD GUNDY HOMICIDE •


    Then I found it was continued again until 02/27/09.

    Prosecutor Howard Gundy agreed with defense attorneys James Appel and Dmitry Gurovich to schedule a pre-trial hearing on Jan. 16 and a preliminary hearing on Feb. 27.
    RIP Karishma and Jayprakash



    I hope that when the world comes to an end, I can breathe a sigh of relief, because there will be so much to look forward to. - Donnie Darko

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