Rachael Marie Menchaca is responsible for the September 2006
death of her 9-month-old daughter, but not guilty of second-degree
murder, a jury ruled.
Hollister – Rachael Marie Menchaca is responsible for the September 2006 death of her 9-month-old daughter, but not guilty of second-degree murder, a jury ruled.
The jury of nine women and three men returned verdicts of not guilty of second-degree murder, guilty of involuntary manslaughter and guilty of child endangerment in the trial of the 28-year-old Hollister mother. Menchaca was tried for the death of her daughter, Isabella Menchaca, who was pronounced dead Sept. 11, 2006 after ingesting methadone, a powerful narcotic used to treat drug addiction.
Menchaca faces up to six years in prison, according to the California Penal Code. She will be back in court Nov. 5 for sentencing.
Jurors would not give their names Wednesday morning, but one did say most of their deliberation was spent on the involuntary manslaughter charge. It took jurors more than five hours to deliver the verdicts.
Several said it was their first time serving on a jury and that it was helpful having Tuesday night to sleep on a decision. They began deliberating late Tuesday morning after closing arguments and produced the verdicts shortly before 10am Wednesday.
Menchaca, wearing a light blue sweater, faced the front of the court while the verdicts were read.
Menchaca’s attorney, Greg LaForge, said justice was served Wednesday when the jury found his client not guilty of murder. A grand jury indicted Menchaca last year on second-degree murder, involuntary manslaughter and child endangerment.
“That’s why you don’t go to the grand jury to get an indictment,” LaForge said. “As I’ve said before, regardless of what the grand jury did, Rachael would never be found guilty of murder, and a jury of 12 confirmed that.”
At LaForge’s request, Hedegard reduced bail from $100,000 to $30,000.
“She’ll finally get to visit her daughter’s grave and, hopefully, get some closure,” LaForge said.
LaForge said Menchaca feels extreme remorse for what happened and she will have to “live with this nightmare every day and every night of her life.”
During the trial, Hollister Police Department officers testified that Menchaca seemed unconcerned about her child’s welfare when they were called to her apartment.
San Benito County Deputy District Attorney Stephen Wagner released a statement Wednesday afternoon maintaining that he believed the facts and evidence warranted a guilty finding on second-degree murder.
