Verdicts don’t bode well for Bechler

Greg Risling

For the fourth time in more than three decades, the Orange County

District Attorney’s office last week successfully gained a conviction in

a murder case where the victim’s body was never recovered.

The guilty verdict brought down by a jury late Friday against 42-year-old

Judy Valot of Irvine was decided in only 66 minutes. She faces 15 years

to life in prison when she is sentenced in March.

With barely enough time to catch their collective breath, prosecutors

will have to convince another jury later this year that Eric Bechler

killed his wife, Pegye, for financial gain.

Will the most recent case affect Bechler’s trial? Does the verdict send a

strong signal to Bechler’s camp that he may face a similar fate and may

spend the rest of his life in prison?

Probably not.

While no comparisons can be drawn between the two cases -- other than the

fact that there is no body -- it appears that juries don’t need that

critical piece of evidence to find someone guilty beyond a reasonable

doubt.

The score stands: prosecutors 4, defendants 0. Bechler is waiting on

deck.

Like the previous four murder cases, Pegye’s body was never found. Eric

Bechler and his wife went on a boating trip off the Newport Beach coast

three years ago and the husband was the only one who came back. Rescue

crews searched for days, but her body was never discovered. Some were

doubtful of Bechler’s story that his wife may have fallen overboard and

struck her head on the side of the boat. Pegye was a strong swimmer and

triathlete, they noted.

Bechler was arrested last November when authorities said he allegedly

made incriminating statements about his wife’s death to a girlfriend.

Prosecutors believe Bechler killed his wife with a dumbbell and threw her

weighted body overboard.

Valot was convicted of killing her boyfriend, Peter Theriault, who

vanished in December 1998. Prosecutors depicted Valot as a jealous woman

who reportedly changed her alibi several times about the night of the

murder. The only physical evidence in the case were seven drops of blood,

which were found at Valot’s home and matched the victim’s blood type.

It was enough for a jury to find her guilty.

One option for defense attorneys in cases that lack physical evidence is

requesting a change of venue. However, unless there is overwhelming

negative publicity about a case, the likelihood of moving a trial to a

different county is remote.

It took nearly 10 years to bring serial killer Charles Ng to justice,

moving his trial from Calaveras to Orange County. The last time a judge

moved a case out of Los Angeles County was the Rodney King trial, more

than six years ago.

Bechler’s new attorney, John Barnett, who happened to be involved in the

King case, wouldn’t comment on whether he will file a motion to move the

trial. He hasn’t seen all of the evidence against his client to make that

decision.

It’s tough for a defense attorney to win any type of felony case in

Orange County, let alone a murder trial.

The District Attorney’s office has earned a conviction rate of better

than 90% over the years. Most attorneys are aware that Orange County

residents are mostly conservative and favor harsh penalties for

criminals.

The chances of facing a jury with the same characteristics are probable

for Bechler. Whether he will have the same fate as the other four

defendants convicted in cases where the body wasn’t found has yet to be

determined.

However, history has an uncanny way of repeating itself.

* Staff writer GREG RISLING covers cops and courts for the Daily Pilot.