Defense: Bechler lied about murdering wife

Deepa Bharath

SANTA ANA -- The accused murderer’s ex-girlfriend “yelled and

screamed” for three hours until “she heard what she wanted to hear,”

which was that Eric Bechler bludgeoned his wife and dumped her body in

the Pacific Ocean, according to the defense attorney Wednesday.

John Barnett, Bechler’s lawyer, grilled star prosecution witness Tina

New as he cross-examined her in a marathon testimony that has lasted

three days and is expected to continue today.

Prosecutors have accused Bechler, 33, of trying to get his hands on a

$2.5-million life insurance policy by murdering his 38-year-old wife,

Pegye Bechler, during a boating trip in July 1997. Her body has not been

found.

Bechler has pleaded not guilty, saying that a wave pushed his wife off

the speedboat she was driving while towing him on a bodyboard. He was

arrested in November 1999 after New agreed to wear a recording device at

the request of investigators and to record their conversations in a

restaurant.

New testified Tuesday that Bechler described his wife’s murder in

great detail the night of Oct. 16, 1999, after both had spent the night

partying, drinking and taking the drug Ecstasy.

Barnett’s questions to her Wednesday were aimed at proving the

defense’s theory that Bechler lied to New about killing his wife to fuel

her fantasy of dating men who live dangerously. He also said Bechler spun

the story of a gruesome murder to put an end to her “yelling and

screaming” -- a tactic Barnett suggested New used to get her way.

New testified Tuesday that Bechler told her about “blood all over the

boat” as he hit his wife on the head and then explained how he tied her

up and dumped the body in the ocean with 70 pounds of weights.

Barnett pointed out that when New told police later about that

conversation, she said: “I put it all together for him. He was just

filling the blanks.”

New told Barnett that she pretended she was having a psychic vision of

what happened in the boating trip to make Bechler tell the truth.

“So you wanted to hear what you believed to be the truth?” Barnett

asked.

“No,” said New, who showed exasperation. “I was hoping it wasn’t the

truth. . . . I was hoping he didn’t kill his wife.”

Barnett also questioned New about her “psychic visions,” asking if she

really believed she was psychic.

“Yes,” New said. “Not now. But I was in fifth and sixth grade. I’d

know when the phone would ring or what people were going to say.”

Earlier, New told Deputy Dist. Atty. Debora Lloyd that she was

convicted for fraud in July for taking money out of somebody’s bank

account without the person’s permission.

After the hearing, Barnett said he believed New’s testimony Wednesday

supported the defense case.

“She admitted that when she met Bechler he was a goody-good,” he said.

“She admitted Bechler thought she wanted him to be a bad boy like” her

ex-boyfriend.

Also, Barnett said New’s statements demonstrated the context of the

conversation that included Bechler’s description of killing his wife.

“He lied to shut her up,” Barnett said. “After three hours of yelling,

he would admit to the Kennedy assassination.”