A Man Who Wouldn't Let Go

I spent most of last week monitoring the Loc Tran 1st Degree Murder case in Judge John Adams' courtroom. Prosecutor Robin Wilkinson methodically and thoroughly introduced evidence in the form of testimony from the victim's sister (who lived with her) and several coworkers, medical and law enforcement personnel, and crime lab analysts. Physical evidence consisted of photographs of the scene, ligatures that the defendant created from materials available at the home, and the murder weapon - a household knife.

All were artfully woven together to paint a picture of this man who wouldn't let go of his girlfriend, 20-yr old Anh Tran (no relation), when she decided the relationship was over in 2006.

Tran repeatedly harrassed Anh with phone calls, text messages and lengthy visits to the restaurant where she worked, sometimes staying there for her entire shift. He showed nude pictures of her to her coworkers in an effort to embarrass and further make her life miserable.

The victim's only, and tragically fatal, mistake was in trying to remain friends with the man she had once dated. She permitted him into her home and allowed him to use the sofa that fateful night because it was late and he had a long drive back to Clearwater. It was there that Tran fabricated the ligatures using a pair of kitchen scissors and some t-shirts. At some point he returned to her bedroom where he tied her to the bed, sexually assaulted her, and then stabbed her in the abdominal region at least 14 times. Eleven of the wounds were deep enough to penetrate major organs. Evidence also indicated her mouth and nose had been covered, temporarily cutting off her oxygen and restricting her ability to call for help from one of her three roommates (two of whom were sisters).

The defendant was found with superficial stab wounds to the abdomen and underwent surgery after he was discovered. The evidence showed that they were self inflicted and did no lasting damage.

The jury, thankfully, found Tran guilty of first degree murder and Judge Adams, even more thankfully, sentenced him to LIFE in prison. The jury never heard of his 1998 conviction where he raped a Clearwater woman who had rejected him (DOC's website shows he was incarcerated for 26 months on that offense - Defendant was also required to register as a sex offender). But the judge knew about it.

In Florida, a life sentence is a life sentence. Tran will die in jail, never having the opportunity to victimize another girlfriend again. Kudos to the prosecution and the judge.


One thing troubled me about this trial.

The defendant, who is Vietnamese, spoke and understood English without a problem. Yet his attorney, Wesley "Buck" Blankner, ordered interpreters for him. Typically two interpreters are needed during trial because fatigue sets in after simultaneously translating for an hour. I learned that the cost of these intepreters is $45 each, per hour. That's not what troubled me.

I, as a taxpayer, was bothered by the fact that Mr. Tran quit using them Tuesday morning. The case went to the jury at lunchtime Thursday. So we, the taxpayers, paid $90 an hour for two interpreters to watch the case for two full days.

I had the opportunity to ask Mr. Blankner why they were present when his client clearly understood English and was able to communicate with him. He verbally tap danced around my question, claimed they were there in case there was some legal terminology that Mr. Tran didn't understand, indicated they would be probably be used when jury instructions were done, and mentioned that Mr. Tran's parents (who were present for the entire case) might need some assistance understanding what was being said.

I, as a taxpayer, don't buy it. But I guess I had to buy it because they were there all week.

The court is not required to provide an interpreter for a defendant's parents. And I didn't remain in the courtroom once closing arguments had concluded (jury instructions are extremely tedious to watch - I have the utmost sympathy for judges having to read page after page of them) so I don't know if Mr. Tran used them.

The taxpayers of Orange County can thank Mr. Tran and his attorney for wasting their money on unnecessary interpreters. But since he's been living at taxpayer expense at the jail since October, 2006 and will be on the taxpayer's dime for years to come (he is currently 24 years old) I suppose a couple thousand more dollars is small change.

What About Diane Ward, Isleworth Murder Victim?

At Friday's bond hearing for her husband, James Robert "Bob" Ward of Isleworth, I wasn't altogether shocked that he was granted a bond by Judge Walter Komanski, even though Dr. Garavaglia, Orange County's medical examiner, testified that the powder burns on Mrs. Ward's face indicated the muzzle of the gun was approximately 6" to 12" away and that her eyes were open when she was shot in the face, just under the left eye, near the nose. It seems quite obvious that even if there had been a struggle over the pistol as the defense asserts, it's still highly unlikely, as Dr. G testified, that the bullet would have traveled the trajectory it did (virtually straight front to back).

I wasn't shocked because our country has a tendency to favor defendants who can afford to pay multiple high-priced attorneys when they get into trouble with the law. Remember OJ and his "dream team?" I was shocked at the ridiculously low bond amount that was set. Judge Komanski, at the end of the 2-hour hearing, decided that $100k was sufficient to ensure Mr. Ward's appearance at trial. That means he only had to post $10k. A hefty sum for most of us, but chicken feed for someone of his means. For someone who, even though his business was in bankruptcy, can afford to hire some high powered attorneys, the amount is a slap in Diane's face.

There was never any detailed testimony about his financial holdings, something that Assistant State Attorney Robin Wilkinson attempted to elicit, but was abruptly prevented from doing.

There was testimony that Mr. Ward had threatened suicide in a conversation with his brother-in-law. Perhaps a murder-suicide was planned, but he changed his mind. We don't know how much time elapsed between the gunshot, the placing of the gun in the nightstand, and the 911 call. Only one person knows what really happened in that bedroom.

There was testimony that none of the character witnesses, presumably the people who knew him best, were unaware of the extent of his financial woes. He did a good job of keeping that a secret.

The character witnesses that spoke on his behalf were all financially dependent upon the Mr. Ward. They were:

• John Mitchell Thomas, friend in 1985 for a year, lost touch & renewed their friendship 3-4 years ago testified he saw the Bob & Diane together only 3-4 times and that they seemed to respect and care for each other. Thomas testified he'd been to the Ward home only one time. He admitted he did not know the status of their relationship. He worked for Ward for a couple of years.
• Patricia Wilkinson, employed by Ward as a housekeeper / "Girl Friday" since they purchased the Isleworth home 2 1/2 years ago
• Mallory Ward, daughter
• Sara Ward, daughter
• Paula Saare, Diane's sister, employed by Ward's company admitted that she asked the detective to rule Diane's death as an accident

It seems as though for someone who is 61 years old, there weren't any true, long time friends either available or willing to testify in his behalf. It struck me that he really does not have very many ties to the community - especially since the mansion he's lived in is being foreclosed upon.

The Sentinel reported on September 27th that Mr. Ward's first wife Janis made allegations of cruelty in their divorce 32 years ago. And an ex-girlfriend who dated Ward for about five years in the 1980s reported that he was a charming and generous man who wrestled with bouts of jealous rage and possessiveness — especially when he was drinking. These behaviors, along with the ability to keep secrets, are typical of someone who has abusive tendencies in their intimate partner relationships.

I also find it interesting that no mention of alcohol was made during the hearing, and yet it was reported in the Sentinel's October 9th coverage.

Also puzzling to me, and to many others, is the wholehearted support by Diane's sister and by the daughters for the man who is accused of murdering her. Ward's demeanor, as well, is baffling. His behavior in jail, his lack of apparent grief for his wife (as was demonstrated in a tragic accidental shooting of Nancy Dinsmore this weekend in Winter Springs), and his air of nonchalance at the entire process makes one think that perhaps he feels as though somehow he doesn't have to live by the same rules that the rest of us do.

I was stunned by Kirk Kirkconnell's lame attempt at humor when he realized in his closing argument what a foolish thing he said when discounting Ward's suicide threat. To paraphrase, he said, "Who among us hasn't threatened to kill themselves or their wife? We all have!" He then looked sheepishly over his shoulder and said "My wife's not here, is she?" Perhaps it was a Freudian slip. But it was offensive to every victim whose voice has been silenced by domestic violence. If you hear someone threaten to take a gun and blow their brains out, don't ignore the threat.

Finally, a $100k bail for someone with Ward's means is meaningless - even if his mansion is going into foreclosure. For most of us, a $100k bond would be a huge incentive to return to court. I would guess his attorneys' retainers exceeded that much already. At this point, he has no reason to flee. It certainly looks like things are going his way.

Has anybody bothered to make funeral arrangements for Diane yet? After all, she died 3 weeks ago. Seems to me that nobody really cares about her.

For more info, the Sentinel has a comprehensive list of articles and videos available online. The entire 2-hr bond hearing may be viewed at WFTV's site (it is broken up into 5 segments).