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OAKLAND, Calif. - The victim whose remains were discovered inside a suitcase floating in Oakland's Lake Merritt has been identified. The body found last month was 23-year-old Gabriel Gomez Raymundo, the Oakland Police Department announced Wednesday. Raymundo's body was found inside a dark-colored suitcase located on the edge of Lake Merritt near Lakeshore and Hanover Avenues on Oct. 31. Authorities have not revealed how long the suitcase had been in the water, but they have classified the case as a homicide. Oakland police investigators have limited details about the victim and are appealing to the community to share information such...

Today is the birthdate of George Washington, first President of the United States, general of the Continental Army and president of the Constitutional Convention of 1787. On this date, we raise Washington's Commander-In-Chief flag, the flag of Washington's Army command. Following his death, Washington was eulogized by Congressman Henry Lee: First in war—first in peace—and first in the hearts of his countrymen, he was second to none in the humble and enduring scenes of private life; pious, just, humane, temperate, and sincere; uniform, dignified, and commanding, his example was as edifying to all around him as were the effects of...

Phil Spector's trial judge issued a legal smackdown to Dr. Henry Lee yesterday as he dubbed the famed O.J. Simpson forensics expert a liar. Judge Larry Paul Fidler dealt a huge blow to the music producer's defense when he said he believed Lee spirited a possibly damning piece evidence from the crime scene at Spector's mansion, then fibbed to the court about it. Several witnesses testified they saw Lee pick up a small white object - which prosecutors think was shooting victim Lana Clarkson's fingernail from Spector's foyer. Prosecutors wanted the nail because damage patterns on it might have shown...

Toledo police detective Steve Forrester, left, and Tom Ross, an investigator with the Lucas County prosecutor's office, and formerly of the Toledo police, talk about the Robinson case. Allegations made last year by a Toledo woman that she was sexually and physically abused as a child by Catholic priests during Satanic and sadomasochistic rituals led to the reopening of the 1980 case of a nun's murder for which the Rev. Gerald J. Robinson was arrested Friday, authorities said.

Scott Peterson's defense team Tuesday briefed two forensic experts on a statanic cult theory, including paintings and artwork near San Francisco Bay and an experiment showing that the pregnant Laci Peterson's body could have been placed in the water at the art site. Attorney Matt Dalton, using a laptop computer, showed artwork that he said depicted ritualistic killings and occult practices, and said the artwork could be found near the end of a peninsula in the bay. Dalton also said that the defense team placed weighted flotation devices in the water at the end of the peninsula, and they ended...

Expert Offers 'Some New Leads' in Smart Case Saturday, October 26, 2002 BY KEVIN CANTERA and MICHAEL VIGH As police investigating Elizabeth Smart's kidnapping became stymied by a dearth of solid leads over the months, the case has grown conspicuously cold. That could change following a recent visit from renowned forensics expert Henry Lee, who was recruited to examine evidence in the mysterious kidnapping. Lee, who has worked on such high-profile cases as the O.J. Simpson trial and the disappearance of congressional intern Chandra Levy, told The Salt Lake Tribune this week he gave investigators "some new leads to follow"...

<p>WASHINGTON (AP) - Three forensics experts have joined the investigation into the death of Chandra Levy, a Levy family lawyer announced Friday.</p> <p>"The family has a right to either know what was done was done properly, or to confirm what was done. We're asking for a second opinion," said lawyer Billy Martin.</p>