Richard Tuite, suspect in Stephanie Crowe murder, escapes from courthouse downtown

Sign On San Diego ^ | 2/2/2004 | News Ticker

[BreitbartSentMe]

SAN DIEGO BREAKING NEWS:

Nothing follows, just the news ticker so far.

[BreitbartSentMe]

Here's the story now:

Jury selection was to begin in trial

SIGNONSANDIEGO

1:50 p.m. February 2, 2004

Murder defendant Richard Tuite escaped from custody Monday at the San Diego County courts complex on Broadway in downtown San Diego, a police watch commander said.

Police have launched a major manhunt in the downtown area.

Tuite, 34, was due to stand trial this year for allegedly stabbing 12-year-old North County schoolgirl Stephanie Crowe to death six years ago.

Tuite was last seen wearing long-sleeve white shirt, gray pants and brown shoes when last seen.

A mentally ill methamphetamine abuser and petty criminal, Tuite drew attention wandering the streets of North County beating on doors, peering in windows and sometimes entering homes in search of a young woman he had partied with named Tracy Nelson. Police thought he was incapable of pulling off such a killing.

On the night of Jan. 20, 1998, Tuite, then 28, was asking for "Tracy" at a cluster of houses on the rural northeast edge of Escondido where the Crowes lived.

The next morning, Stephanie's family discovered her body in a pool of blood on her bedroom floor. She had been stabbed nine times through her flower-print comforter.

After six years of investigations, aborted prosecutions, political upheaval and federal lawsuits connected to the case, Tuite (pronounced TOO-it) was scheduled to go on trial for Stephanie's murder.

Jury selection, a process that could take a week or longer, was to begin Monday. If convicted, Tuite would face a maximum sentence of 27 years to life in prison.

[EggsAckley]

Seems bizarre that this guy could manage to succeed in escaping. What kind of security do they have down there?

[KantianBurke]

He up for the death penalty? If so all he has to do is make it down to Mexico and he's home free.

[BreitbartSentMe]

OK, everybody in San Diego, BOLO:

< img scr=http://www.signonsandiego.com/teaserimages/040202richard_tuite_new148.jpg >

(gee, I hope this works)

[mewzilla]

If I may? Boy, he looks like a charmer. Yikes.

[BreitbartSentMe]

Well, I don't know what I did to make the code appear, instead of the picture, but the photo's there if you click on it. I havent' heard anything specific here, cubicle-bound, but it's pretty rare for someone to escape from the courthouse like this.

[BreitbartSentMe]

Thanks mewzilla, I looked in the sandbox to try and find outhow to post a picture, but I must have done something wrong. (first-timer here) Thanks for fixing it.

Yea, he looks like a real winner.

[mewzilla]

I think it needed quotes between the = and the http, then between the jpeg and the >

[Xenalyte]

One problem: your tag said "img scr" instead of "img src." It's Image Source, if that helps you remember SRC.

[BreitbartSentMe]

New update:

SAN DIEGO – Murder defendant Richard Tuite escaped from custody Monday afternoon at the San Diego County courts complex on Broadway in downtown San Diego, police said.

A major manhunt was launched both inside the complex and outside in the downtown area.

One courthouse employee reportedly sighted Tuite walking eastbound on Broadway.

Tuite was last seen wearing a long-sleeve white shirt, gray pants and brown shoes, said Dave Cohen, San Diego police spokesman.

Jury selection was to begin Monday in the trial of Tuite, 34, for allegedly stabbing 12-year-old Escondido schoolgirl Stephanie Crowe to death six years ago.

Police received a call to assist in the hunt for Tuite at 1:25 p.m., Cohen said. Among the dozens of officers responding were Police Chief Bill Lansdowne and Executive Assistant Chief John Welter, Cohen said.

A mentally ill methamphetamine abuser and petty criminal, Tuite drew attention wandering the streets of North County beating on doors, peering in windows and sometimes entering homes in search of a young woman he had partied with named Tracy Nelson. Police thought he was incapable of pulling off such a killing.

On the night of Jan. 20, 1998, Tuite, then 28, was asking for "Tracy" at a cluster of houses on the rural northeast edge of Escondido where the Crowes lived.

The next morning, Stephanie's family discovered her body in a pool of blood on her bedroom floor. She had been stabbed nine times through her flower-print comforter.

After six years of investigations, aborted prosecutions, political upheaval and federal lawsuits connected to the case, Tuite (pronounced TOO-it) was scheduled to go on trial for Stephanie's murder.

Jury selection, a process that could take a week or longer, was to begin Monday. If convicted, Tuite would face a maximum sentence of 27 years to life in prison.

The Hall of Justice was in a virtual lockdown between 1:45 p.m. and 2:15 p.m. No one was allowed inside the building during that time, and no one was allowed out.

District Attorney Bonnie Dumanis, who was informed of the escape by her spokeswoman Gail Stewart, via telephone, said her heart goes out to Stephanie Crowe's family.

"Hopefully, he will be apprehended shortly," Stewart said.

Stewart noted that the case was being prosecuted by the state Attorney General's office.

Anyone who believes they may have seen Tuite is asked to contact local authorities at (619) 531-2000, SDPD spokesman Cohen said.

[BreitbartSentMe]

Ah, dyslexia strikes again!

[NorCoGOP]

One courthouse employee reportedly sighted Tuite walking eastbound on Broadway.

Right to the trolley stop, correct?

Next stop, Escondido, then Tijuana...this guy could be history, quickly - it's only a 20 minute ride to the border.

[conservcalgal]

San Diego bump

[PatriotCJC]

My daughter was a good friend of Stephanie's. She ID Tuite as he would stay outside the library and talk to Stephanie. The case is strange and so is the family. The problem with murder is that there had to be more than one involved because of the knife wounds going exactly through the blanket, sheet and torso.

[BreitbartSentMe]

I'm not totally up on this case, but I do know that it has been a mess from the beginning. I remember the police discounting strangers in the begining and focusing on Stephanie's brothers and his friends, and it took a very long time to clear them. I just pray that Stephanie's family can get this trial and sentencing behind them and be able to finally get on with their lives.

[Mrs.Liberty]

Choppers are flying around all over downtown looking for this guy. Un-F-ing believable...an accused MURDERER not in chains at the courthouse...

[SnarlinCubBear]

bttt

[PatriotCJC]

Agreed. The sheriffs department screwed it up at the beginning. But what some people don't understand is that the Sheriff's dept kept the kids for a such along period of time because at that point they were wards of the state since drugs were found on the premesis during the investigation.