Posted on 08/16/2004 11:14:05 AM PDT by MizSterious
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Hacking's first in-person court appearance came after police marked their 12th night searching a county landfill without finding her body or .22-caliber firearm.
Hacking reported his wife missing July 19, setting off a weeklong community search involving thousands of volunteers.
His lawyer, D. Gilbert Athay, told 3rd District Judge William Barrett that police were turning over evidence needed by the defense to prepare for the preliminary hearing.
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Hacking, 28, is accused of killing Lori Hacking, 27, while she slept and dumping her body in a trash bin, according to his confession to brothers who visited him at a psychiatric ward where he was kept for 13 days after his wife's disappearance.
Authorities believe Lori Hacking was killed after confronting her husband over his deceptions about his college education and plans to become a doctor. The couple were packing to move to a medical school in North Carolina, where she had apparently just discovered, he wasn't enrolled.
Stott said he was prepared to prosecute Hacking for murder even without a body or murder weapon. Hacking also has been charged with obstructing justice for throwing Lori's body, the gun and a bloody mattress in separate trash bins.
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Asked about any plea negotiations, Athay said outside court, "We're not even going there."
He didn't elaborate.
Hacking, guarded by several armed deputies, had a puzzled look when he entered the packed courtroom. There were no members of his or his wife's family in the courtroom, and the proceeding was over in minutes. Reporters took up most of the courtroom seating.
Police have seized surveillance equipment from the psychiatric hospital where Hacking worked as an orderly and the convenience store where he was seen twice the night his wife presumably died.
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"I think you need to come to the preliminary hearing," Stott told reporters.
Court files released Friday says the hospital trash bin was under video surveillance, which showed "an object" was dumped there. The document, however, didn't reveal what the object was or who was seen dumping it.
Lori Hacking pinglist--if you want on or off, let me know via freepmail!
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Kimberly Houk reporting
And as family and friends gathered to pay their last respects to Lori, another group of people were gathering tonight in a different part of Orem, for a highschool reunion.
It's been 10 years since some of these people last saw each other. But tonight, the conversation centered around one thing: their fellow classmate, Mark Hacking.
Justin Heppler, Mark Hacking's Friend: “I miss him. I wish he was here."
Justin Heppler was best friends with Mark Hacking all through high school. And tonight, he's walking into his 10 year reunion. A reunion he always thought Mark would be at.
Justin Heppler, Mark Hacking's Friend: “I was actually looking forward to catching up with Mark tonight. And I wish I could've caught up with him tonight."
But as Mark's fellow classmates come together, Mark continues to sit in a jail cell, and his absence is felt.
Steinagel: “I wish he was here."
Murdoch: “It's really heart wrenching."
Many say it's hard to believe that such a tragedy struck someone they all knew. It hit so close to home.
Heppler: “When it all happened, it floored me. I didn't expect it."
Brandon Wood, Hacking's Neighbor: “It's certainly different when it's someone you know."
Brandon Wood was Mark Hacking's senior class president, and he was also his neighbor.
Brandon Wood, Hacking's Neighbor: “Mark and I have been great friends through out my life, and I've always admired mark and his family. "
And tonight, instead of focusing on what went wrong with a guy they all had only good things to say about, his classmates instead reminisced about the Mark they knew.
Justin Heppler, Mark Hacking's Friend: “He was a very friendly guy. He was a very reliable guy. He was very sharp."
Steinagel: “He was just a really good guy, kind guy."
And tonight, as the Class of 94 walks the halls of their alma mater, they do so without their fellow classmate Mark Hacking.
Brandon Wood, Hacking's Neighbor: “Regardless of what results in all of this, i love mark a great deal, and i'm praying for him right now, and I'm praying for his family and Lori's family."
And even though many say they're stunned by all the developments in Mark Hacking's case, they wanted to stay focused on being positive, and having a good time catching up with each other.
How about you?
Kimberly needs a refresher course.
Don't the police always outfit murderes in vests?
I'm sure if we could go back in time, we'd all outfit her with a knife-proof vest.
Yeah, that's why he murdered his wife (who was with child) as she slept. Good guys, kind guys, would of course do that. NOT.
I thought his story was that he shot her with a .22.
I may be wrong, but it sure appears to me that Athay is going to try to get him off altogether. So much for taking responsibility for his actions.
White guys shouldn't do the Michael Jordan look..we can't pull it off..
According to court papers files, he claims he killed her with a 22, although admittedly, without a body, it's hard to know if he told the truth. (Given his track record so far...)
Oops. I forgot.
I'm sitting here shaking my head in amazement at the comments his friends made....ok, so maybe he *was* a good guy ten years ago, but he *changed*....do they not understand that, or am I misinterpreting things?
Perhaps you are his friends have not seen him in 10 years.
That is how they remember him.
Are they sure he was enrolled in high school? Can anyone verify he graduated?
Thanks for the ping Miz. Great articles in here about this. And to everyone - He should be wearin a bullet proof vest....but he won't be able to wear one when he is in general population at the ol prison. Someone will get ahold of him eventually. Especially when they hear he murdered a pregnant woman...none the less his own WIFE!
Given this guy's proven propensity for lying, I keep wondering if he really DIDN'T throw the body in the trash. Maybe he hid it somewhere, and is enjoying watching the huge search-the-landfill effort, knowing that he's controlling this and putting something over on people once again.
yes, I've wondered that, too.
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