Wife's Slaying Turns Spotlight on Horowitz

Washington Post ^ | 10/19/05 | MICHELLE LOCKE

[jimboster]

BERKELEY, Calif. -- The tragic slaying of his wife has put high-profile legal analyst Daniel Horowitz in the spotlight usually reserved for his subjects.

Horowitz rose to public prominence providing commentary last year during the trial of Scott Peterson, convicted of murdering his pregnant wife. He hit headlines last week defending Susan Polk, accused of killing her therapist husband.

But the lens turned after Horowitz returned to his rural hilltop estate in Lafayette on Saturday evening and reported finding the body of his wife, Pamela Vitale, dead from a blow to the head.

"It is a horrible irony," said attorney Steve Mendelson, who shares offices with Horowitz and has known him 24 years.

On Tuesday, Horowitz said he was starting to accept that his wife was not coming back. "Until maybe today, I just couldn't accept that it was real," he told Nancy Grace, an anchor on CNN Headline News and Court TV who frequently sparred with Horowitz on other cases.

[jimboster]

This guy just can't seem to shut up. I smell another O.J. case.

[somerville]

I agree. Horowitz is talking too much. I think his compulsive chattiness is covering up something. I also heard that the wife was hit over and over -indicating that it whoever did this felt an incredible amount of rage towards her.

History has shown that cops have good reason to put spouses high on the list of suspects.

[twigs]

Maybe. But I'm not willing to go there until they have eliminated other suspects. That house was very open and accessible.

[MEG33]

I have read all there is to read on this case and am not willing to accuse nor rule out anyone. There is simply not enough evidence publicized to do so.

They always look at the spouse first..That is to be expected.

My fear is that there is not enough evidence left at the scene to solve the case..period.

Good luck to those investigating.

[alisasny]

It is due to criminal defense lawyers that so many criminals roam the street.

At some time or another it was destined to end up in the doorway of a defense lawyer.

They are not immune to crime.

Wealth and celebrity doesn't protect one. Also if he doesn't talk to the media he looks evasive if he does he looks guilty. As an Attorney he knows this and frankly feels it is better for himself to speak out.

[twigs]

I suspect that the police know a lot more than they're saying. If I were investigating the murder of a spouse of a high-profile defense attorney, I'd tread carefully and close to the vest too. My mind is wide open on this. While I haven't eliminated Horowitz as a suspect, I don't like to see public speculation until more is known. If anything criminal should ever happen to me or my family, I would never come to FR to read about it.

[Brilliant]

Not quite the same as OJ. OJ did it himself.

[martin_fierro]

Nancy Grace. Eeeewww.

[RGSpincich]

Not quite the same as OJ. OJ did it himself.

Yep. I noticed that some of DH's first comments centered around phone calls he made to the home. He said that she may have been getting killed at the very same point in time as his phone call(s) was coming in. He seems to have established an airtight alibi right out of the blocks.

[OldFriend]

He went in, saw her body, knew she was dead, cradled her to tell her he loved her and she was beauitful. Picked up the house phone, threw it down. Went outside to use his cell phone to call 911. He turns attention to a neighbor who ought to be checked out.

He was quick to say he'll be back defending the Polk woman who murdered her husband.

Grieving husband??????????????

And oh yes, he did make a call to her during the day. She didn't answer.

Shades of Scott Peterson!

[brownsfan]

"I smell another O.J. case."

I agree, when I saw the story, I smelled a rat.

The precedent is established in California.

O.J.
Robert Blake
William Shatner
Micheal Jackson (Not a murderer, but an example of getting away with horrible crime).

In the latest California promo literature:

"Get tired of your wife? Don't want to pay alimony or suffer a messy divorce? Are you rich?

Come to California and kill her. In California, we're either too stupid or too star-struck to convict you."

[OldFriend]

And the woman was found in a Tshirt and panties. At her fron door?

Who would open their door dressed like that?

Given the construction crew on site.

Oh, there are lots of strange strands to this tragedy.

[OldFriend]

And the woman was found in a Tshirt and panties. At her fron door?

Who would open their door dressed like that?

Given the construction crew on site.

Oh, there are lots of strange strands to this tragedy.

[MileHi]

What did William Shatner do?

[brownsfan]

"What did William Shatner do?"

Found his wife floating in his swimming pool, but was too overcome by grief to call the police right away. (Took several hours if I recall).

Oddly enough, he remarried very shortly after his poor wife had her "accident".

[hummingbird]

Picked up the house phone, threw it down. Went outside to use his cell phone to call 911.

For real, OldFriend? It seems like an isolated, hilly kind of area like the kind of areas where cell phones don't always work. But, I'm not really familiar with the area...just going on still photos and a few other comments on FR that I've read. It would be easy enough to trace the phone call either way.

[MileHi]

Wow, I forgot about that. Thanks for reminding me.

[brownsfan]

"Wow, I forgot about that. Thanks for reminding me."

I try to remember the scumbags so I can avoid increasing their wealth.

[tubebender]

When I saw the photo of the house under construction I thought of someone working there. Perhaps the contractor or such who had to deal with her on a daily basis and had become frustrated with her demands.

After reading the story my bet is it was the neighbor...

[Brilliant]

Airtight alibi tends to show prethought.

I wonder how many times he called his wife on the average day.