KCRA photo
Posted on 02/22/2003 7:27:23 AM PST by runningbear
KCRA photo
Body thought to be that of missing woman
She and her husband were last seen Feb. 12 at their capital home.
By Chris Bowman -- Bee Staff Writer
Published 2:15 a.m. PST Saturday, February 22, 2003
Authorities searching the Sacramento River on Friday recovered the body of a local woman believed to be that of a battered wife who vanished with her husband nine days ago.
Geeta Gautam, 40, and her husband, Kishore Prasad Gautam, 42, were last seen at their 50th Street home in Sacramento on the afternoon of Feb. 12, Sacramento County sheriff's deputies said.
Their youngest of three children arrived home that day to an empty house with dinner half-prepared and his parents' car gone.
Shortly after noon Friday, a detective spotted the rear bumper of a car on the west bank of the Sacramento, about 4 1/2 miles south of Clarksburg.
The license plate was attached, allowing authorities to positively link it to the missing couple's car, a two-door 1993 Honda Accord, according to sheriff's Lt. Tom McMahon.
Divers with the sheriff's DART team found the body in the river nearby, McMahon said. Decomposition made it impossible to positively identify the body immediately.
But the couple's eldest son, Pawan Gautam, 20, said the sheriff's officials told him "they are 99 percent sure" it is the body of his mother.
Positive identification will require an autopsy, which is scheduled to be done this weekend, a coroner's spokeswoman said.
Sonar detected what could be a vehicle on the river bottom near where the body was found, McMahon said. Divers plan to resume the search today. Kishore Gautam is still missing, he said.
For the past week, Gautam said he has been working his cell phone day and night, posting fliers and searching the banks of the river with his brother, Prampel, 17, and sister, Poonam, 21.
"We had several thoughts," Gautam said. "This is one way we didn't want this to end."
Kishore Gautam, who works for Chevron Oil Co., has a history of violence toward his wife, according to court records.
In January 2001, he was arrested on suspicion of battering her. Two months later, he pleaded no-contest to assault with a deadly weapon and was sentenced to 90 days in county jail and five years of probation. He also was ordered to attend an alcohol treatment program.
Until recently, he had been staying with members of his family in Calgary, Alberta, Pawan Gautam said.
The children and sheriff's detectives said they focused their search on the river south of Freeport because Kishore Gautam frequently fished there from the bank.
"We checked all the levee roads," Pawan Gautam said.
Sheriff's Detective Steve Hill found the Honda bumper Friday while he searched the bank on foot, McMahon said. It was near an unbarricaded portion of South River Road, atop the levee, which has tire tracks running down its side and toward the water, he said.
The discovery came during an intense sheriff's search that included two patrol boats, a helicopter and assistance from the FBI.
"A concern about the nature of the disappearance, and the suspicion that there might have been some foul play, added to the intensity of the search," McMahon said.
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About the Writer
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The Bee's Chris Bowman can be reached at (916) 321-1069 or cbowman@sacbee.com.
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Body Pulled From Sacramento River Wreckage From Missing Couple's Car Found Nearby
Body Pulled From Sacramento River
Wreckage From Missing Couple's Car Found Nearby
POSTED: 5:21 p.m. PST February 21, 2003
UPDATED: 6:23 p.m. PST February 21, 2003
CLARKSBURG, Calif. -- A woman's body was pulled from the Sacramento River Friday afternoon shortly after the discovery of wreckage from a car belonging to a missing couple.
Authorities said Sacramento sheriff's detectives found the front bumper and license plate from a car belonging to Kishore and Geeta Gautam along South River Road, about 4 miles south of Clarksburg in Yolo County.
After finding the car parts, detectives searched the area and located the body of a woman in the river and divers were called out to recover the body from the water.
Authorities have not yet released the woman's identity.
Investigators said the Gautam's left food cooking on their stove at home, but did not pack a suitcase and did not pick up paychecks at work before they disappeared more than a week ago.
"It appeared as though they left in a hurry, which is quite unusual and there's no contact with relatives ... they just basically disappeared," Sacramento County Sheriff's Department Lt. Tom McMahon said.
Authorities said late Friday that they believe the car is under water, but they had not yet located it.
(Excerpt) Read more at sacbee.com ...
Tensions On The Rise In Modesto
National missing persons advocate John Walsh on Friday became the latest expert to question the behavior of Scott Peterson, increasing the pressure on the husband of missing Modesto schoolteacher Laci Peterson.
Appearing on KTVU's Mornings On 2, Walsh -- host of the national television show 'America's Most Wanted' -- said he simply could not understand why Scott has not been cooperating totally with police.
Excerpted: Click link for video clips of John Walsh and Ted Rowlands wrapping up Friday's events in Modesto.
Reported, not 5 search warrants so far issued, but 8.
Also, heads up for those at home this evening on America's Most Wanted John Walsh is doing a piece on Scott Peterson.
In a few mins, I will get off this pc, and on the other to ping ...
Several had wanted to know follow ups on this story, and here is the update.
Pinging.... Not much on news, but stay tune for America's Most Wanted this evening...
Here are 2 links on New Malones Lake.
and
If you listened to the last few mins of John Walsh clip from KTVU, gads, you'd wonder how come the family can't either stand and back SP up or speak out like the Rocha's? Seems J.W. gets stuff mixed too, calling the Rocha family Peterson family, or did I listen to it correctly? Should be a good clip this evening, although SP refused to be interviewed by John Walsh. It was I think I heard, one of the show's producers. Go Figure. Wonder what SP really is afraid of!
Good morning Bump....Glad for the familys sake they found the vehicle, guess people thought foul play all along, was looking for signs of breaking on your first pic........as of this morning I heard the car has not been retrieved from the river, am going to check back later.............
Oh well...her fault for not being a cute white woman. Might as well throw her body back in the river.
The media knows their sheeple very well.
How many little girls are found dead and no one cares about not finding their killers?
But JonBenet was news fodder for years.
We have several women missing in my neck of the woods, but our local stations have the unmitigated gall of leading our local news shows with the Lacy Peterson story. We are 3,500 miles from California.
The ones who never promote the causes they bemoan as being neglected? Chronic complainers.
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