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BBC MUNDO RADIO
Updated: 3 hours 15 minutes ago
(Feb. 17) -- A California Superior Court jury has found a North Carolina woman guilty in the bizarre murder of an Orange County fortune teller and her daughter because of a failed love spell.
The jury deliberated for less than an hour Tuesday before finding Tanya Nelson, 45, guilty of murder with special circumstances in the slayings of Ha Jade Smith, 52, and Anita Vo, 23.
During the trial, Deputy District Attorney Sonia Balleste argued that Nelson was so angry at Smith for telling her a bad fortune that she traveled more than 2,600 miles to kill her.
The case involves "greed, lust, obsession, revenge ... straight sex, gay sex, the occult, threats, stealing things and stealing lives," Balleste said.
The investigation into the case began on April 22, 2005, when authorities were contacted by a family member who reported that he had been unable to contact Smith and Vo. A patrol unit was dispatched to the pair's home in the Little Saigon district of Westminster, Calif., at which time police found Smith and Vo dead inside the residence. Both victims had suffered multiple stab wounds to their faces and necks. Additional wounds on the victims' hands suggested they had attempted to fight off the attack. For reasons not immediately clear, the heads and hands of both victims had been covered in nearly a gallon of white paint.
"I haven't come across anybody else who has had a case in which the victim's heads and hands were covered in paint," Detective Tim Vu said in a 2005 interview with the Los Angeles Times. "I've had calls from colleagues in other departments too. They feel kind of fascinated by that. It's just not something that happens. This is, by far, the most bizarre thing I've seen."
When details of the discovery were made public, some experts theorized that the paint could have held a symbolic meaning. Initially, authorities did not dispute these theories, but, instead, leaned toward robbery as a motive. The victims' house had been ransacked and credit cards, jewelry and cash were missing from the home.
It was not the first time that Smith had been robbed. In 2001, she had been tied up inside her home and robbed of $372,000 worth of jewelry and cash. Following that incident, she had heavy-duty locks installed on all of her doors and iron bars placed over the windows. There was, however, no sign of forced entry this time, leading authorities to believe that Smith or her daughter knew their attacker.
Smith was well known both in her community and on a national level. Vietnamese-Americans considered her a skilled fortune teller, and it was not uncommon for clients to travel from as far away as New York to pay her several thousand dollars for a card or palm reading.
Investigators got their first break in the case when they discovered that someone had assumed the identities of the victims and had charged more than $3,000 to one of the victim's credit cards. Further investigation revealed the purchase of airline tickets in the victims' names for a flight from North Carolina to California.
Working with U.S. marshals, authorities conducted surveillance on the suspects when they boarded the plane in North Carolina, and continued to do so for two days following their arrival in Orange County. During that time, authorities gathered enough evidence to make an arrest.
Authorities identified the woman who had been using Smith's identity as Tanya Nelson, then 41. Nelson was booked on burglary and identity theft charges after police found items belonging to Smith in her possession. Investigators then traveled to North Carolina, where they found evidence suggesting that an Asian man, Phillipe Zamora, then 50, had been involved in the crimes. Zamora was interviewed by police and ultimately taken into custody.
In the days after the arrests, Nelson and Zamora were charged with conspiracy, two counts of murder and the special circumstances of multiple murder and murder committed during a robbery.
Facing the death penalty if convicted, Zamora agreed to testify against Nelson in exchange for a sentence of life in prison. Under the agreement, he pleaded guilty last year to two counts of first-degree murder.
Opening arguments in Nelson's trial began Jan. 15. Prosecutors stated that Nelson was the mastermind behind the murders, whereas her defense attorney, Ken Reed, argued that Zamora was a liar.
"That man is a liar," Reed said of Zamora. "Not just a little bit a liar, but a whole lot a liar."
Zamora testified earlier this month that Nelson had hired Smith to help her get an ex-lover back. She allegedly became upset when Smith was unable to use her magical powers to help her, and instead told her to accept the reality of the situation. Prosecutors say Nelson then convinced Zamora to help her in the killings by promising to fix him up with gay sex partners.
Detectives testified that that two days before the killings, Nelson sent Smith roses and the three went out to dinner. On the day of the killings, Zamora and Nelson went to Smith's house under the guise of discussing a palm reading. During the discussion, Nelson allegedly pointed to a set of kitchen knives and urged Zamora to "Do it! Do it!" the Orange County Register reported.
Prosecutors allege that, following the murders, Nelson took a pair of diamond earrings -- valued at $35,000 -- off Smith's body.
"That is the nerve of this defendant,'' Deputy D.A. Balleste said.
Zamora did not offer an explanation for why the victims had been partially covered in white paint. Authorities have since stated that they believe it was an attempt to destroy forensic evidence.
In an attempt to sway the jury, Reed told them that Zamora's DNA -- and not Nelson's -- was found on the handles of the two murder weapons that were found at the scene and that Zamora was solely responsible for both of the murders. He did, however, concede that Nelson used false identification to make purchases.
"Tanya Nelson committed herself a whole bunch of crimes," Reed said. "Every one of them were done after the murder."
Balleste disagreed and told the jury that Zamora wasn't smart enough to mastermind the murders.
"Zamora can't go out there and be a homicidal maniac all by himself without this defendant," Balleste said.
The jury deliberated for less than an hour Tuesday before delivering a guilty verdict.
Nelson faces the death penalty at her sentencing hearing next week.
Zamora is also expected to be sentenced next week. He faces a sentence of 50 years to life in prison.
The jury deliberated for less than an hour Tuesday before finding Tanya Nelson, 45, guilty of murder with special circumstances in the slayings of Ha Jade Smith, 52, and Anita Vo, 23.
During the trial, Deputy District Attorney Sonia Balleste argued that Nelson was so angry at Smith for telling her a bad fortune that she traveled more than 2,600 miles to kill her.
The case involves "greed, lust, obsession, revenge ... straight sex, gay sex, the occult, threats, stealing things and stealing lives," Balleste said.
Orange County District Attorney
Prosecutors said Tanya Nelson killed a fortune teller and the woman's daughter because she did not like her fortune.
The investigation into the case began on April 22, 2005, when authorities were contacted by a family member who reported that he had been unable to contact Smith and Vo. A patrol unit was dispatched to the pair's home in the Little Saigon district of Westminster, Calif., at which time police found Smith and Vo dead inside the residence. Both victims had suffered multiple stab wounds to their faces and necks. Additional wounds on the victims' hands suggested they had attempted to fight off the attack. For reasons not immediately clear, the heads and hands of both victims had been covered in nearly a gallon of white paint.
"I haven't come across anybody else who has had a case in which the victim's heads and hands were covered in paint," Detective Tim Vu said in a 2005 interview with the Los Angeles Times. "I've had calls from colleagues in other departments too. They feel kind of fascinated by that. It's just not something that happens. This is, by far, the most bizarre thing I've seen."
When details of the discovery were made public, some experts theorized that the paint could have held a symbolic meaning. Initially, authorities did not dispute these theories, but, instead, leaned toward robbery as a motive. The victims' house had been ransacked and credit cards, jewelry and cash were missing from the home.
It was not the first time that Smith had been robbed. In 2001, she had been tied up inside her home and robbed of $372,000 worth of jewelry and cash. Following that incident, she had heavy-duty locks installed on all of her doors and iron bars placed over the windows. There was, however, no sign of forced entry this time, leading authorities to believe that Smith or her daughter knew their attacker.
Smith was well known both in her community and on a national level. Vietnamese-Americans considered her a skilled fortune teller, and it was not uncommon for clients to travel from as far away as New York to pay her several thousand dollars for a card or palm reading.
Investigators got their first break in the case when they discovered that someone had assumed the identities of the victims and had charged more than $3,000 to one of the victim's credit cards. Further investigation revealed the purchase of airline tickets in the victims' names for a flight from North Carolina to California.
Working with U.S. marshals, authorities conducted surveillance on the suspects when they boarded the plane in North Carolina, and continued to do so for two days following their arrival in Orange County. During that time, authorities gathered enough evidence to make an arrest.
Authorities identified the woman who had been using Smith's identity as Tanya Nelson, then 41. Nelson was booked on burglary and identity theft charges after police found items belonging to Smith in her possession. Investigators then traveled to North Carolina, where they found evidence suggesting that an Asian man, Phillipe Zamora, then 50, had been involved in the crimes. Zamora was interviewed by police and ultimately taken into custody.
In the days after the arrests, Nelson and Zamora were charged with conspiracy, two counts of murder and the special circumstances of multiple murder and murder committed during a robbery.
Facing the death penalty if convicted, Zamora agreed to testify against Nelson in exchange for a sentence of life in prison. Under the agreement, he pleaded guilty last year to two counts of first-degree murder.
Opening arguments in Nelson's trial began Jan. 15. Prosecutors stated that Nelson was the mastermind behind the murders, whereas her defense attorney, Ken Reed, argued that Zamora was a liar.
"That man is a liar," Reed said of Zamora. "Not just a little bit a liar, but a whole lot a liar."
Zamora testified earlier this month that Nelson had hired Smith to help her get an ex-lover back. She allegedly became upset when Smith was unable to use her magical powers to help her, and instead told her to accept the reality of the situation. Prosecutors say Nelson then convinced Zamora to help her in the killings by promising to fix him up with gay sex partners.
Detectives testified that that two days before the killings, Nelson sent Smith roses and the three went out to dinner. On the day of the killings, Zamora and Nelson went to Smith's house under the guise of discussing a palm reading. During the discussion, Nelson allegedly pointed to a set of kitchen knives and urged Zamora to "Do it! Do it!" the Orange County Register reported.
Prosecutors allege that, following the murders, Nelson took a pair of diamond earrings -- valued at $35,000 -- off Smith's body.
"That is the nerve of this defendant,'' Deputy D.A. Balleste said.
Zamora did not offer an explanation for why the victims had been partially covered in white paint. Authorities have since stated that they believe it was an attempt to destroy forensic evidence.
In an attempt to sway the jury, Reed told them that Zamora's DNA -- and not Nelson's -- was found on the handles of the two murder weapons that were found at the scene and that Zamora was solely responsible for both of the murders. He did, however, concede that Nelson used false identification to make purchases.
"Tanya Nelson committed herself a whole bunch of crimes," Reed said. "Every one of them were done after the murder."
Balleste disagreed and told the jury that Zamora wasn't smart enough to mastermind the murders.
"Zamora can't go out there and be a homicidal maniac all by himself without this defendant," Balleste said.
The jury deliberated for less than an hour Tuesday before delivering a guilty verdict.
Nelson faces the death penalty at her sentencing hearing next week.
Zamora is also expected to be sentenced next week. He faces a sentence of 50 years to life in prison.
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