Wednesday, April 6, 2011

Chandler, AZ: Boyfriend indicted in Chandler woman's disappearance

More than a year after his girlfriend's sudden disappearance, and even though her whereabouts have never been determined, Jamie Laiaddee's boyfriend has been indicted in her death, Chandler police said Tuesday.
Rick Valentini, 41, who passed himself off as Bryan Stewart, 33, for eight years, was indicted on second-degree murder March 24, marking a rare case in which someone is charged in the absence of a corpse, said Detective David Ramer.
"She is completely off the grid," Ramer said. "The totality of the evidence points to, he killed her."
Since she was last seen alive March 17, 2010 - St. Patrick's Day - she has dropped off the face of the earth, both virtually and physically.
She has made no phone calls, sent no emails, made no bank transactions, sent no texts. She has not been seen.
Laiaddee, 32 , left behind items in her Chandler apartment someone wouldn't normally abandon: Two cars, her keys, her passport, purse and birth control items, according to court papers.
Chandler police have always suspected foul play.
"We fear the worst in this case," Sgt. Joe Favazzo said in July.
Valentini has been behind bars since May 28, when Jamie's father phoned police to report his daughter missing. He had previously been charged with misconduct involving weapons and at least seven counts of forgery. The forgery counts stem from his allegedly signing documents with his fake name of Stewart.
Valentini, Laiaddee's boyfriend for three years, claimed she had moved to Colorado for a new job. He never reported her missing. He drove her car and used her credit cards for online dating services after she vanished, police said. He even dated several women during the 10 ½ week gap between Jamie's disappearance and his arrest, police said.
Six of Laiaddee's college friends started a Facebook site, "Help Find Jamie Laiadee." It now has more than 1,200 members.
One post on the site says: "Jamie is an amazingly talented, caring, and loyal friend. We just want her home safely."

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