Ken Englade - A Family Business

Diversion Books
A Division of Diversion Publishing Corp.
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New York, NY 10016
www.DiversionBooks.com

Copyright 1992 by Ken Englade
All rights reserved, including the right to reproduce this book or portions thereof in any form whatsoever.

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents either are the product of the authors imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events or locales is entirely coincidental.

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First Diversion Books edition December 2014
ISBN: 978-1-62681-502-5

Some of the dialogue represented in this book was reconstructed while other dialogue was drawn from courtroom testimony.

K.E.

For Charlie and Phyllis, God bless em

This book is far and away the most complicated I have ever been involved with. More than any other story I have tried to tell, the saga of the Sconces has required explanations of extremely complex legal concepts and events. When I was wading through tall stacks of transcripts and enigmatic documents, there were times I was certain that I was truly and irretrievably lost in the wilderness. If it had not been for four particular men, I dont think I would ever have found my way home. Two of them were prosecutors at various stages of the case: Deputy District Attorneys Harvey Giss and Jim Rogan, who is now Judge Rogan. Another was Roger Diamond, who was David Sconces attorney during some of the more crucial phases described herein. The fourth man has asked to remain anonymous. This is too bad because his input was among the most valuable of any I received during my research. They all gave graciously of their time and expertise, frequently taking me by the hand and leading me through what amounted to a crash course in advanced criminal law. I am grateful, for without them I undoubtedly would still be wandering.

There are two others who helped immeasurably, possibly more than they realized. One was Investigator Dennis Diaz, whose aid came at a time when I had been searching fruitlessly for just the type of insight he provided. The other was Dr. Larry Podolsky, who provided invaluable assistance in helping me decipher the medical details that are such an important part of this story. I profusely thank them, as well as others who helped in less dramatic but nevertheless important ways.

I hope that I learned well from my guides, and that I have done justice to the tale.

K.E.

The family:

David SconceFounder and owner of Coastal Cremation Inc. and the Coastal International Eye & Tissue Bank; the older son of Jerry and Laurieanne Sconce.

Jerry Coach SconceDavids father and co-operator of Lamb Funeral Home, the parent organization for Coastal Cremation and the CIE&TB.

Laurieanne Mom SconceJerrys wife; Davids mother; daughter of Lawrence and Lucille Lamb; former owner and operator of Lamb Funeral Home.

Lawrence and Lucille LambLaurieannes parents; Davids grandparents; owners of Lamb Funeral home until they sold the business to their daughter.

Brad SallardBrother of Davids wife, Barbara, and son of Oscar Sallard, who gave his name to Oscars Ceramics.

The victims, possible, potential, and actual:

Timothy WatersOwner of a Burbank cremation service, the Alpha Society, whose apparently natural death may turn out to be a murder.

Ron Hast and Stephen NimzThe co-owner of a Los Angeles area mortuary and his housemate.

Elie EstephanFormer son-in-law of Frank Strunk; owner of Cremation Society of California, a business said to be coveted by David Sconce.

Frank StrunkFather of Steve Strunk; former father-in-law of Elie Estephan, and former owner of the Cremation Society of California.

Walter LewisA deputy district attorney in Pasadena who prosecuted David Sconce on charges dealing with the operation of Coastal Cremation and the CIE&TB.

The aggressors:

Daniel Galambos and Dave EdwardsBeefy ex-football players hired by David Sconce to assault his enemies.

Andre AugustineCohort of Dan Galambos and Dave Edwards, who took part in attack on Ron Hast and Stephen Nimz.

Bob GarciaFormer David Sconce employee allegedly approached by his boss about killing Elie Estephan.

The inmates:

David Gerhardt, Rogelio Rojas, Steve Warren, and Jack DuboisMen who testified that David Sconce either offered to hire them as murderers or sought references for a hit man.

The witnesses:

James Dame, Steve Strunk, John Hallinan, Joyji George Bristol, John Pollerana, Lisa KarlanAll former employees of the Sconces.

Richard GrayTim Waterss former best friend.

Dr. Frederic RiedersToxicologist who contended that Tim Waters was murdered by poisoning with oleander.

Dr. John HollowayFormer pathologist in Ventura County who ruled Tim Waters died a natural death, a position he continued to maintain.

Dennis DiazPasadena detective who helped build the case against David Sconce in relation to activities at the crematoriums and the tissue bank.

Robert HopkinsAn investigator from Simi Valley who worked on the Waters murder case.

Mary Lou WatersTim Waterss mother.

Scott SorrentinoTim Waterss boyhood friend; one of the last people to see Tim alive.

Dr. Jack HenionA Cornell University toxicologist whose sophisticated tests were unable to find traces of oleander in Tim Waterss remains.

The legal contingent:

Elvira R. MitchellThe Pasadena municipal court judge who enthusiastically agreed to a $500,000 bail for David Sconce.

Victor PersonMunicipal court judge in Pasadena who conducted the preliminary hearing against David, Jerry, and Laurieanne Sconce on charges stemming from the crematorium and tissue bank operations.

Terry SmerlingThe superior court judge in Pasadena who dealt with the case against the Sconces after it left Victor Persons court.

John HunterThe Ventura municipal court judge who conducted the preliminary hearing in the Tim Waters murder case.

Frederick JonesThe Ventura County superior court judge who presided at the preliminaries for what would have been David Sconces trial for the murder of Tim Waters. He would have presided at the trial had the charges not been dismissed at the last moment.

Harvey GissThe Los Angeles County deputy district attorney scheduled to prosecute David Sconce for the murder of Tim Waters.

James RoganThe deputy district attorney who took over the Los Angeles County prosecution of the Sconces after Walt Lewis was forced to withdraw. He also had to withdraw later when he was appointed a judge.

Eliott al HadeffThe DDA who replaced Rogan as Jerry and Laurieannes prosecutor in Los Angeles County.

Kevin De NoceA young DDA in Ventura County who was named co-prosecutor, replacing Rogan, in the case alleging that David murdered Tim Waters.

Roger DiamondThe main attorney for David Sconce; represented him at the preliminary hearing in Pasadena and at the proceedings in Ventura.

Guy OBrienDavid Sconces attorney in the proceedings before Judge Terry Smerling.

Thomas NishiAttorney for Jerry Sconce.

Edward A. RuckerAttorney for Laurieanne Sconce.

Others:

Randy WeltyAn adult bookstore owner who David said was the money man behind the Sconce tissue bank.