Don Lasseter - Honeymoon With A Killer

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Table of Contents

Acknowledgments

As always, we find ourselves deeply indebted to numerous people who helped us in researching and developing this story. We are especially grateful to some who went the extra mile, such as Karen Corwin, the extraordinary librarian who knows where to find everything.

Finding a suitable subject for a true-crime book is not as easy as it sounds. Ron and I had sifted through scores of cases, and had nearly exhausted the possibilities. As he sat one day at his dining-room table with his wife, Rosemarie, telling her of our problem, she suggested, What about Rebecca, the woman who took her husband to the cleaners and then had him killed? Bingo! Without Rosies help, this story might never have reached you, our terrific readers, to whom we owe the greatest thanks.

Elizabeth Lamb gave us generous, courteous, and lively interviews, as well as gracious permission to use photographs she had taken. Beths courage significantly helped this case culminate in justice, for which she deserves admiration. She is not only a model citizen with a wonderful sense of humor, but a terrific lady as well.

Bertha Awana invited us into her lovely Arizona home, and also came up with great photographs. She spoke frankly and extensively about her long relationship with Rebecca, and held back nothing. Bright and gregarious, with a sparkling personality, Bertha supplied invaluable input to the story. Alma Arias, her sister, joined in the illuminating conversations, and contributed great slants on several incidents. We hold them both in high regard.

Deputy DA Craig Hum met with us for lunch, and ran through the trials, legal issues, tactics, and personalities in this complex tale. He is truly one of the brightest and most talented trial lawyers in the L.A. District Attorneys Office.

Private detective Walt Zwonitzer gave us a welcome hand with research.

Once again, Michaela Hamilton, executive editor at Kensington Publishing Company, not only gave us the green light to proceed with this book, but smoothed out the long road with her suggestions. Michaelas colleague, Mike Shohl, also aided us in hurdling obstacles. Literary agent Susan Crawford provided the usual solid bridge of communication.

To the best of our ability, we have told a completely factual story. Because it took three trials to finally send Rebecca, Alvaro, and Jose to prison, we needed to avoid taking readers through all of them in repetitious detail. So we have used a modicum of literary license to interpose testimony into the first trial, and thereby reduce the narrative lengths of numbers two and three. However, we have neither altered nor embellished the essential facts. Quoted conversations are derived from interviews and trial testimony. To protect privacy and safety of several characters, we have changed their names in the text.

Don Lasseter and Ronald Bowers, 2009

Also by Don Lasseter

YOULL NEVER FIND MY BODY
MEET ME FOR MURDER
DIE FOR ME
IF I CANT HAVE YOU, NO ONE CAN
BODY DOUBLE
KILLER KIDS
COLD STORAGE
GOING POSTAL
SAVAGE VENGEANCE
PROPERTY OF FOLSOM WOLF

Rebecca Becky Salcedos friends described her as beautiful, fun, sexy, outrageous, generous, and affectionate. Some, though, saw darker aspects in this complex woman. (Courtesy of Bertha Awana)

Rebecca (far left) lived periodically with her best friend Bertha (center) and didnt mind showing off her body. (Courtesy of Bertha Awana)

More like sisters, Rebecca (left) and Bertha (center) met in their early teens and shared adventures for more than ten years. (Courtesy of Bertha Awana)

Despite their joyous expressions, tensions developed between Rebecca (left) and Bertha (right) after Bruce Cleland came into their lives. (Courtesy of Bertha Awana)

Bruce Cleland in senior year at South Pasadena High School. Self conscious, shy, and frugal, he avoided asking girls for dates and concentrated instead on education. (Yearbook photo)

Bertha Araiza Awana, a successful businesswoman, spoke openly in 2008 about Rebeccas wild and crazy lifestyle. (Author photo)

Bruce grew up in this upper-middle-class South Pasadena home with his older sister and parents. (Author photo)

As a senior at prestigious Harvey Mudd College, Bruce carried a beer keg to a party, but still feared asking women out. He later earned a masters degree at Stanford University. (Yearbook photo)

Bruce met Rebecca at a swap meet on the grounds of this old drive-in theater. Author Don Lasseter stands in the foreground. (Author photo)

Rebecca sold bottled spices from a stall on a gaudy vendor lane like this one. She flirted with Bruce, and gave him her phone number. (Author photo)

On dates with Rebecca, Bruce (in striped shirt) wound up paying the tab for an entourage that included her uncle, Arturo Quezada (waving), who had a reputation for drinking and fondling young women. (Courtesy of Bertha Awana)

Overcoming his extreme frugality, Bruce bought Rebecca countless gifts including a spa, a boat, a car, furniture, and this luxurious hilltop home in Whittier. (Author photo)

At his church marriage to Rebecca, Bruce thought he had reached the pinnacle of happiness, but his euphoria would soon crash. (Courtesy of Beth Lamb)

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