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December 19
1970 - Snow day in Santa Clarita Valley [photos]
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[KHTS] – The coroner is still waiting on test results, and could be for weeks, in the murder of Ellorah Warner, a 19-day-old baby found dead in January.

The victim’s father, Matthew Warner, 30, of Newhall, is jail on murder and torture charges, in lieu of more than $2 million bail.

Warner led detectives to the area where the baby was found, and is considered the lone suspect by homicide detectives.

Coroner’s officials have yet to declare the cause of death for the infant, pending toxicology results that likely won’t be available until May, according to Craig Harvey, spokesman for the Los Angeles County Coroner’s Office.

The investigator examining the case won’t sign off on the cause of death until the tests are completed, he said, noting the last update on the report was in February.

012415_187Ellorah Warner was discovered inside the cab of a parked truck in the 23600 block of Newhall Avenue around 7 a.m. Jan. 24, and pronounced dead at the scene, according to Lt. Holly Francisco, the homicide detective leading the investigation.

The discovery was made after Santa Clarita Valley Sheriff’s Station deputies began an hourslong manhunt for the infant.

The baby’s parents walked into the Sheriff’s Station to report the child missing around 9:35 p.m. on Jan. 23.

No 911 call was made to the station, according to officials.

Matthew Warner is charged with murder, as well as assault on a child causing death, torture, oral copulation or sexual penetration of a child under 10, aggravated sexual assault in connection with the death.

Warner is yet  to face a preliminary hearing, which is when a judge reviews the evidence and decides whether there is enough to merit a trial. He pleaded not guilty at his preliminary arraignment.

The case is being prosecuted by Julie Kramer,  a deputy district attorney with of the county’s Victim Impact Program, which handles cases of elder abuse, child abuse, hate crimes, sex crimes, stalking and family violence

Warner faces a possible maximum sentence of multiple life sentences if convicted on all charges. The crimes as he’s charged, are not death penalty-eligible, according to an official with the District Attorney’s Office.

 

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4 Comments

  1. Cathy Lahey says:

    4 months for test results? Ridiculous.

  2. Cathy Lahey says:

    4 months for test results? Ridiculous.

  3. Wondering the same thing, why does it take so long???

  4. Jeanne says:

    It really does not matter. We know who murdered this baby and he will not be getting out of jail. A few weeks difference in when he is sent to prison instead of jail makes little difference. As a matter of fact, the jail is pretty bad. In prison he will have his own room and I understand that the food and treatment is better.

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