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(Albuquerque) An
arranged meeting this morning between police, convicted murderer
Diazien Hossencofft and his attorneys unfolded inside the secrecy
of a locked jury room in Judge John Brennan's courtroom on the
third floor of State District Court.
Sources say Judge Brennan agreed to sign an Order for Nondisclosure
which forbids the parties involved in today's meeting from
making any comments about the proceeding. This reporter attempted
obtain a copy of the Order for Nondisclosure at 4:50pm
today, but a clerk in the court's criminal division said
the Order had not yet been filed.
At approximately 11:15 this morning, this reporter caught
a brief but clear glimpse of Mr.Hossencofft inside the jury room
as his attorney Vera Ockenfels opened the door to enter that
room. Hossencofft was wearing a blue jail uniform and was seated
at a table.
In an unusual move at the conclusion of the meeting, all parties
involved chose not to exit through the courtroom as is the standard.
Instead, presumably to avoid the media, everyone exited through
a passage near the judge's chambers.
Contacted at his office, prosecutor Paul Spiers, abiding by
the gag order, declined to comment on whether or not Hossencofft
provided a statement to police today. Efforts to contact Hossencofft
attorneys Ockenfels and Marc Robert were unsuccessful.
Previous negotiations aimed at obtaining a statement about
the murder from Hossencofft have been extremely delicate. That
history, coupled with Thursday's fireworks in court (please
see article below) appear to have resulted in a tenuous moment--today's
secret meeting--with the dual aim of 1) providing investigators
with details of the murder, and 2) allowing Hossencofft to meet
his plea obligation of providing such a statement which, in turn,
facilitates his much desired transfer to a Wyoming prison.
Why does Hossencofft want out of New Mexico? And why Wyoming?
His attorney Marc Robert Thursday said it would be inappriopriate
to comment on such questions. An article in Thursday's Albuquerque
Journal suggests Hossencofft is very concerned about his
safety here in New Mexico.
As for the Wyoming question, a former Hossencofft girlfriend
told the Albuquerque Tribune last week that Hossencofft
has friends in Wyoming. In her January
10, 2002 article, Tribune reporter Joline Gutierrez
Krueger wrote:
(Julie McGuire) said Hossencofft has a more
devious reason for selecting Wyoming, a place he often spoke
of and where he claimed to have powerful allies.
"This is not just a whim of him wanting
to go there," she said. "He's got some people there
that could very well help him. He could actually get loose there."
The question of whether-or-not Hossenccoft provided a
statement to police which satisfies the court should soon be
answered--if not directly--then indirectly. That's because, if
he did cooperate, Hossencofft would soon be transferred to a
state prison in Los Lunas, New Mexico. The Los Lunas facility
would be a temporary "transitional" residence for Hossencofft
as the State prepares to move him to Wyoming.
The Los Lunas prison is often used for transitioning inmates.
The judge also acknowledged in court earlier this week that if
the Wyoming transfer were to take place, Hossencofft would first
be moved to Los Lunas.
No doubt many of you are asking questions: "If Hossencofft
did provide information today concerning the murder, will search
crews be out looking for the body soon?" "Did Hossencofft
make statements which incriminate his co-defendants, Linda Henning
and William "Bill" Miller"?
You are not alone in asking those questions.
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