Melanie McGuire found guilty of murder

BY KATHY CHANG
Staff Writer

Courtesy of The Star-Ledger of Newark Melanie McGuire, visibily distraught after being convicted of murder in the first degree, faces a sentence of 30 years to life in prison. NEW BRUNSWICK - After 13 hours and 57 minutes of deliberation, the nine-woman, three-man jury found Melanie McGuire, the 34-year-old former fertility clinic nurse, guilty in the first degree for killing her husband, William McGuire, and later dismembering his body in their Woodbridge Center Plaza apartment in 2004.

His remains were found in the couple's three matching green suitcases, which washed up along the Virginia coast on May 5, 11 and 16, 2004.

"I had total confidence [in the prosecution]," said William McGuire's older sister, Cindy Ligosh, who was on her way with family to the press conference that was held by the prosecution after the verdict was read by the jury.

"Justice was done," she said.

Melanie McGuire, who sat quietly and stoically with her hands folded in her lap throughout the six-week trial, sobbed and held onto her two defense attorneys Joseph Tacopina and Stephen Turano as the jury read their verdict on each of the eight counts against her.

Courtesy of The Star-Ledger of Newark Melanie McGuire weeps on Monday, with her attorney, Stephen Turano, by her side, as the jury returns a guilty verdict against her in the trial for the murder of her husband, William McGuire. The jury let the court know they reached a verdict at 1:45 p.m. on April 23.

McGuire's parents, Michael and Linda Cappararo, and her best friends Selene Trivizas and Allison LiCalsi sat in the first row behind the defense table. They held hands, sobbed and looked stunned when they heard the verdict.

One family member uttered the words, "I can't believe it."

The jury found McGuire guilty of first-degree murder, which carries a sentence of 30 years to life; a second-degree charge of desecrating human remains, which carries a sentence of five to 10 years; a second-degree charge of possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose, which carries a sentence of five to 10 years; and a third-degree charge of perjury, which carries a sentence of three to five years.

The jury found McGuire not guilty of two third-degree charges of hindering prosecution regarding a letter sent to then-state Attorney General Peter Harvey in August 2005 and a Federal Express package sent to assistant Attorney General Patricia Prezioso in October 2005 that the prosecution contended McGuire sent to thwart investigators.

She was also acquitted of a fourth-degree charge of tampering with, or fabricating physical evidence; and a third-degree charge for possession of a controlled dangerous substance - Xanax - found in the Federal Express package.

McGuire turned around and looked at her parents with wide eyes after the verdict was read. She held onto Tacopina as the jury was let out of the courtroom.

The prosecution asked state Superior Court Judge Frederick P. DeVesa in Middlesex County to revoke McGuire's $2.1 million bail, which she had remained free on since October 2006.

The judge granted the state's request.

"The defendant stands convicted of this horrible and brutal murder, which was obviously carried out with a level of complexity and with methodical detail," said DeVesa.

"Right now, the defendant is not under the presumption of innocence," he said, "and at this point, under the grave consequences and the seriousness of the crime, I agree to revoke the defendant's bail and for her to be committed to the Middlesex County Adult Correction Center [in North Brunswick] until sentencing."

As McGuire was led by sheriff's officers out of the courtroom, she mouthed the words "I love you" to her family and friends.

McGuire's attorneys, Tacopina and Turano, who held an informal press conference outside the courtroom, said although they respect the jury's decision, they said they were disappointed with the jury's verdict.

"I am disappointed and confused because we believe Melanie McGuire is not guilty," said Tacopina. "We will fight it out to the end and we won't give up at this point. We don't accept this as final; it's just a setback that we will overcome."

When asked if they thought the verdict would have turned out differently if McGuire had decided to testify or if the jury had been sequestered, the attorneys said no.

"We discussed with Melanie about testifying, and we feel we made the right decision," said Tacopina. "And we don't think there was a need for the jury to be sequestered. I have been in many high-profile cases, and this group of media did a great job."

Tacopina and Turano, who talked with McGuire after the verdict, said their client told them to "stay strong."

"She's definitely distraught and not well," said Tacopina. "She fears she will never see her children again."

When asked how McGuire's parents were doing, Tacopina answered, "How do you think they feel? They just saw their daughter being taken out the back door."

At the press conference held by the Attorney General's Office in the Middlesex County Prosecutor's Office conference room, Cindy Ligosh said it was a "happy day as well as a sad day."

"Today, two little children are without a father and a mother," said Ligosh, who has had custody of her brother's children since McGuire was charged with first-degree murder in 2005.

"It's been two-and-a-half years, and without the 24/7 work of the state police, Detective Sergeant First Class David Dalrymple [overall supervisor of the Major Crimes Unit], and the state investigators at the Division of Criminal Justice, and Patti [Prezioso] and [Deputy Attorney General] Chris [Romanyshyn], we wouldn't have a case," she said.

Ligosh said she also thanked the media, to whom she reached out in the days, weeks and months after her brother was murdered in 2004, but said that because the third anniversary of her brother's death is this Sunday [April 29], she and her family would like their privacy for now.

What's next for

Melanie McGuire

Tacopina and Turano said they would appeal on substantial issues.

"There is the issue of the outside influence of the jury," said Tacopina. "This was discussed on Friday [April 20] when a note was found in the jury room that was left by an alternate juror