By stephen hunt
The Salt Lake Tribune
Updated Jul 10, 2010 01:15PM
Despite a recent angry courtroom outburst by a Burmese refugee accused of killing 7-year-old Hser Ner Moo, a defense attorney said Friday he is confident of resolving the case with a plea deal.
But defense attorney Michael Peterson told a 3rd District Court judge that Esar Met’s acceptance of a plea offer is dependant upon re-establishing contact with the defendant’s family.
Peterson said the defense team had lost contact with Met’s family members, who live in Arizona.
“We are moving heaven and Earth to find them,” Peterson told Judge Judith Atherton. “I’ve assured the state I’m confident we can resolve the case with the offer they have extended.” But Peterson could not say when that will occur.
Prosecutor Rob Parrish said he was willing to wait, but “at some point, we will need to move forward with the case.”
(Leah Hogsten | The Salt Lake Tribune) An ouburst by defendant Esar Met, 23, derailed an expected plea hearing Friday in Judge Judith Atherton's 3rd District Courtroom. A status conference hea set foruly 9. Met is charged with aggravated murder and child kidnapping in the 2008 death of 7-year-old Hser Ner Moo.
The terms of the plea offer were not discussed in court. A status hearing was set for Oct. 1.
Met, believed to be 23 years old, is charged with aggravated murder and child kidnapping for allegedly beating, sexually assaulting and strangling Hser Ner Moo at his South Salt Lake apartment on March 31, 2008.
Met was expected to accept a plea deal during a May 21 hearing, but instead denied any guilt.
But defense attorney Michael Peterson told a 3rd District Court judge that Esar Met’s acceptance of a plea offer is dependant upon re-establishing contact with the defendant’s family.
Peterson said the defense team had lost contact with Met’s family members, who live in Arizona.
“We are moving heaven and Earth to find them,” Peterson told Judge Judith Atherton. “I’ve assured the state I’m confident we can resolve the case with the offer they have extended.” But Peterson could not say when that will occur.
Prosecutor Rob Parrish said he was willing to wait, but “at some point, we will need to move forward with the case.”
(Leah Hogsten | The Salt Lake Tribune) An ouburst by defendant Esar Met, 23, derailed an expected plea hearing Friday in Judge Judith Atherton's 3rd District Courtroom. A status conference hea set foruly 9. Met is charged with aggravated murder and child kidnapping in the 2008 death of 7-year-old Hser Ner Moo.
The terms of the plea offer were not discussed in court. A status hearing was set for Oct. 1.
Met, believed to be 23 years old, is charged with aggravated murder and child kidnapping for allegedly beating, sexually assaulting and strangling Hser Ner Moo at his South Salt Lake apartment on March 31, 2008.
Met was expected to accept a plea deal during a May 21 hearing, but instead denied any guilt.
“I was forced by the authorities here to say that I did it, but I didn’t kill,” Met told the judge, according to an interpreter for the victim’s family, who translated the statement for The Tribune.
Despite Met’s denial, Peterson said Friday he was “more than cautiously optimistic” of achieving a resolution.
The judge said she was willing to work with the defense given the “unique” language and cultural issues the case presents.
After the hearing, Parrish told reporters that Met’s family are important because they can offer Met emotional support and understand his background and history.
Met’s family are expected to assure him that the United States government is not like the governments of Burma and Thailand, where Met grew up and where criminals are “summarily dealt with,” Parrish said. “It’s appropriate to have them here.”
Met and Hser Ner Moo lived in separate parts of the same refugee camp for Burmese refugees in Thailand before immigrating to the United States, where both lived at the South Parc Townhomes, 2250 S. 500 East.
Esar Met allegedly killed the girl inside his basement apartment, where her body was found a day after her disappearance sparked a massive search of the neighborhood.
An autopsy determined she died of blunt force trauma to her head, neck and torso. Some injuries were consistent with strangulation or suffocation, and physicians also found evidence of sexual assault.
Hser Ner Moo was last seen alive at about 2 p.m. on March 31, 2008, when she left her family’s apartment and was seen by a neighbor walking south, in the direction of apartment No. 472, where Met was living, according to the charging documents. Police have said the girl was dead within an hour of leaving home.
Met was located by police about 10 p.m. the next day at his aunt’s Cottonwood Heights home.
According to a probable cause statement filed with the jail, Met admitted killing Hser Ner Moo while “attempting to confine the victim to the residence by force.” Prosecutors have said they have no information about whether the girl was lured into the apartment, or whether the crime was planned or opportunistic.
The case bogged down in December 2008, when the defense raised questions about Met’s mental competency. According to a March 2009 court docket entry, the defense intended to ask the judge to appoint mental evaluators, but nothing was ever filed with the court.
The defense has also raised questions about Met’s age, noting they have found no birth records for him in either Burma or Thailand. According to what Met has told jailers, he is now 23. However his mother, Ra He Mar, has said her son is older.
Met is being held at the Salt Lake County jail in lieu of $2.5 million bail.
shunt@sltrib.com
Despite Met’s denial, Peterson said Friday he was “more than cautiously optimistic” of achieving a resolution.
The judge said she was willing to work with the defense given the “unique” language and cultural issues the case presents.
After the hearing, Parrish told reporters that Met’s family are important because they can offer Met emotional support and understand his background and history.
Met’s family are expected to assure him that the United States government is not like the governments of Burma and Thailand, where Met grew up and where criminals are “summarily dealt with,” Parrish said. “It’s appropriate to have them here.”
Met and Hser Ner Moo lived in separate parts of the same refugee camp for Burmese refugees in Thailand before immigrating to the United States, where both lived at the South Parc Townhomes, 2250 S. 500 East.
Esar Met allegedly killed the girl inside his basement apartment, where her body was found a day after her disappearance sparked a massive search of the neighborhood.
An autopsy determined she died of blunt force trauma to her head, neck and torso. Some injuries were consistent with strangulation or suffocation, and physicians also found evidence of sexual assault.
Hser Ner Moo was last seen alive at about 2 p.m. on March 31, 2008, when she left her family’s apartment and was seen by a neighbor walking south, in the direction of apartment No. 472, where Met was living, according to the charging documents. Police have said the girl was dead within an hour of leaving home.
Met was located by police about 10 p.m. the next day at his aunt’s Cottonwood Heights home.
According to a probable cause statement filed with the jail, Met admitted killing Hser Ner Moo while “attempting to confine the victim to the residence by force.” Prosecutors have said they have no information about whether the girl was lured into the apartment, or whether the crime was planned or opportunistic.
The case bogged down in December 2008, when the defense raised questions about Met’s mental competency. According to a March 2009 court docket entry, the defense intended to ask the judge to appoint mental evaluators, but nothing was ever filed with the court.
The defense has also raised questions about Met’s age, noting they have found no birth records for him in either Burma or Thailand. According to what Met has told jailers, he is now 23. However his mother, Ra He Mar, has said her son is older.
Met is being held at the Salt Lake County jail in lieu of $2.5 million bail.
shunt@sltrib.com
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