Bechler murder trial begins with sordid stories and testimony

Deepa Bharath

SANTA ANA -- A story suffused with sex, lies, secret tapes, greed and

murder emerged Thursday as prosecution and defense attorneys presented

their opening statements in the trial of a Newport Beach man accused of

killing his wife.

The marriage between Eric Bechler and his wife, Pegye, is a story with

a delightful fairy tale beginning that ended in a frightful and horrible

tragedy, said Deputy Dist. Atty. Debora Lloyd in her opening statement.

Prosecutors have charged Bechler with knocking his wife unconscious

and dumping her overboard during a boating trip off the coast of Newport

Beach on July 6, 1997, to celebrate their fifth wedding anniversary.

Bechler, 33, has pleaded not guilty, saying his wife was swept

underwater by a rogue wave as she was driving a speedboat and towing him

on a boogie board. The body of the 38-year-old triathlete and expert

swimmer has never been found.Bechler was arrested in November 1999 after

police wired his ex-girlfriend Tina New and surreptitiously recorded

their conversations over the phone and at a restaurant, when the

defendant reportedly admitted to killing his wife.

John Barnett, Bechler’s attorney, argued Thursday that Bechler lied

when he claimed to have killed his wife in an attempt to fuel New’s

fantasy of romancing men who live on the edge. He wanted to prove to the

aspiring actress that he could be a “bad boy,” a dangerous image New was

obsessed with, Barnett said.

“Tina New was a wild, wild woman,” he said. “She was getting bored

with Eric because he was a goody-good non-drug taker. She said so

herself.”

The taped conversations between Bechler and New are key evidence in

the prosecution’s case. Also, Lloyd presented testimony from friends of

the couple to demonstrate that their relationship was a far from perfect

marriage and that Bechler “hated his wife.” The prosecution presented

three witnesses Thursday afternoon, including Glenda Mason, Pegye

Bechler’s best friend. Mason described her friend as an “incredible

mother.”

“She’s the best mother I know,” she said, choking. “She was happy,

joyous and kind.”

The Bechlers have three children.

Mason also testified that Bechler rarely showed any affection for his

wife and that Pegye Bechler was not happy in their relationship months

before her disappearance.

Jonathan O’Brien, Pegye Bechler’s assistant, and David Grant, the

Bechlers’ next-door neighbor on Cliff Drive, both said the couple argued

loudly and often.

Bechler, who came to court in a plaid shirt and khakis, spent the

first day of trial constantly jotting down notes as attorneys argued. He

frequently conferred with Barnett.

On Thursday, Lloyd told the jury -- 10 women and four men, including

alternates -- that she will present evidence to prove that Bechler had

murdered his wife for a hefty financial gain -- a $2.5-million life

insurance policy. Lloyd said Bechler had no money until he met Pegye

Bechler, who ran a flourishing physical therapy business.

“His was really a ‘rags to riches’ story,” she said. “He had a pair of

shorts to his name before he met his wife. He would wear the same shorts

every day. And when he had to go out, he’d wait for those shorts to get

out of the dryer.”

But soon after their marriage, Bechler went from an old, faded pair of

shorts to slick Armani slacks, Lloyd said.

In contrast, Barnett said Bechler was a dutiful husband who pulled his

own weight financially.

“He paid more than what was required of him,” Barnett said. “He wrote

checks for Pegye’s Porsche, for his jeep and paid the mortgage every

month.”

He added that before marrying, Bechler had $40,000 as a shareholder in

Bechler Corp., a company worth $15 million.

Barnett also said that Bechler lied to New about his wife’s

disappearance to prove that he could be a bad boy -- spinning the “sick

tale” because of desire.

“Why did Eric do it? For sex with Tina New,” Barnett said. “It’s

nothing to be proud of. But it wasn’t murder.”

Barnett said he expects there will be at least 30 to 40 witnesses in

what he called a complex and unique trial. More prosecution witnesses are

scheduled to testify Monday.

“It’s the case that has no body and secretly recorded tapes,” Barnett

said. “It’s about a man who lied because of his desire for a woman.”