A missing piece of crucial evidence

Deepa Bharath

Throughout the trial of Eric Bechler, a crucial piece of evidence was

missing: the body of his wife, Pegye, which was never found.

But that didn’t stop Deputy Dist. Atty. Debora Lloyd from winning a

murder conviction.

It hasn’t in the past, either.

Bechler’s conviction Thursday for murdering his 38-year-old wife more

than three years ago was Lloyd’s third case that involved a missing body.

But this one is special for Lloyd because it is the only one of the

three in which the defendant was convicted of first-degree murder.

“I don’t think this case is unique,” Lloyd said. “There have been

other no-body cases, and each case has some special issues.”

Lloyd won second-degree convictions in her previous two missing-body

cases.

Bechler’s case is Orange County’s fifth missing-body case in more than

three decades. So far, including Bechler, all five defendants have been

found guilty.

The most recent verdict before Bechler’s, also prosecuted by Lloyd,

ended the January 2000 trial of Judy Valot of Irvine. She was convicted

of second-degree murder for killing her boyfriend.

Valot’s case was similar to Bechler’s in its lack of physical

evidence. What did it take for the jury to find Valot guilty? Seven drops

of blood found in Valot’s home that matched her boyfriend’s blood type.

The Bechler case has now strengthened Orange County juries’ reputation

for handing down guilty verdicts in missing body cases.

Lloyd said that although an important piece of the puzzle in the

Bechler case -- the body of Pegye Bechler -- was missing, she never

doubted the strength of her evidence.

“We had a lot of evidence,” she said. “We were pretty confident.”