Teen’s murder trial begins

The trial for a Huntington Beach teenager accused of killing her mother in 2006 and dumping her body in Newport Bay began Wednesday, with prosecutors aiming to portray her as cold, manipulative and without remorse.

“The evidence will show there are no limits of manipulation ... She’s really good at it. The evidence will prove to you that what this defendant wants, this defendant gets,” Deputy Dist. Atty. Sonia Balleste said during openings statements. “This one’s 17 going on 42, and there isn’t anything she hasn’t thought of.”

Rachael Mullenix, now 19, is accused of killing her mother, 56-year-old Barbara Mullenix, in 2006 because she stood in the way of her relationship with her 21-year-old boyfriend, Ian Allen. Balleste said Rachael used Allen to help her kill her mother and dump the body.

Barbara Mullenix was stabbed to death Sept. 12, 2006, in her Huntington Beach condominium, where she lived with her ex-husband, Bruce, and her daughter.

Mullenix’s blanket-wrapped body was found the next day floating in Newport Bay by the Newport Harbor Yacht Club.

Orange County Sheriff’s Harbor Patrol responders quickly came under fire from local residents for the way they rushed to recover the body from the water.

Witnesses reported seeing the boat exceeding the posted speed limit in the harbor and inadvertently killing Rupert, the beloved, unofficial black swan mascot of Newport Bay, as it motored to Mullenix’s body.

“It was just a matter of time before they injured someone; it could just have easily been a person as a swan,” Rose Perez wrote in a letter to the Daily Pilot in 2006. “This is reckless endangerment, pure and simple, and if the driver has not yet been fired, he certainly should be.”

The Newport Beach community was divided over the incident. Some applauded the Harbor Patrol’s hustle to an emergency call and said it was inconceivable to value Rupert’s life over possibly saving a person in the water. Others argued Harbor Patrol officials were hypocritical in enforcing speed and safety laws for sailors but not taking equal precautions themselves.

In the months following Rupert’s death, the Wetlands and Wildlife Care Center pledged to name a new wing after him, locals came out with a DVD documentary of him, and someone dedicated a MySpace page to him. The death is still mentioned whenever issues of speeding in the harbor come up.

Mullenix’s trial continues today and is expected to continue into next week. Mullenix faces up to 25 years to life in prison if convicted.

JOSEPH SERNA may be reached at (714) 966-4619 or at joseph.serna@latimes.com.