The Region - News from March 19, 1985

Animal bones and turtle shell fragments unearthed in a vacant lot next to the McMartin Pre-School in Manhattan Beach over the weekend prove only that neighbors used the site as a pet cemetery and have nothing to do with testimony that pets were killed to frighten youngsters into silence about alleged sexual abuse, defense attorneys declared. The bones and shells, along with a pipe, plastic toy shovel and bowl were dug up by sheriff’s investigators and parents of former McMartin pupils. The school’s founder, Virginia McMartin, 77, her daughter, granddaughter, grandson and three former teachers are currently involved in a preliminary hearing to determine if they should stand trial on a total of 208 counts of felony child molestation.