McMartin Case Girl Falters on Details

Defense attorneys for a fourth day Wednesday cross-examined a child witness who testified at the McMartin Pre-School molestation trial that she was sexually molested.

The girl frequently answered, “I don’t remember” when asked by defense attorney Danny Davis to recall certain details about being molested.

She said, for instance, that she did not recall the color of a van she claimed transported her to a farm and a car wash where she was allegedly sexually abused.

The girl also said she did not remember previously telling a social worker that the van was orange, as Davis implied she had.

Testifies to Abuse

Last week, the girl, now 11, testified that she had been molested by the two remaining defendants in the case, Raymond Buckey, 29, and his mother, Peggy McMartin Buckey, 60.

She was the second child to tell the jury that she had been sexually abused by the Buckeys while enrolled at the now-closed Virginia McMartin Pre-School in suburban Manhattan Beach.

A 12-year-old girl testified two weeks ago that she had been molested by both defendants.

The Buckeys are accused of sexually abusing a total of 14 students at the school. Raymond Buckey is charged with 79 counts of child molestation. His mother is charged with 20 counts. Both Buckeys also are charged with a conspiracy count.