Never Saw Molestations, Ex-McMartin Teacher Says

A former teacher at the McMartin Pre-School who was once a defendant in the molestation case testified Wednesday at Ray Buckey’s retrial that she never saw any molestations occur there.

Babette Spitler was one of seven original defendants when the case was filed in 1984. She and four other defendants were dismissed from the case in 1986 because of insufficient evidence.

Spitler, testifying on the second day of the defense’s case, said she never saw any children being molested at the Manhattan Beach preschool.

She testified at the retrial of Buckey, the sole defendant remaining in the case. Buckey, 32, is being retried on eight molestation counts alleging that he sexually abused three girls at the nursery from 1978 until 1983.

Buckey and his mother, Peggy McMartin Buckey, 63, were acquitted in January of 52 other molestation counts at the first trial in the case. Jurors deadlocked on the eight counts on which Buckey is being retried.