Slaying Suspect Gets Term in Unrelated Case

A man who has been identified as a suspect in the 1985 killing of his aunt, prominent Agoura businesswoman Judy Kanan, was found in violation of probation on an unrelated burglary conviction Tuesday and sentenced to two years in prison.

Michael Kanan, 34, was sentenced by Van Nuys Superior Court Judge Kathryne Ann Stoltz for violating his probation for a 1986 burglary of a car parked at the Sepulveda Dam Recreation Area.

Kanan was arrested after patrol officers watched him break into the car Feb. 2, 1986, while its owner was jogging in the park. He later pleaded guilty to burglary from a car and was placed on probation. He stopped reporting to his probation officer, and a warrant was issued for his arrest in 1988. He was not arrested until Aug. 21.

Court documents and police revealed last week that Michael Kanan has become a suspect in the highly publicized slaying of his aunt in Woodland Hills on Jan. 29, 1985. Judy Kanan, 68, a well-known businesswoman and descendant of the pioneer family that settled Agoura, was shot four times as she stepped out of her car to feed her horses at a nearby stable.

The slaying has remained unsolved for more than five years, but an informant came forward this year and told police that Michael Kanan killed his aunt in a family dispute over property. Michael Kanan, through his attorney, denied having any part in the killing.

Police have said they are seeking additional evidence that corroborates the informant’s story before seeking murder charges against the suspect.

In sentencing Kanan, Stoltz gave him credit for 430 days already served in custody, court officials said.