Man Who Led Police to Body Still Not Charged

The man who led police to the body of 14-year-old Oak View resident Kali Manley was described Sunday as articulate and outgoing and the son of a family who lives in an exclusive neighborhood in this small town.

David Alvarez, 22, has not been charged with Manley’s death and law enforcement authorities have declined to identify him as a suspect. But his attorney said Sunday that authorities are investigating his client’s involvement in the case.

Alvarez was arrested last Monday on unrelated allegations of flashing a gun at someone and making a terrorist threat. He was being held in Ventura County Jail in lieu of $250,000 bail. It was unclear why bail has not been posted.

An autopsy was performed on the girl Sunday to determine a cause of death, but investigators declined to release results until later this week.

A makeshift shrine, including flowers, a candle and a picture of the girl, marked the spot Sunday outside the Circle K store in Oak View where she was last seen. Outside the Manley’s home on Larmier Street, a steady procession of well-wishers arrived to give hugs and gifts.

“It’s all very tragic, the loss of a loved one,” said Manley family friend Floyd Lawrence. “We can handle it when people are older, but not when they’re very young.”

A memorial service for Manley will be held at the Ojai Valley Community Church on Tuesday--on what would have been Manley’s 15th birthday. Afterward, the family will host a gathering at their daughter’s high school, which served as a command post during the days of the search for Manley.

On Saturday, Alvarez led investigators to a drainage pipe in the Pine Mountain area north of Ojai where the girl’s remains were found.

The discovery ended an intensive search by hundreds of volunteers for the Nordoff High School freshman, who disappeared Dec. 19.

Neighbors of the Alvarez family said Alvarez’s green pickup truck was often seen in front of his parent’s home in the exclusive Persimmon Hill area. The family’s large Spanish-style home includes a horse stable.

Shortly after his arrest, Alvarez told his attorney, Louis Chuck Samonsky, that he knew the whereabouts of Manley’s body and wanted to tell authorities.

In a statement made through their own attorney, Jay Johnson, the Alvarez family said they had been suffering all week with concern for the Manley family.