Torrential Rains Cut Short Testimony in Dally Trial

Among the casualties of Monday’s torrential rain was an indoor event--the Michael Dally murder trial.

In what turned out to be a prescient move, Judge Charles W. Campbell Jr. cut short testimony at 12:10 p.m. because of concerns that the Ventura Freeway would shut down and strand the Santa Barbara County-based jurors on the wrong side of the Ventura River.

The freeway did indeed close because of rising waters about 1:30 p.m., about an hour after the jurors had left.

Monday morning’s testimony came from three witnesses who largely repeated statements they made at the earlier trial of Michael Dally’s mistress, Diana Haun. Haun was convicted last fall of murdering Dally’s wife, Sherri, and sentenced to life in prison.

John Avila, former head of security for the Ventura Target store and a Dally family friend, and An Baxter, who regularly left her three children at the day-care center that Sherri Dally operated in her home, both described unusual reactions by Michael Dally’s to his wife’s disappearance.

A third person to testify was an eyewitness to Sherri Dally’s abduction from the Target parking lot.

Avila described Dally’s tone of voice and demeanor as “gloating” and “sinister” in the days after his wife vanished.

And he spoke of an unusual comment a “very excited” Dally made in a telephone conversation the day after his wife disappeared.

“He said he could see Sherri’s ghost walking down the halls,” Avila said.

“In my mind you don’t see somebody’s ghost unless they are dead,” he said.

Avila is scheduled to continue his testimony today if Campbell does not delay the trial because of the weather.