Mother Talks of Ex-Husband Who Killed Kids

The former wife of convicted murderer David Von Haden told a jury Monday that she collapsed in a faint in the middle of a street when a police officer approached her to say her “children were gone,” the victims of a brutal murder.

Laurie Liem, the prosecution’s sole witness on the first day of the penalty phase of her ex-husband’s murder trial, was never asked directly if she believes he should be executed for killing their children.

But she avoided looking at him in court and struggled to maintain her composure as she spoke of how she missed 4-year-old Cody and 2-year-old Courtney. “You can’t put it into words,” she said softly “It’s unbelievable. Beyond comprehension.”

When she was revived from her fainting spell on the day of the murders in 1996, Liem said she remembers wanting to retrieve her cat from the house, because “that’s all I had left.”

Now remarried and pregnant by her new husband for the second time, Liem said she misses most the touch of her children and giving them back rubs as she put them to bed each night.

She described Courtney as a “very shy” but typical little girl who loved her dolls and wanted to change her clothes several times a day. Of Cody, she said, “He used to squeeze my cheeks and kiss my lips. [I miss] not feeling his touch day after day. I’ll never feel his touch again.”

Since their deaths, Liem said she has been treated by a psychiatrist and has taken medication to deal with her deep depression. She said she now struggles with leaving her 9-month-old daughter in the care of anyone else.

“When I left Cody and Courtney, it would break my heart,” she said. “Now, when I leave my new baby, it’s a real broken heart. . . . It’s impossible even to describe, unless you’ve been through it.”

Before calling Liem to the stand, Deputy Dist. Atty. Carolyn Kirkwood told the jury that the defendant should receive the death penalty “based on the enormity of the crimes.”

But Deputy Public Defender Michael P. Gianinni said the 37-year-old defendant’s character and good deeds throughout his life should be reason enough to spare his life. He said that except during “four to six hours” when he went berserk and killed his children, Von Haden led an exemplary life.

“For 35 years, he went to the bank of life and deposited his energy, love and goodwill,” Gianinni said.

The defendant’s 68-year-old mother, Helen Von Haden, was the first defense witness, and she spoke of how her son helped care for his father when he was dying.

“He was always there,” she said, bursting into tears.

Gianinni later asked Helen Von Haden if she ever regretted that the defendant was her son.

“Oh no, never,” she said and began sobbing. This caused the defendant to break down crying at the defense table.

The mother was so overwhelmed with emotion that she tripped on her way off the witness stand, nearly falling to the ground. She had to be helped out of the courtroom, wailing uncontrollably.

Although the jury took less than an hour to convict Von Haden of double murder this month, they now face a much tougher task. Far more often than not, Orange County jurors have shown a willingness to recommend the death penalty, but they have rarely done so in cases where the defendant has been charged and convicted of killing one or more family members.

The heavy emotions that come with such trials were evident Monday with more than a dozen of Von Hadens’ relatives and friends in the courtroom, many who testified. All steered clear of Laurie Liem, who sat in the back row.

Also testifying Monday was the defendant’s older brother, Duane Von Haden, who spoke of their closeness growing up, family tensions caused by their father’s drinking, and the tragedy of another brother being killed in a motorcycle accident.

Before his niece and nephew were killed, Duane Von Haden said he “had a bad feeling about the whole situation” but he continues to stand by the defendant.

“He’s always been my brother and he always will be my brother,” he said.