Crime & Safety
Plea Postponed for Woman Charged with Murdering Michelle Le
Gisele Esteban appeared in Superior Court on Monday but her plea was postponed while she decides who her lawyer will be.
Murder suspect Giselle Esteban appeared in Alameda County Superior Court Monday on the charge that she killed nursing student Michelle Le, but her plea entry was postponed because she hasn't yet finalized her legal representation.
Le, 26, disappeared on May 27 from the Kaiser Permanente Medical Center in Hayward. Two weeks ago, Esteban, a 27-year-old Union City woman, was charged with murdering Le even though Le's body hasn't yet been found. Prosecutors said DNA evidence and cell phone records were sufficient to connect Esteban to Le's death.
On Saturday, volunteers found a body in an unincorporated area between Pleasanton and Sunol where authorities believe Le had been, based on cellphone records. However, Hayward police said it could take at least a week to identify the body.
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Defense attorney Andrea Auer appeared in court on behalf of Esteban, but she told Alameda County Superior Court Judge Gary Picetti that it has not been determined whether she will represent Esteban. Picetti granted Auer a delay and ordered Esteban to return to court on Sept. 28 to finalize her legal representation and possibly enter a plea.
Patch will continue to follow this story.
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- Bay City News Service
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