Gerhartsreiter Hearing, Day 2

Prosecutors continued establishing the identity of the victim and defendant during the second day of hearings which will determine whether Christian Gerhartsreiter stands trial on charges of murdering John Sohus in 1985.

A former neighbor from San Marino identified the defendant as Christopher Chichester, the name he went by when he was Didi Sohus’ tenant.

Then two police officers testified about contacts leading up to the filing of a missing persons report for John and his wife, Linda. Thomas Leveque, currently an Arcadia Police Department lieutenant and a San Marino police officer in 1985, received the report in April 1985 from Linda Sohus’ sister.

Leveque added that he was told by John’s mother, Didi Sohus, that the couple were on a secret mission. The Pasadena Star-News quotes:

“She said she could get in touch, but would not furnish information,” Leveque said. “She said she had written to them and could contact them and the unknown source could reach them.”

Lili Hadsell, now Baldwin Park’s police chief, but a San Marino police officer in 1985, said she spoke to Ruth Sohus several times before finally making a police report in July.

There also is a story about today’s hearing in the LA Times.