Newport Beach Murder Charges For Girlfriend, Ex-NFL Start
Newport Beach Murder Charges For Girlfriend, Ex-NFL Start
McLaughlin was a biomedical engineer who operated a successful research and development company and sold it to a larger firm in the 1980's for a substantial profit. At the time of his death, McLaughlin lived with Packard McNeal, who was 25 years his junior. The relationship raised concerns because McLaughlin had recently gone through an acrimonious divorce. Police say that Packard McNeal was romantically involved with Naposki secretly for the four-year duration of her public relationship with McLaughlin.
McLaughlin was shot to death during an apparent home invasion at his Newport Beach residence. McLaughlin's son Kevin was at home at the time of his father's death but was in a different part of the house and did not see his father's attacker. Packard McNeal became a suspect after police learned that she was the beneficiary of a $1 million life insurance policy on McLaughlin. McLaughlin's family also accused her of writing hundreds of thousands of dollars in checks from McLaughlin's bank accounts.
Packard McNeal was arrested and convicted of embezzlement, and agreed to repay $500,000 to McLaughlin's surviving children. Packard McNeal and Naposki were named as suspects in 1995, but were never arrested because police lacked the evidence they needed to bring the case to trial. Although no new evidence has been revealed, the Orange County District Attorney's Office now says it believes it has enough evidence to proceed with the trial. Naposki was extradited to California from his home in Connecticut.
Evidence is everything. If you've been accused of a felony, the evidence against you must be solid. In many cases, however, the prosecutor's evidence may not be enough to warrant a conviction. An experienced criminal defense attorney like Robert Michael Helfend can help you defend yourself in court. Robert Helfend has 25 years' exclusive experience as a criminal defense attorney in Southern California courts and can provide the guidance, counsel and expertise you'll need in court.
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Photo Credit: David Procházka, via Flickr