Ex-officer challenges murder conviction over dead dog at parole hearing
By Main Street Independent
Paul Kovacich told the Associated Press he wants courts to release him, not parole, ahead of his first parole hearing on Thursday.
Kovacich is serving life for the 1982 murder of his wife, Janet Kovacich, a case in which her body was never found.
Kovacich’s defense cites emails from an FBI agent’s personal account that prosecutors have described as concerning because the agent used a private Hotmail account to discuss the dog Fuzz’s death.
Prosecutors oppose Kovacich’s parole, saying he failed to complete required domestic violence and anger control classes while incarcerated.
Kovacich’s defense says a forensic expert found no signs Fuzz was stomped to death, and that an FBI agent suppressed that point.
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Published
Place
United States
Topic tags
crime, judiciary
Primary entities
Paul Kovacich, Janet Kovacich, FBI, Christopher Hopkins, David Tellman, Kristen Reid, Joseph DeAngelo, Fuzz
Themes
Cold case appeals and post-conviction relief, Evidence disclosure and alleged FBI misconduct, Forensic re-examination of animal remains, Parole proceedings in California, Accountability in criminal convictions