DEFENSE: Third Suspect Killed Anza Man

A third man already in jail killed an Anza man instead of the two locals on trial for the crime, an attorney argued today.

Chris Darrel Duve, 31, of Lake Elsinore, and Angela May Shaver, 48, of Meadowbrook, were charged with murdering Paul "Pete" Cline in his home in the 36000 block of Old Cary Road in Anza sometime in March, 2006.

The two were present, but a third man who is not a defendant in the trial struck the fatal knife blows, argued Duve's attorney, Stephen Sweigart.

Vincent "Wolf" Valdez killed Cline for two reasons, the attorney told a jury today at the in French Valley.

Valdez, who is already in prison for a crime that was not discussed during the hearings, was stealing money from Cline's bank account. He was also in love with Shaver.

"I've established Valdez exists and he has a financial and a love motive to do this," Sweigart told the jury.

Duve told investigators that the victim was sexually harassing Shaver before he was killed, and that angered Valdez, who had feelings for Shaver, according to a recorded interrogation played for a jury during a hearing last week.

Valdez likely flew into a blind rage and stabbed Cline to death, the defense attorney argued.

Valdez was known for violent fits. Sweigart recalled for the jury a run-in between Valdez and a deputy. The man was put in a patrol car with his hands cuffed behind his back, but he kicked out the rear window, escaped the car and threatened to kill the deputy.

"That has to be someone in tremendous rage," Sweigart said.

Sweigart also argued that Valdez was in love with Shaver by reading a letter he wrote to her from jail. It was addressed to "my wife."

"The guy's got a crazed fixation on Angela Shaver," Sweigart said.

Shaver also told investigators that the man declared that Shaver was his wife after the killing, and then he ordered Shaver to stab Cline's body.

Valdez also ordered Duve to stab Cline's body under threat of death, and that only one knife was used corroborates that story, Sweigart said. "The fact that one knife was used is significant," the attorney said. "The stabbing had to have happened one person doing it, then another person doing it, then another person doing it," he said.

Cline was figuring out what Valdez was doing to his bank account, adding another motive to the killing, Sweigart argued.

He showed three checks amounting to about $900 made out to Valdez, a Cahuilla Indian, which were cashed at the Cahuilla Casino, where only members of that tribe can cash checks, Sweigart said.

"Vincent Valdez and Angela Shaver were totally defrauding this guy's bank account," Sweigart told the jury.

The jury was expected to begin deliberation tomorrow.

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