HSER NER MOO - Aged 7 years - South Salt Lake (USA)

Salt Lake Tribune

Wednesday, April 09, 2008

Autopsy: Evidence that girl was beaten, raped and strangled

Seven-year-old Hser Ner Moo apparently tried to fight the man who allegedly beat, raped and strangled her last week at a South Salt Lake apartment complex. An autopsy revealed she was clutching hair in her right hand similar to that of accused killer Esar Met. And the autopsy showed Hser Ner Moo had been beaten about the head, neck and torso. Some injuries were consistent with strangulation or suffocation.

That information and more - including evidence of sexual assault and a bloody footprint matching Esar Met - was included in documents charging the 21-year-old with aggravated murder. The crime is punishable by death.

(continues)

http://extras.sltrib.com/thedead/Article.asp?AID=16&ID=216

KSL.com

April 10th, 2008

Esar Met makes first court appearance

(snippet)

Met appeared in court by video from the Salt Lake County Jail. This was his first appearance, so it lasted only about 10 minutes.

Met was wearing a yellow jumpsuit and stood next to a Burmese-speaking interpreter. The judge read the charges against him: child kidnapping and aggravated murder. "And the allegation is that you knowingly caused the death of Hser Nay Moo with aggravated circumstances," the judge said.

Met didn't say much, only nodded or shook his head when the judge asked questions. Met said "yes" when asked if we wanted the consul in his native Myanmar to be informed of his criminal case. Myanmar was formerly known as Burma.

http://www.ksl.com/?nid=148&sid=3051883

Deseret News

Thursday, Dec. 4, 2008

By Linda Thomson

April hearing set in slaying of 7-year-old

http://www.deseretnews.com/article/0,5143,705268075,00.html

Deseret News

Monday, March 30, 2009

By Linda Thomson

Attorneys seek evaluation for man in young girl's death

http://www.deseretnews.com/article/1890673/Attorneys-seek-evaluation-for-man-in-young-girlaposs-death.html

Deseret News

Monday, April 6, 2009

By Linda Thomson

Hearing in killing canceled as testing is sought

(snippet)

Court documents indicate that Met's defense team is seeking to petition the court for a competency evaluation for their client and at that time the case will be transferred from 3rd District Judge William Barrett to 3rd District Judge Judith Atherton.

One complicating factor will be finding someone to do the evaluation with an interpreter who speaks Met's language, said Alicia Cook, spokeswoman for the Salt Lake County District Attorney's Office.

"Competency evaluations are always tricky when there is a language barrier," she said.

Competency is not the same thing as mounting an insanity defense. To be "competent," a defendant in a criminal case must understand the charges against him, comprehend how the courts work and be able to help his attorney in his defense. An insanity defense, on the other hand, must meet an extremely high legal standard and is rarely used in Utah.

(...)

Prosecutors previously had asked the court for a dental evaluation of Met because they wanted to be more certain of his age so it is clear he is an adult and not a juvenile.

http://www.deseretnews.com/article/705294095/Hearing-in-killing-canceled-as-testing-is-sought.html

The Salt Lake Tribune

By Julia Lyon

December 14, 2009

Fleeing grief A mother worries “We may not be able to regain the strength we had before.”



Pearlly Wa weeps as she talks about the life and spirit of her murdered daughter Hser Ner Moo in their modest apartment in Marshalltown, Iowa. She and her family left Utah this fall, overcome with frustration about the murder case. They fear there will be no justice for their daughter. (Leah Hogsten / The Salt Lake Tribune)



This is how Hser Ner Moo's gravesite in the Elysian Burial Gardens cemetery appeared on a morning this fall. Burmese refugees Cartoon Wah, 48 and his wife Pearlly Wa, 42, who once lived in Salt Lake City, have moved to Marshalltown, Iowa, trying to leave the painful memories behind since the murder of their 7-year-old daughter Hser Ner Moo. (Leah Hogsten / The Salt Lake Tribune)

http://www.internationalreportingproject.org/stories/detail/1454/

The Salt Lake Tribune

A refugee family's journey in America

A MISSING PEACE

The stories of Hser Ner Moo and Esar Met in 4 chapters with photographs - click on links below

CHAPTER 1: Stolen hope: Daughter’s death comes after years of fear, running for a Burmese family

CHAPTER 2: Parents face delays, confusion in a slow wait for justice

CHAPTER 3: After an uneasy start in Utah, parents devastated by daughter’s death

CHAPTER 4: Fleeing grief A mother worries “We may not be able to regain the strength we had before.”

http://extras.sltrib.com/thailand/index.html

The Salt Lake Tribune

May 21, 2010

Courtroom outburst in Utah refugee murder case halts proceedings

Yesterday, all those assembled in the courtroom, expecting to hear the accused murderer plead guilty and be sentenced, were shocked and dismayed by his outburst in which he claimed he was innocent.

A Burmese refugee accused of killing 7-year-old Hser Ner Moo two years ago angrily denied his guilt in court on Friday.

“I was forced by the authorities here to say that I did it, but I didn’t kill,” said Esar Met, according to an interpreter for the girl’s family, who translated the statement for The Tribune .

Hser Ner Moo’s family, who traveled from Iowa for Friday’s hearing, had been told Met would plead guilty and be sentenced, the interpreter said.

But when Met’s attorney told the judge they had reached a resolution in the case, Met, whose legs and hands had been shaking, shook his head to the contrary. Met then spoke passionately in Burmese, after which his attorneys requested a break so they could confer with Met.

About an hour later, 3rd District Court Judge Judith Atherton returned to the bench and defense attorney Michael Peterson said, “There are inquiries we need to make and then report back.”

Following Met’s courtroom outburst, Hser Ner Moo’s parents, Pearlly Wa and Cartoon Wah, wiped away tears. They moved to Marshalltown, Iowa, last fall, overwhelmed with frustration about the stalled case.

Met, believed to be 23 years old, is charged with aggravated murder and child kidnapping for allegedly beating, sexually assaulting and strangling the girl at his South Salt Lake City apartment on March 31, 2008.

Esar Met and Hser Ner Moo lived in separate parts of the same refugee camp for Burmese refugees in Thailand before immigrating to the United States, where both lived at the South Parc Townhomes…

(link now broken)

deseret news

22nd May 2010

Judge grants new hearing to Esar Met over charges in Hser Ner Moo's

SALT LAKE CITY -- A possible resolution in the case of Esar Met, who is charged with killing a 7-year-old girl in 2008, ran into roadblocks Friday.

Met, a refugee from Myanmar -- formerly Burma -- is charged with aggravated murder and child kidnapping, both first-degree felonies in connection with the death of Hser Ner Moo.

Michael Peterson, one of Met's lawyers, told 3rd District Judge Judith Atherton a resolution had been reached in the case.

But at one point, Met spoke up emphatically in his own language and he and his attorneys left the room to confer privately.

Peterson later returned and asked for a new hearing, saying there were issues yet to be addressed. He did not elaborate and Met's comments were not translated into English in open court.

The judge set July 19 for Met's next hearing.

http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qn4188/is_20100522/ai_n53724828/

ksl.com

July 9th, 2010 @ 5:35pm

By Marc Giauque

Deal still in the works in child murder case

SALT LAKE CITY -- A judge Friday set an October status hearing date for Esar Met, the man accused of kidnapping and killing Hser Ner Moo, a 7-year-old neighbor in South Salt Lake, more than two years ago.

Met's attorney, Michael Peterson, told Judge Judith Atherton he thinks he knows why Met had an outburst in court during a hearing in which he was expected to enter a plea.

Peterson asked for more time to contact Met's family, in hopes they can help finalize a resolution in the capital case.

Prosecutor Rob Parrish said Met only knows how the courts in Burma would deal with the case, if he were to admit to anything.

"If he were to admit anything that he has done that's wrong in his country, he would probably be summarily dealt with," said Parrish. He said that seems to be the catch in a deal prosecutors and defense attorneys are trying to work out.

Parrish would not discuss any terms of the deal, but said the victim's family understands some of the reasons why this case is taking so long.

Parrish told the judge the state had no objection to the additional time for now but said, at some point, the case will have to move forward.

Met was arrested more than two years ago, days after 7-year-old Hser Ner Moo disappeared from her South Salt Lake neighborhood. Police ultimately found her body in Met's apartment.

http://www.ksl.com/?nid=148&sid=11504272

The Salt Lake Tribune

Published Jul 10, 2010

By stephen hunt

Defense: Finding family of Burmese suspect is crucial to child murder plea

Despite a recent angry courtroom outburst by a Burmese refugee accused of killing 7-year-old Hser Ner Moo, a defense attorney said Friday he is confident of resolving the case with a plea deal.

But defense attorney Michael Peterson told a 3rd District Court judge that Esar Met’s acceptance of a plea offer is dependant upon re-establishing contact with the defendant’s family.

Peterson said the defense team had lost contact with Met’s family members, who live in Arizona.

“We are moving heaven and Earth to find them,” Peterson told Judge Judith Atherton. “I’ve assured the state I’m confident we can resolve the case with the offer they have extended.” But Peterson could not say when that will occur.

Prosecutor Rob Parrish said he was willing to wait, but “at some point, we will need to move forward with the case.”

The terms of the plea offer were not discussed in court. A status hearing was set for Oct. 1.

Met, believed to be 23 years old, is charged with aggravated murder and child kidnapping for allegedly beating, sexually assaulting and strangling Hser Ner Moo at his South Salt Lake apartment on March 31, 2008.

Met was expected to accept a plea deal during a May 21 hearing, but instead denied any guilt.

“I was forced by the authorities here to say that I did it, but I didn’t kill,” Met told the judge, according to an interpreter for the victim’s family, who translated the statement for The Tribune.

Despite Met’s denial, Peterson said Friday he was “more than cautiously optimistic” of achieving a resolution.

The judge said she was willing to work with the defense given the “unique” language and cultural issues the case presents.

After the hearing, Parrish told reporters that Met’s family are important because they can offer Met emotional support and understand his background and history.

Met’s family are expected to assure him that the United States government is not like the governments of Burma and Thailand, where Met grew up and where criminals are “summarily dealt with,” Parrish said. “It’s appropriate to have them here.”

Met and Hser Ner Moo lived in separate parts of the same refugee camp for Burmese refugees in Thailand before immigrating to the United States, where both lived at the South Parc Townhomes, 2250 S. 500 East.

Esar Met allegedly killed the girl inside his basement apartment, where her body was found a day after her disappearance sparked a massive search of the neighborhood.

An autopsy determined she died of blunt force trauma to her head, neck and torso. Some injuries were consistent with strangulation or suffocation, and physicians also found evidence of sexual assault.

http://www.sltrib.com/sltrib/home/49898548-76/met-family-defense-peterson.html.csp

The Salt Lake Tribune

Published Jul 26, 2010

By Julia Lyon

Confusion stalls justice after Hser Ner Moo’s murder

West Valley City • To Esar Met’s family, he is their missing brother and son.

His parents and siblings left Utah for Arizona weeks after his 2008 arrest in the high-profile disappearance and murder of 7-year-old Hser Ner Moo, a refugee from Burma like himself. They haven’t sent letters because Esar Met, believed to be in his 20s, can’t read. Ra He Mar, his mother, describes him as her most simple child and says he is mentally disabled.

Until last week, more than a year had passed since she had seen her oldest son at the Salt Lake County jail. He was skinnier and seemed depressed, she said, telling her he might be sent back to Thailand, where the family lived in a refugee camp for about 15 years before coming to America.

Uncertain whether that is a possibility, she said, “I could agree to everything except sending him back to Thailand,” through an interpreter.

Prosecutors and defense attorneys agree Esar Met’s family is crucial to helping him understand a possible plea bargain and finally resolving the stalled case. But not only is Ra He Mar unaware of the offer, she doesn’t know the name of her son’s attorney, how to contact him, or understand “the laws of this country,” she said.

“I want him to be free,” Ra He Mar said, crying before her visit.

Esar Met’s lawyer told a judge earlier this month that attorneys had lost track of the family. “We are moving heaven and Earth to find them,” said defense attorney Michael Peterson.

And Hser Ner Moo’s family has been equally frustrated and bewildered by the slow-moving court process, worrying at times there would never be justice for their only daughter.

Second-grader Hser Ner Moo disappeared on March 31, 2008, sparking a community-wide search involving hundreds of volunteers. Posters of the missing girl dressed in pink, her favorite color, covered the South Salt Lake neighborhood where she lived at the South Parc Townhomes. The next day she was found beaten, raped and likely strangled in Esar Met’s apartment at South Parc.

So began years of pain and confusion for two families who thought America would finally bring them peace.

For Ra He Mar, being a refugee in America means the words on her prescription bottles can be as baffling as the mysteries of the U.S. legal system.

A few months ago, she heard from someone on the phone — she’s not sure who the caller was — that her son was sick. She eventually arranged for a Utah relative to pick her up in Arizona to come see him.

During the 30 minutes allowed for her jail visit Thursday, Ra He Mar didn’t have time to ask her son what he does all day. She did ask if he had enough pillows and blankets for his bed, and felt he did not look ill.

He didn’t know his brother had gotten married and had a new baby girl. Happy to see his family, Esar Met cried, his mother said.

Seeing her son made her feel better. But she didn’t know when she would have a chance to return to Utah; her three youngest children keep her busy.

Esar Met is the first of Ra He Mar’s seven sons. For the others, life in America has meant new opportunities to attend school and learn English.

http://www.sltrib.com/sltrib/news/49976557-78/esar-met-hser-moo.html.csp

The Salt Lake Tribune

Oct 1, 2010

By stephen hunt

Defense still working toward plea deal in Hser Ner Moo case

A defense attorney said Friday he remains “optimistic” about reaching a plea agreement in the case of a Burmese refugee accused of killing 7-year-old Hser Ner Moo more than two years ago.

During weekly meetings with defendant Esar Met, “we continue to work toward a resolution,” defense attorney Michael Peterson told 3rd District Judge Judith Atherton.

Peterson requested additional time, and the judge set a scheduling hearing for Dec. 3.

But if no deal has been struck by December, prosecutors plan to ask for a preliminary hearing so the case can move forward.

The judge had excused Met’s presence at Friday’s hearing and she also excused him from attending in December.

“His presence here [during a May hearing] was extremely disturbing to him,” the judge noted. “I prefer to not precipitate something like that again, if possible.”

During the May hearing, attorneys had expected Met to resolve the case with a plea. Instead, the defendant angrily told the judge in his native language, “I was forced by the authorities here to say that I did it, but I didn’t kill,” according to an interpreter.

Two months later, at a July hearing, Peterson told the judge that Met’s acceptance of any plea offer was dependent upon re-establishing contact with the defendant’s family. But Peterson said the defense team had lost contact with family members, who live in Arizona.

The issue of contacting Met’s family was not discussed in court on Friday, and Peterson did not make himself available for questions after the hearing.

Details of the plea negotiations have not been discussed in court.

Met, believed to be 23 years old, is charged with aggravated murder and child kidnapping for allegedly beating, sexually assaulting and strangling Hser Ner Moo at his South Salt Lake apartment on March 31, 2008.

Met and Hser Ner Moo lived in separate parts of the same refugee camp for Burmese refugees in Thailand before immigrating to the United States, where both lived at the South Parc Townhomes, 2250 S. 500 East.

Esar Met allegedly killed the girl inside his basement apartment, where her body was found a day after her disappearance sparked a massive search of the neighborhood.

An autopsy determined she died of blunt force trauma to her head, neck and torso. Some injuries were consistent with strangulation or suffocation, and physicians also found evidence of sexual assault.

The case bogged down in December 2008, when the defense raised questions about Met’s mental competency. According to a March 2009 court docket entry, the defense intended to ask the judge to appoint mental evaluators, but nothing was ever filed with the court.

The defense has also raised questions about Met’s age, noting they have found no birth records for him in either Burma or Thailand. According to what Met has told jailers, he is now 23. However, his mother, Ra He Mar, has said her son is older.

http://www.sltrib.com/sltrib/home/50397075-76/met-hearing-judge-defense.html.csp

ABC 4 News

22nd October 2010

Reported by: Barbara Smith

Center created out of tragedy brings joy

SALT LAKE CITY (ABC 4 News) - Two years ago a tragedy shook our community. An Amber alert was issued for a seven year old Burmese immigrant. She was later found murdered. A center created in her honor now brings joy.

The center that bears the name of Hser Ner Moo is full of life. Children speaking 27 different languages come together on a daily basis for help with tutoring, eat dinner, and participate in activities. Together, they learn English. The center is their hope for a better life and bright future in their new country. Like Hser Ner Moo, they are immigrants.

Kari Cutler is the project planner for the Hser Ner Moo Center. She says the tragic story of the little girls’ disappearance and death touched the community, and united it. “She stirred compassion in all of us, and as a community, that brought us together and we knew that we wanted all of our children to have a better shot at success.”

The center is a success story. The center is in an apartment donated by the owners of the complex where Hser Ner Moo lost her life. It is not far from where she was found. Since the ribbon was cut on the learning facility donations, grants, and the United Way and South Salt Lake have kept it going, and growing. There are currently more than seventy children served on a daily basis at the center after school, and on weekends. During the morning hours the center is used for English classes for their parents.

Wahe is a fourteen year old refugee from Thailand. She says the center helps her stay up on her homework and is also a place of friendship. “I feel happy here. They are like friends and the teachers are so nice.”

Cutler says the center is nothing short of a miracle. She says anyone who wants to share in that success by volunteering their time or providing school supplies can contact the center at: 801-466-3238

http://www.abc4.com/content/news/state/story/Center-created-out-of-tragedy-brings-joy/3mwu8jLX70GiUlnc0if5MA.cspx

The Salt Lake Tribune

30 March 2012

Justice still elusive four years after Utah 7-year-old's murder

The baby had barely opened his eyes when his 7-year-old sister, Hser Ner Moo, left their South Salt Lake apartment and never came back. Four years later, Eh Ler Wah is a typical toddler, racing his fire truck and police car beneath a looming photo of his murdered sister as the family waits for justice.

His parents are convinced they know who killed their only daughter in a horrific crime on March 31, 2008.

"This is your sister," Pearlly Wa tells her youngest son about the girl in pink enshrined on the wall. "Esar Met killed in the United States."

But Esar Met, 25, a refugee from Burma like Hser Ner Moo's family, has repeatedly denied his guilt and behaved erratically in court hearings that veer off in directions that attorneys often don't seem to expect. Plea deals collapse. And questions about the young man's mental status remain.

A preliminary hearing, a significant step toward a jury trial, is scheduled for this June. But one was scheduled for last June, too.

Pearlly Wa and Cartoon Wah, who keep the rest of the photos of their dead daughter locked safe in a blue suitcase, don't know what will happen.

"We're feeling it ourselves," said prosecutor Rob Parrish. "This has taken too long."

A 12-inch thick binder on the Hser Ner Moo crime and all the accompanying documents take up an entire shelf in his office. He says his office is committed to moving the case forward.

Read more: http://www.sltrib.com/sltrib/news/53824958-78/met-esar-hser-moo.html.csp