latimes--2020-07-23--California Legislature will let some lawmakers vote remotely amid COVID-19 pandemic

Citing the threat of coronavirus , both houses of the California Legislature plan to allow some members at higher risk for COVID-19 to weigh in on pending bills from their districts when the Legislature reconvenes in Sacramento next week , a change in the rules that has drawn criticism from some current and former lawmakers .
Under a proposal announced Thursday by Assembly leadership , a small number of members — expected to be around 10 — would submit written instructions on their votes to the chief clerk before a floor session .
One of the house ’ s four @ @ @ @ @ @ @ vote on the floor for the absent legislator .
The plan is intended to help lawmakers most vulnerable to serious risks from coronavirus , including those over age 65 and members with underlying health conditions , officials said .
“ Given a spike in COVID-19 cases across the state , the Assembly is obliged to pursue safety with more stringent measures , ” Assembly Speaker Anthony Rendon ( D-Lakewood ) said in a statement .
“ As a result , we will implement very limited proxy voting for floor sessions to allow our @ @ @ @ @ @ @ physically present on the Assembly floor.
” A resolution enacting limited proxy voting will be introduced next week when the Assembly returns from a two-week break taken after two legislators and several staff members tested positive for COVID-19 .
California this week became the state with the most coronavirus cases in the U.S .
Leaders of the state Senate have decided to allow some members to vote remotely on bills in committee , but not on the Senate floor , according to Senate President Pro Tem Toni Atkins ( D-San Diego ) .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ to cast votes from their district offices .
“ As California continues making our way through this pandemic , the Legislature has to keep exploring ways to conduct the people ’ s business safely and in keeping with our Constitution , ” Atkins said Thursday .
She said the Senate has been testing a framework for remote voting since March in case it became needed .
“ In keeping with this framework , the Senate ’ s process will allow for remote voting in committee hearings when we return from recess , ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ chairman of the open-government group California Common Cause and a former Republican legislator who served as Assembly Republican leader in 2009 and 2010 , called the Assembly proposal for proxy voting “ very disturbing ” and said he believed it was illegal .
“ I am a little shocked to hear that the Assembly is even considering the idea of proxy voting , ” Blakeslee said .
“ There is no provision in the [ State ] Constitution where the right and duty to vote can be delegated to another person.
” Blakeslee @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , with lobbyists and special interests attempting to sway votes out of public view , betraying a system in which voters elect a representative to cast votes on bills .
“ Such an approach , if extended , could allow a single individual of the Legislature to essentially control all votes and they would cease to operate in a democracy , ” he said .
“ There is a real peril.
” Blakeslee also opposed a proposed ballot measure to allow proxy voting that recently failed to gain support in the Assembly .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Ripon said he supports the new process as a temporary measure for “ helping elected members who are vulnerable to COVID-19 still be able to represent their constituents in the Legislature , ” but added “ we hope that this emergency process is not taken advantage of for other political purposes.
” Assembly Republican Leader Marie Waldron said the Legislature should not allow proxy voting until it gets approval from the voters .
Other lawmakers also have concerns .
Assemblyman Kevin Kiley ( R-Rocklin ) said it sets a bad precedent .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ proxy vote is unconstitutional , so it ’ s not clear why we ’ re going to now go ahead and do it anyway , ” Kiley said .
“ While remote voting might be justified under very narrow circumstances , the concept of proxy voting , where you hand over your vote to another legislator , is incompatible with representative government.
” Former Assemblyman Mike Gatto , a Democrat from Glendale , said he also has some misgivings but said the proposal is a “ reasonable ” one-time accommodation during the health @ @ @ @ @ @ @ affect millions of Californians , there is tremendous value in old-fashioned , in-person debate and discussions , ” Gatto said .
He noted that Congress allows forms of limited proxy voting .
” It is important that emergency accommodations don ’ t become permanent , though , ” he said .
“ There is a reason why legislatures gather together , and that precious tradition shouldn ’ t be compromised when things return to normal.
” Under the Assembly proposal , the Assembly ’ s chief clerk will keep a list of lawmakers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ accurate votes are cast .
The proxy votes will be cast by one of four leaders : Rendon , Assembly Majority Leader Ian Calderon ( D-Whittier ) , Assembly Republican Leader Marie Waldron of Escondido and Flora .
Rendon said there will be strict rules on the use of proxy votes during floor sessions .
“ A process for allowing such votes and ensuring the transparency of every vote has been developed .
It will also provide for the opportunity to verify voting accuracy .
We will maintain a quorum of members physically @ @ @ @ @ @ @ floor sessions , ” he said .
“ Extraordinary times require extraordinary measures.
” Assembly officials said members would not be required to make their votes public before they are cast by proxies , which would provide a chance to view a lawmaker ’ s position on a bill in advance of the vote during floor session .
The extraordinary proposal for proxy votes was made just days after Assembly members Tom Lackey ( R-Palmdale ) and Autumn Burke ( D-Marina del Rey ) confirmed that they had tested positive for COVID-19 , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from summer recess by two weeks .
Lackey was hospitalized with complications from the virus but is back home recovering and expects to be well enough to attend floor sessions and cast his own vote .
“ I will not request remote voting because I will appear in person and represent my constituency , ” Lackey said in a statement .
“ The people put their faith in me to vote on their behalf.
” He said the public expects its government to function even in a crisis .
“ Personal engagement is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” he said .
“ Remote voting would surrender our democracy.
” In addition to legislators , a half-dozen Assembly and Senate staff members have also tested positive for coronavirus .
The cases have been reported in spite of preventative measures at the state Capitol , including temperature checks and health screening interviews at public entrances , and encouragement that public testimony be done by phone from outside committee rooms .
Blakeslee said he has been in discussions with a leader of the Senate about an alternative process in which legislators would vote @ @ @ @ @ @ @ live video feed “ where they are not surrounded by lobbyists and special interests , ” in order to assure the public of a fair process .
Senate officials said guidelines are still being developed for remote voting .
The unscheduled pause in legislative operations will also require substantial changes in the process of reviewing bills before final votes are taken in the two houses .
The deadline for proposals to have cleared policy committees was supposed to be July 31 .
But the Assembly and Senate have scheduled key committee hearings well @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a draft schedule obtained by The Times , is planning to hold some committee hearings on Saturdays .
With this being the final year of the two-year session , time is limited .
The California Constitution limits the passage of most bills after Aug. 31 in even-numbered years .
Additional time could be added only if Gov .
Gavin Newsom were to call a special session of the Legislature .
Lawmakers began to see the results of the tightened schedule on Thursday .
Senator Hannah-Beth Jackson ( D-Santa Barbara ) , chairwoman of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ letter Thursday to colleagues letting them know that her panel will only hear 26 of the 80 bills that it has receivedbecause it will only be able to hold about 12 hours of hearings in total .
“ Given the truncated session because of the COVID-19 pandemic , I have the unpleasant task of trying to identify those bills we will be able to hear in the limited time-frame in which we have been given to hear them , ” Jackson wrote , adding that she screened out many bills not related to @ @ @ @ @ @

Citing the threat of coronavirus, both houses of the California Legislature plan to allow some members at higher risk for COVID-19 to weigh in on pending bills from their districts when the Legislature reconvenes in Sacramento next week, a change in the rules that has drawn criticism from some current and former lawmakers.
Under a proposal announced Thursday by Assembly leadership, a small number of members — expected to be around 10 — would submit written instructions on their votes to the chief clerk before a floor session. One of the house’s four top leaders would then cast a proxy vote on the floor for the absent legislator.
The plan is intended to help lawmakers most vulnerable to serious risks from coronavirus, including those over age 65 and members with underlying health conditions, officials said.
“Given a spike in COVID-19 cases across the state, the Assembly is obliged to pursue safety with more stringent measures,” Assembly Speaker Anthony Rendon (D-Lakewood) said in a statement. “As a result, we will implement very limited proxy voting for floor sessions to allow our most vulnerable members to participate without being physically present on the Assembly floor.”
A resolution enacting limited proxy voting will be introduced next week when the Assembly returns from a two-week break taken after two legislators and several staff members tested positive for COVID-19. California this week became the state with the most coronavirus cases in the U.S.
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Leaders of the state Senate have decided to allow some members to vote remotely on bills in committee, but not on the Senate floor, according to Senate President Pro Tem Toni Atkins (D-San Diego). The proposal would also require absent legislators to cast votes from their district offices.
“As California continues making our way through this pandemic, the Legislature has to keep exploring ways to conduct the people’s business safely and in keeping with our Constitution,” Atkins said Thursday.
She said the Senate has been testing a framework for remote voting since March in case it became needed.
“In keeping with this framework, the Senate’s process will allow for remote voting in committee hearings when we return from recess,” Atkins said.
Sam Blakeslee, vice chairman of the open-government group California Common Cause and a former Republican legislator who served as Assembly Republican leader in 2009 and 2010, called the Assembly proposal for proxy voting “very disturbing” and said he believed it was illegal.
“I am a little shocked to hear that the Assembly is even considering the idea of proxy voting,” Blakeslee said. “There is no provision in the [State] Constitution where the right and duty to vote can be delegated to another person.”
Advertisement
Blakeslee said proxy voting could lead to abuses, with lobbyists and special interests attempting to sway votes out of public view, betraying a system in which voters elect a representative to cast votes on bills.
“Such an approach, if extended, could allow a single individual of the Legislature to essentially control all votes and they would cease to operate in a democracy,” he said. “There is a real peril.”
Blakeslee also opposed a proposed ballot measure to allow proxy voting that recently failed to gain support in the Assembly.
Assembly Republican floor leader Heath Flora of Ripon said he supports the new process as a temporary measure for “helping elected members who are vulnerable to COVID-19 still be able to represent their constituents in the Legislature,” but added “we hope that this emergency process is not taken advantage of for other political purposes.”
Assembly Republican Leader Marie Waldron said the Legislature should not allow proxy voting until it gets approval from the voters.
Other lawmakers also have concerns. Assemblyman Kevin Kiley (R-Rocklin) said it sets a bad precedent.
“For months the speaker has insisted that proxy vote is unconstitutional, so it’s not clear why we’re going to now go ahead and do it anyway,” Kiley said. “While remote voting might be justified under very narrow circumstances, the concept of proxy voting, where you hand over your vote to another legislator, is incompatible with representative government.”
Former Assemblyman Mike Gatto, a Democrat from Glendale, said he also has some misgivings but said the proposal is a “reasonable” one-time accommodation during the health crisis.
“When deciding issues that affect millions of Californians, there is tremendous value in old-fashioned, in-person debate and discussions,” Gatto said.
He noted that Congress allows forms of limited proxy voting.
”It is important that emergency accommodations don’t become permanent, though,” he said. “There is a reason why legislatures gather together, and that precious tradition shouldn’t be compromised when things return to normal.”
Under the Assembly proposal, the Assembly’s chief clerk will keep a list of lawmakers requests for proxy votes to make sure accurate votes are cast. The proxy votes will be cast by one of four leaders: Rendon, Assembly Majority Leader Ian Calderon (D-Whittier), Assembly Republican Leader Marie Waldron of Escondido and Flora.
Rendon said there will be strict rules on the use of proxy votes during floor sessions.
“A process for allowing such votes and ensuring the transparency of every vote has been developed. It will also provide for the opportunity to verify voting accuracy. We will maintain a quorum of members physically present on the Assembly floor for all floor sessions,” he said. “Extraordinary times require extraordinary measures.”
Assembly officials said members would not be required to make their votes public before they are cast by proxies, which would provide a chance to view a lawmaker’s position on a bill in advance of the vote during floor session.
The extraordinary proposal for proxy votes was made just days after Assembly members Tom Lackey (R-Palmdale) and Autumn Burke (D-Marina del Rey) confirmed that they had tested positive for COVID-19, resulting in the Assembly delaying its return from summer recess by two weeks.
Lackey was hospitalized with complications from the virus but is back home recovering and expects to be well enough to attend floor sessions and cast his own vote.
“I will not request remote voting because I will appear in person and represent my constituency,” Lackey said in a statement. “The people put their faith in me to vote on their behalf.”
He said the public expects its government to function even in a crisis.
“Personal engagement is an important element in decision making,” he said. “Remote voting would surrender our democracy.”
In addition to legislators, a half-dozen Assembly and Senate staff members have also tested positive for coronavirus. The cases have been reported in spite of preventative measures at the state Capitol, including temperature checks and health screening interviews at public entrances, and encouragement that public testimony be done by phone from outside committee rooms.
Blakeslee said he has been in discussions with a leader of the Senate about an alternative process in which legislators would vote remotely from their district offices in a live video feed “where they are not surrounded by lobbyists and special interests,” in order to assure the public of a fair process.
Senate officials said guidelines are still being developed for remote voting.
The unscheduled pause in legislative operations will also require substantial changes in the process of reviewing bills before final votes are taken in the two houses. The deadline for proposals to have cleared policy committees was supposed to be July 31. But the Assembly and Senate have scheduled key committee hearings well into August.
The Senate, under a draft schedule obtained by The Times, is planning to hold some committee hearings on Saturdays. With this being the final year of the two-year session, time is limited. The California Constitution limits the passage of most bills after Aug. 31 in even-numbered years. Additional time could be added only if Gov. Gavin Newsom were to call a special session of the Legislature.
Lawmakers began to see the results of the tightened schedule on Thursday.
Senator Hannah-Beth Jackson (D-Santa Barbara), chairwoman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, sent a letter Thursday to colleagues letting them know that her panel will only hear 26 of the 80 bills that it has receivedbecause it will only be able to hold about 12 hours of hearings in total.
“Given the truncated session because of the COVID-19 pandemic, I have the unpleasant task of trying to identify those bills we will be able to hear in the limited time-frame in which we have been given to hear them,” Jackson wrote, adding that she screened out many bills not related to COVID-19 or criminal justice reform.


latimes--2020-07-23--UC Davis researcher accused of hiding ties to Chinese military is hiding in consulate, U.S. says

A UC Davis cancer researcher , suspected of being a clandestine member of the Chinese military , has taken refuge in the Chinese Consulate in San Francisco , according to U.S. prosecutors .
The researcher , Juan Tang , is charged with visa fraud , accused of concealing her membership in China ’ s military and Communist Party in seeking permission to work in a radiation oncology lab at UC Davis .
She fled to the consulate after being interviewed by FBI agents in late June , prosecutors said .
Tang is “ a fugitive from justice currently being harbored @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ” a Justice Department spokeswoman said Thursday .
The charges against Tang come as the U.S. government escalates a simmering dispute with Beijing over what it says are attempts by the Chinese government to steal secrets from the United States ’ eminent research institutions .
Officials at the consulate could not be reached for comment .
The State Department on Wednesday ordered the Chinese consulate in Houston to close .
“ We are setting out clear expectations for how the Chinese Communist Party is going to behave , ” Secretary of State @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ and when they don ’ t , we ’ re going to take actions that protect the American people , protect our security , our national security and also protect our economy and jobs.
” It was unclear from court records whether Tang had retained an attorney .
A phone number listed for the consulate was disconnected .
Her case does not mark the first time U.S. authorities have eyed the San Francisco consulate for aiding researchers suspected of hiding their affiliations with the Chinese government .
In June , a researcher @ @ @ @ @ @ @ secretly a Chinese military official and said he had “ a designated point of contact ” at the consulate , an FBI agent wrote in an affidavit .
The researcher , Xin Wang , has been charged with visa fraud .
Chen Song , a neurology researcher at Stanford , and Kaikai Zhao , who studied machine learning and artificial intelligence as a graduate student at Indiana University , face the same charge ; both are accused of having undisclosed ties to the Chinese military .
John Brown , who leads the FBI @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Thursday that agents had identified visa holders in more than 25 American cities with hidden affiliations with the Chinese military .
U.S. authorities have evidence the Chinese government is “ instructing these individuals to destroy evidence and [ is ] coordinating efforts ” to spirit them out of the United States , Benjamin Kingsley , an assistant U.S. attorney , wrote in court papers .
FBI agents interviewed Tang , the UC Davis researcher , at her apartment in June and served a search warrant , seizing her Chinese passport and various “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , an FBI agent in Sacramento , wrote in an affidavit .
The agents recovered pictures of Tang wearing a uniform of the Chinese People ’ s Liberation Army Air Force , Dilland said .
They also found an application for government benefits in which Tang identified herself as a member of the Chinese Communist Party , he said .
At some point after being interviewed , Tang fled to the Chinese Consulate in San Francisco , a prosecutor wrote in court papers .
Andy Fell , a spokesman for UC Davis , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ UC Davis School of Medicine ’ s radiation oncology department .
Her research was funded by the Chinese Scholarship Council , “ a study-based exchange program affiliated with the China ’ s Ministry of Education and Xijing Hospital in China , ” Fell said .
Tang left UC Davis at the end of June , and the school “ is providing all information requested by the authorities , ” he said .
In asking a judge to unseal documents in her case , a second prosecutor , Heiko P. Coppola , said in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the Chinese government had approached U.S. officials “ about the law enforcement activity surrounding Tang.
” The State Department issued a bulletin this month , warning U.S. citizens in China of “ arbitrary enforcement of local laws for purposes other than maintaining law and order.
” U.S. officials believe that activity “ has some relation ” to Tang ’ s case , Coppola wrote .

Juan Tang, a cancer researcher at UC Davis, is suspected of working for the Chinese military. She has taken refuge at the Chinese Consulate in San Francisco after being questioned by the FBI.
A UC Davis cancer researcher, suspected of being a clandestine member of the Chinese military, has taken refuge in the Chinese Consulate in San Francisco, according to U.S. prosecutors.
The researcher, Juan Tang, is charged with visa fraud, accused of concealing her membership in China’s military and Communist Party in seeking permission to work in a radiation oncology lab at UC Davis. She fled to the consulate after being interviewed by FBI agents in late June, prosecutors said.
Tang is “a fugitive from justice currently being harbored at the Chinese Consulate in San Francisco,” a Justice Department spokeswoman said Thursday.
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The charges against Tang come as the U.S. government escalates a simmering dispute with Beijing over what it says are attempts by the Chinese government to steal secrets from the United States’ eminent research institutions. Officials at the consulate could not be reached for comment.
The State Department on Wednesday ordered the Chinese consulate in Houston to close. “We are setting out clear expectations for how the Chinese Communist Party is going to behave,” Secretary of State Mike Pompeo told reporters in Copenhagen, “and when they don’t, we’re going to take actions that protect the American people, protect our security, our national security and also protect our economy and jobs.”
It was unclear from court records whether Tang had retained an attorney. A phone number listed for the consulate was disconnected.
Her case does not mark the first time U.S. authorities have eyed the San Francisco consulate for aiding researchers suspected of hiding their affiliations with the Chinese government. In June, a researcher at UC San Francisco acknowledged he was secretly a Chinese military official and said he had “a designated point of contact” at the consulate, an FBI agent wrote in an affidavit.
The researcher, Xin Wang, has been charged with visa fraud. Chen Song, a neurology researcher at Stanford, and Kaikai Zhao, who studied machine learning and artificial intelligence as a graduate student at Indiana University, face the same charge; both are accused of having undisclosed ties to the Chinese military.
John Brown, who leads the FBI’s National Security Branch, said Thursday that agents had identified visa holders in more than 25 American cities with hidden affiliations with the Chinese military.
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U.S. authorities have evidence the Chinese government is “instructing these individuals to destroy evidence and [is] coordinating efforts” to spirit them out of the United States, Benjamin Kingsley, an assistant U.S. attorney, wrote in court papers.
FBI agents interviewed Tang, the UC Davis researcher, at her apartment in June and served a search warrant, seizing her Chinese passport and various “electronic media,” Steven G. Dilland, an FBI agent in Sacramento, wrote in an affidavit.
The agents recovered pictures of Tang wearing a uniform of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army Air Force, Dilland said. They also found an application for government benefits in which Tang identified herself as a member of the Chinese Communist Party, he said.
At some point after being interviewed, Tang fled to the Chinese Consulate in San Francisco, a prosecutor wrote in court papers.
Andy Fell, a spokesman for UC Davis, said Tang was a visiting researcher in UC Davis School of Medicine’s radiation oncology department. Her research was funded by the Chinese Scholarship Council, “a study-based exchange program affiliated with the China’s Ministry of Education and Xijing Hospital in China,” Fell said.
Tang left UC Davis at the end of June, and the school “is providing all information requested by the authorities,” he said.
In asking a judge to unseal documents in her case, a second prosecutor, Heiko P. Coppola, said in court papers filed July 13 that representatives of the Chinese government had approached U.S. officials “about the law enforcement activity surrounding Tang.”
The State Department issued a bulletin this month, warning U.S. citizens in China of “arbitrary enforcement of local laws for purposes other than maintaining law and order.” U.S. officials believe that activity “has some relation” to Tang’s case, Coppola wrote.


latimes--2020-07-23--DNA solves Orange County's oldest cold case, identifying Jane Doe and suspected killer

Fifty-two years after the body of a woman was found near a Huntington Beach farm field , Jane Doe and the man who authorities say beat and raped her and slashed her throat have been identified .
The cold case from 1968 was Orange County ’ s oldest unsolved homicide .
Three boys found the body of a young woman in a drainage ditch near Newland Street and Yorktown Avenue on the afternoon of March 14 , 1968 .
She was wearing a floral-print blouse , purple pants , loafers and a costume ring with a large blue stone set @ @ @ @ @ @ @ knew who she was , and the only clue to her presumed killer was a cigarette butt found nearby .
The woman , estimated to be in her mid-20s , ultimately was buried in Newport Beach in an unmarked grave .
A search for her identity went nowhere .
Now , five decades later , the woman and the man police say killed her have been identified through investigative genetic genealogy — a method increasingly used in recent years to identify long-dead victims and assailants , such as Golden State Killer Joseph James @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Anita Louise Piteau was the woman in the field .
She was 26 when she was killed .
Piteau ’ s remains have been returned to her surviving family — two sisters , a brother and extended family who remained undeterred in their search for her — and a memorial service in her home state of Maine has been held in her honor , attended by investigators who helped solve the case .
“ I am extremely grateful and proud of the extraordinary efforts of the active and retired members of the Huntington @ @ @ @ @ @ @ district attorney ’ s office in their tireless pursuit of justice for Anita and her family , ” Huntington Beach Police Chief Rob Handy said .
“ The fact they never stopped working this case for more than five decades is a tremendous testament to the two departments and our law enforcement profession .
There is nothing more important to a victim and their family to know that law enforcement will never give up.
” Over time , officials had called on the public to assist with the investigation .
With the help @ @ @ @ @ @ @ about the case .
In 2001 , Piteau ’ s clothes were examined and processed for DNA .
Then , in 2010 , a partial DNA profile was obtained from the cigarette , which matched DNA obtained from Piteau ’ s sexual assault kit .
Nine years later , in 2019 , detectives working with the Orange County district attorney ’ s office used investigative genetic genealogy to map out the possible family tree of the killer .
From that , officials identified Johnny Chrisco , who died in 2015 of cancer and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Nothing , not even the death of the killer himself , will deter the pursuit of justice , ” Dist .
Atty .
Todd Spitzer said .
“ The death of a 26-year-old woman who was left in a farm field , raped , beaten and her neck slashed haunted generations of Huntington Beach police officers who refused to give up on identifying Jane Doe and finding the person who robbed a young woman of a lifetime of memories.
” Even as investigators narrowed their search for the killer , they worked to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ had been slain .
In 2011 , blood from her blouse produced a partial DNA profile that was entered into the national Combined DNA Index System , or CODIS , while her fingerprints were entered into the CAL-ID system and the FBI database .
Detectives , prosecutors and forensic scientists began working earlier this year on a possible family tree for the woman , and with the help of genealogist Colleen Fitzpatrick , who co-founded the DNA Doe Project , they were able to identify Piteau through DNA matches with her family .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ the 1968 crime .
Investigators said he was discharged from the Army after three years “ following a failed psychological exam that diagnosed him with having positive aggressive reaction , which was defined as having a pattern of being quick to anger , easy to feel unjustly treated , chronically resentful , immature and impulsive.
” In 2016 , Chrisco was listed as one of six deceased veterans , unclaimed by family or friends , who was honored during a Memorial Day ceremony called “ The Unforgotten , Run to Tahoma VII Celebration @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Kitsap County .
Investigators aren ’ t aware of a connection between Piteau and Chrisco .
Anyone with information is asked to call the Huntington Beach Police tip line at ( 714 ) 375-5066 .

Anita Louise Piteau and her suspected killer, Johnny Chrisco, have been identified after 52 years.
Fifty-two years after the body of a woman was found near a Huntington Beach farm field, Jane Doe and the man who authorities say beat and raped her and slashed her throat have been identified.
The cold case from 1968 was Orange County’s oldest unsolved homicide. Three boys found the body of a young woman in a drainage ditch near Newland Street and Yorktown Avenue on the afternoon of March 14, 1968.
She was wearing a floral-print blouse, purple pants, loafers and a costume ring with a large blue stone set in a silver band. No one knew who she was, and the only clue to her presumed killer was a cigarette butt found nearby.
The woman, estimated to be in her mid-20s, ultimately was buried in Newport Beach in an unmarked grave. A search for her identity went nowhere.
Now, five decades later, the woman and the man police say killed her have been identified through investigative genetic genealogy — a method increasingly used in recent years to identify long-dead victims and assailants, such as Golden State Killer Joseph James DeAngelo Jr.
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Huntington Beach police detectives say Anita Louise Piteau was the woman in the field. She was 26 when she was killed.
Piteau’s remains have been returned to her surviving family — two sisters, a brother and extended family who remained undeterred in their search for her — and a memorial service in her home state of Maine has been held in her honor, attended by investigators who helped solve the case.
“I am extremely grateful and proud of the extraordinary efforts of the active and retired members of the Huntington Beach Police Department and the Orange County district attorney’s office in their tireless pursuit of justice for Anita and her family,” Huntington Beach Police Chief Rob Handy said.
“The fact they never stopped working this case for more than five decades is a tremendous testament to the two departments and our law enforcement profession. There is nothing more important to a victim and their family to know that law enforcement will never give up.”
Over time, officials had called on the public to assist with the investigation. With the help of technology, details began to emerge about the case.
Advertisement
In 2001, Piteau’s clothes were examined and processed for DNA. Then, in 2010, a partial DNA profile was obtained from the cigarette, which matched DNA obtained from Piteau’s sexual assault kit.
Nine years later, in 2019, detectives working with the Orange County district attorney’s office used investigative genetic genealogy to map out the possible family tree of the killer. From that, officials identified Johnny Chrisco, who died in 2015 of cancer and is buried in Washington state.
“Nothing, not even the death of the killer himself, will deter the pursuit of justice,” Dist. Atty. Todd Spitzer said. “The death of a 26-year-old woman who was left in a farm field, raped, beaten and her neck slashed haunted generations of Huntington Beach police officers who refused to give up on identifying Jane Doe and finding the person who robbed a young woman of a lifetime of memories.”
Even as investigators narrowed their search for the killer, they worked to give a name to the woman who had been slain. In 2011, blood from her blouse produced a partial DNA profile that was entered into the national Combined DNA Index System, or CODIS, while her fingerprints were entered into the CAL-ID system and the FBI database.
Detectives, prosecutors and forensic scientists began working earlier this year on a possible family tree for the woman, and with the help of genealogist Colleen Fitzpatrick, and her company Identifinders International, were able to identify Piteau through DNA matches with her family.
California A young woman whose body was found 31 years ago is ID’d in cold case as Anaheim resident A young woman whose body was found in Anaheim 31 years ago was identified this week with the help of volunteers using the same technique that identified the suspected Golden State Killer.
Chrisco was not originally a suspect in the 1968 crime. Investigators said he was discharged from the Army after three years “following a failed psychological exam that diagnosed him with having positive aggressive reaction, which was defined as having a pattern of being quick to anger, easy to feel unjustly treated, chronically resentful, immature and impulsive.”
In 2016, Chrisco was listed as one of six deceased veterans, unclaimed by family or friends, who was honored during a Memorial Day ceremony called “The Unforgotten, Run to Tahoma VII Celebration of Life” in Washington’s Kitsap County.
Investigators aren’t aware of a connection between Piteau and Chrisco. Anyone with information is asked to call the Huntington Beach Police tip line at (714) 375-5066.


latimes--2020-07-23--Ask a Reporter: Erika Smith and Ben Oreskes on covering California

Columnist Erika Smith and reporter Ben Oreskes will be live on video Tuesday to answer your questions about their work @ @ @ @ @ and Ben will be live on Twitter and Facebook to answer your questions about their @ @ @ @ @ s like to report on California ’ s biggest issues like social justice and homelessness @ @ @ @ @ have changed with the coronavirus pandemic .
Visit our Twitter profile and Facebook page to @ @ @ @ @ time and to sign up to receive an alert when the video begins .
You @ @ @ @ @ for Erika and Ben in the comments at the bottom of this article .
Here @ @ @ @ @ Erika : Here are some recent articles by Ben :

Ask a Reporter is the L.A. Times’ weekly live chat with a reporter.
Columnist Erika Smith and reporter Ben Oreskes will be live on video Tuesday to answer your questions about their work writing about California.
Erika and Ben will be live on Twitter and Facebook to answer your questions about their work, what it’s like to report on California’s biggest issues like social justice and homelessness, and how their jobs have changed with the coronavirus pandemic.
Visit our Twitter profile and Facebook page to share your questions ahead of time and to sign up to receive an alert when the video begins. You may also leave your questions for Erika and Ben in the comments at the bottom of this article.
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Join us Tuesday 7/28 at 1 p.m. to talk with reporter @boreskes and columnist @Erika_D_Smith about covering homelessness in Los Angeles.
Share your questions for the reporters in the replies. https://t.co/vDqXEyrdsb — Los Angeles Times (@latimes) July 21, 2020
Here are some recent columns by Erika:
Here are some recent articles by Ben:


latimes--2020-07-23--Whittier man dies after entering residence during termite fumigation

A Whittier man was found dead Tuesday after entering his own home while it was being fumigated for termites , @ @ @ @ @ company discovered the body inside a tented home in the 11500 block of See Drive @ @ @ @ @ ’ s officials said .
“ The owner of the home went back to his @ @ @ @ @ reasons , ” Lt. Marc Verlich said .
“ He was overcome by the poisonous @ @ @ @ @ in the home was the gas fumigant Vikane , authorities said .
About 10 sheriff @ @ @ @ @ materials suits responded to the scene after the L.A. County Fire Department was initially dispatched @ @ @ @ @ The dead man , who authorities said was in his 40s , was not identified @ @ @ @ @ of foul play in the death , fire Capt .
Jason Centeno said .

Los Angeles County sheriff’s deputies enter a tented home in Whittier, where a man was found dead Tuesday.
A Whittier man was found dead Tuesday after entering his own home while it was being fumigated for termites, authorities said.
A fumigation company discovered the body inside a tented home in the 11500 block of See Drive, Los Angeles County sheriff’s officials said.
“The owner of the home went back to his residence and entered for unknown reasons,” Lt. Marc Verlich said. “He was overcome by the poisonous gases.”
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The chemical used in the home was the gas fumigant Vikane, authorities said.
#LASD SEB SWAT operation in a contaminated environment in Whittier has concluded. See Drive reopened. Neighborhood safe. pic.twitter.com/vn6ZTqYqtx — SEB (@SEBLASD) July 22, 2020
About 10 sheriff’s deputies in hazardous materials suits responded to the scene after the L.A. County Fire Department was initially dispatched at 3 p.m. Tuesday.
The dead man, who authorities said was in his 40s, was not identified. There was no evidence of foul play in the death, fire Capt. Jason Centeno said.


latimes--2020-07-23--L.A. County could use parks, libraries as learning sites amid school closures

Los Angeles County is considering using parks and libraries as alternative learning sites for students as most schools remain shuttered amid the COVID-19 pandemic , officials said .
The L.A. County Board of Supervisors voted Tuesday to support a proposal by Supervisor Janice Hahn to allow children to use spaces at libraries and parks in unincorporated areas while school campuses are closed .
The vote comes less than two weeks after L.A. Unified School District announced that in-person classes would not resume in August as coronavirus cases continue to surge in the county and across California .
“ In the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ learning is our safest option right now , but this is untenable for parents who can ’ t work from home and some of our most vulnerable families , ” Hahn said in a statement , adding that the county hopes to imitate its parks ’ summer camp model during the fall .
On Wednesday , California recorded 12,063 new coronavirus cases and 157 deaths — breaking records for both , according to the L.A. Times coronavirus tracker .
“ As much as we want to be back at schools and have students @ @ @ @ @ @ @ can ’ t do it until it ’ s safe and appropriate , ” Supt .
Austin Beutner told The Times earlier this month .
Other school districts , including San Diego Unified and the San Bernardino City Unified School District , announced this month that they will not be opening their doors to students this fall , citing spikes in COVID-19 cases .
The proposal asks the Department of Parks and Recreation to report back to the Board of Supervisors within 30 days with a plan to provide staffing , supervision and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the county , according to a release .
Norma Garcia , parks director , said in a statement that the department is “ happy to look into ” providing alternate learning locations for students .
“ I know that this won ’ t be an easy fix , ” Hahn said .
“ This has never been done before .
But we are in unprecedented times , and we need to meet them with unprecedented and creative solutions for our residents .
”

Los Angeles County is considering using parks and libraries as alternative learning sites for students as most schools remain shuttered amid the COVID-19 pandemic, officials said.
The L.A. County Board of Supervisors voted Tuesday to support a proposal by Supervisor Janice Hahn to allow children to use spaces at libraries and parks in unincorporated areas while school campuses are closed. The vote comes less than two weeks after L.A. Unified School District announced that in-person classes would not resume in August as coronavirus cases continue to surge in the county and across California.
“In the middle of this worsening pandemic, distance learning is our safest option right now, but this is untenable for parents who can’t work from home and some of our most vulnerable families,” Hahn said in a statement, adding that the county hopes to imitate its parks’ summer camp model during the fall.
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On Wednesday, California recorded 12,063 new coronavirus cases and 157 deaths — breaking records for both, according to the L.A. Times coronavirus tracker.
“As much as we want to be back at schools and have students back at schools — [we] can’t do it until it’s safe and appropriate,” Supt. Austin Beutner told The Times earlier this month. Other school districts, including San Diego Unified and the San Bernardino City Unified School District, announced this month that they will not be opening their doors to students this fall, citing spikes in COVID-19 cases.
The proposal asks the Department of Parks and Recreation to report back to the Board of Supervisors within 30 days with a plan to provide staffing, supervision and programming to children in unincorporated areas of the county, according to a release.
Norma Garcia, parks director, said in a statement that the department is “happy to look into” providing alternate learning locations for students.
“I know that this won’t be an easy fix,” Hahn said. “This has never been done before. But we are in unprecedented times, and we need to meet them with unprecedented and creative solutions for our residents.”


latimes--2020-07-23--California coronavirus deaths top 8,000 after record-high day

California recorded the most coronavirus-related deaths in a single day amid a spike in infections that has pushed the state ’ s cumulative case count to the highest in the nation .
Wednesday ’ s 157 fatalities — the state ’ s highest one-day toll yet , according to The Times ’ coronavirus tracker — pushed California ’ s fatalities above 8,000 .
The sobering death toll continues what ’ s been an unprecedented week in California in terms of the COVID-19 outbreak .
Gov .
Gavin Newsom said Wednesday afternoon that 12,807 new coronavirus infections had been reported statewide @ @ @ @ @ @ @ record high .
More than 421,000 COVID-19 cases have been reported statewide over the course of the pandemic .
That means roughly 1 in every 94 Californians has had a confirmed infection at some point .
Statewide , 7,170 confirmed COVID-19 patients were hospitalized as of Tuesday — also a new high and an increase of 18 % from two weeks ago — with 2,058 people in intensive care , according to the state Department of Public Health .
“ It ’ s just another reminder … of the magnitude of impact that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Newsom said during a briefing Wednesday .
However , both those numbers fell markedly in the latest available state data released Thursday , which showed that 6,825 COVID-19 patients were hospitalized and 1,978 were in intensive care as of Wednesday .
Los Angeles County continues to bear the brunt of the statewide surge , with more than 165,000 total cases and 4,200 deaths confirmed as of Thursday morning .
Later in the afternoon , county health officials announced 49 additional deaths and 2,014 new cases .
So severe is the outbreak that health @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be the second-leading cause of death in the county .
From January to June , COVID-19 killed roughly 3,400 people , according to the county Department of Public Health .
Over the same period last year , only coronary heart disease was attributed as the cause of more deaths , with nearly 5,800 .
During the first six months of this year , COVID-19 also killed more than twice as many people in L.A. County as pneumonia and influenza did during the last flu season — which ran from October to May , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the reasons that we ’ re working so hard to flatten the curve and slow the spread of COVID-19 is to limit the strain on our healthcare system so that , when flu season arrives in a few short months , we ’ ll be able to contain and slow the spread of COVID-19 while we know that our hospitals will also need to care for people with influenza , ” county Public Health Director Barbara Ferrer said Wednesday .
Los Angeles is far from the only county that ’ s seeing high @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reported 1,135 new COVID-19 cases Thursday — its second straight day in quadruple digits following Wednesday ’ s tally of 1,120 , according to The Times ’ tracker .
The past two days alone account for roughly 18 % of the county ’ s total confirmed cases .
In San Bernardino County , officials announced 21 new deaths Thursday , matching the most reported in a single day and bringing the total number of fatalities to 358 .
Throughout the pandemic , officials have preached the importance of flattening the curve — holding @ @ @ @ @ @ @ — so that the healthcare system isn ’ t overwhelmed .
However , experts say hospitalization and death totals reflect exposure to the virus that occurred weeks ago , so it takes time to see how behavioral changes are affecting transmission , and whether measures implemented to stem the spread of the disease are working .
“ I think we started to exit shelter-in-place sometime around Memorial Day both emotionally and physically .
And we are paying the price for that , ” said Nicholas Jewell , a biostatistics authority at UC Berkeley @ @ @ @ @ @ @ should be tiptoeing out on the ice .
What we did , instead , was all run out on the ice , some not too cautiously .
And a lot of people fell through the ice.
” California Health and Human Services Secretary Dr. Mark Ghaly said it could take three to five weeks to see the full impact of measures the state has taken recently — including issuing a universal face mask order on June 18 and renewing restrictions on numerous activities and businesses last week .
Some , though , contend @ @ @ @ @ @ @ more far-reaching action .
Among those is State Sen. Steve Glazer ( D-Orinda ) , who has called for Newsom to reimpose stay-at-home policies in most of the state until the outbreak is under control .
Specifically , the Bay Area lawmaker has proposed that counties return to sheltering in place — meaning their residents would be required to stay home except for essential work or trips — if they have a positive test rate greater than 2 % over the past 14 days .
The statewide positivity rate over the last 14 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ previously said that “ nothing can be off the table in the pandemic ” but that she personally hopes “ we don ’ t have to go back ” to those kind of restrictions in Los Angeles County .
L.A. Mayor Eric Garcetti — who also has raised the specter of potentially reimposing some type of stay-at-home order if conditions continue to deteriorate — said Wednesday that , though the COVID-19 threat level remains at orange , or high risk , the city is “ not moving to red and we are not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ He added that the virus case positivity rate had declined slightly for the first time in several weeks , from a seven-day average of 13.6 % last week to 10 % .
“ Between the closures two weeks ago and the renewed vigilance that I am certainly feeling across the city , we ’ ll know in the next week or so — together , guided by our county health department , by the data — where we are and where we ’ re moving , ” he said .
Health officials continue @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as important as policies .
Residents and business owners need to continue taking the steps necessary to protect themselves , their customers and those around them— including physical distancing , wearing cloth face coverings and practicing good hand hygiene .
“ We ’ ll get to the other side of this soon enough , but it will , again , take all of us and all of our businesses to do , ” L.A. County Health Officer Dr. Muntu Davis said Thursday .
County officials unveiled a tiered enforcement plan to potentially cite @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s coronavirus health orders .
Starting at the end of August , noncompliant businesses will face fines ranging from $ 100 for a first offense to $ 500 and a 30-day permit suspension for multiple offenses .
Last weekend , county inspectors visited 507 restaurants , 69 hotels and 174 residential pools and found that the vast majority of them were complying with relevant rules , according to Davis .
“ We want to be reasonable and work with businesses , but we also know that time is of the essence to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ protect our residents ’ health , ” he said .
Times staff writers Alejandra Reyes-Velarde and James Rainey contributed to this report .

Nurses Janil Wise, left, and Melinda Gruman discuss treatment for a pregnant patient at Providence Holy Cross Medical Center in Mission Hills on July 10.
California recorded the most coronavirus-related deaths in a single day amid a spike in infections that has pushed the state’s cumulative case count to the highest in the nation.
Wednesday’s 157 fatalities — the state’s highest one-day toll yet, according to The Times’ coronavirus tracker — pushed California’s fatalities above 8,000.
The sobering death toll continues what’s been an unprecedented week in California in terms of the COVID-19 outbreak.
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Gov. Gavin Newsom said Wednesday afternoon that 12,807 new coronavirus infections had been reported statewide in the past 24 hours, a record high.
California California shatters another record for new coronavirus cases, hospitalizations Gov. Gavin Newsom said Wednesday that 12,807 new coronavirus infections had been reported statewide in the past 24 hours — a record high.
More than 421,000 COVID-19 cases have been reported statewide over the course of the pandemic. That means roughly 1 in every 94 Californians has had a confirmed infection at some point.
Statewide, 7,170 confirmed COVID-19 patients were hospitalized as of Tuesday — also a new high and an increase of 18% from two weeks ago — with 2,058 people in intensive care, according to the state Department of Public Health.
“It’s just another reminder … of the magnitude of impact that this virus continues to have,” Newsom said during a briefing Wednesday.
However, both those numbers fell markedly in the latest available state data released Thursday, which showed that 6,825 COVID-19 patients were hospitalized and 1,978 were in intensive care as of Wednesday.
Los Angeles County continues to bear the brunt of the statewide surge, with more than 165,000 total cases and 4,200 deaths confirmed as of Thursday morning.
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Later in the afternoon, county health officials announced 49 additional deaths and 2,014 new cases.
So severe is the outbreak that health officials said COVID-19 is on track to be the second-leading cause of death in the county.
From January to June, COVID-19 killed roughly 3,400 people, according to the county Department of Public Health. Over the same period last year, only coronary heart disease was attributed as the cause of more deaths, with nearly 5,800.
During the first six months of this year, COVID-19 also killed more than twice as many people in L.A. County as pneumonia and influenza did during the last flu season — which ran from October to May, health officials said.
“One of the reasons that we’re working so hard to flatten the curve and slow the spread of COVID-19 is to limit the strain on our healthcare system so that, when flu season arrives in a few short months, we’ll be able to contain and slow the spread of COVID-19 while we know that our hospitals will also need to care for people with influenza,” county Public Health Director Barbara Ferrer said Wednesday.
Los Angeles is far from the only county that’s seeing high levels of coronavirus activity.
Kern County reported 1,135 new COVID-19 cases Thursday — its second straight day in quadruple digits following Wednesday’s tally of 1,120, according to The Times’ tracker. The past two days alone account for roughly 18% of the county’s total confirmed cases.
In San Bernardino County, officials announced 21 new deaths Thursday, matching the most reported in a single day and bringing the total number of fatalities to 358.
Throughout the pandemic, officials have preached the importance of flattening the curve — holding the rate of new infections in check — so that the healthcare system isn’t overwhelmed.
However, experts say hospitalization and death totals reflect exposure to the virus that occurred weeks ago, so it takes time to see how behavioral changes are affecting transmission, and whether measures implemented to stem the spread of the disease are working.
“I think we started to exit shelter-in-place sometime around Memorial Day both emotionally and physically. And we are paying the price for that,” said Nicholas Jewell, a biostatistics authority at UC Berkeley. “It’s like we should be tiptoeing out on the ice. What we did, instead, was all run out on the ice, some not too cautiously. And a lot of people fell through the ice.”
California Health and Human Services Secretary Dr. Mark Ghaly said it could take three to five weeks to see the full impact of measures the state has taken recently — including issuing a universal face mask order on June 18 and renewing restrictions on numerous activities and businesses last week.
Some, though, contend that the situation calls for swifter, more far-reaching action. Among those is State Sen. Steve Glazer (D-Orinda), who has called for Newsom to reimpose stay-at-home policies in most of the state until the outbreak is under control.
Specifically, the Bay Area lawmaker has proposed that counties return to sheltering in place — meaning their residents would be required to stay home except for essential work or trips — if they have a positive test rate greater than 2% over the past 14 days.
The statewide positivity rate over the last 14 days is 7.6%.
Ferrer has previously said that “nothing can be off the table in the pandemic” but that she personally hopes “we don’t have to go back” to those kind of restrictions in Los Angeles County.
L.A. Mayor Eric Garcetti — who also has raised the specter of potentially reimposing some type of stay-at-home order if conditions continue to deteriorate — said Wednesday that, though the COVID-19 threat level remains at orange, or high risk, the city is “not moving to red and we are not closing any additional businesses or activities.”
He added that the virus case positivity rate had declined slightly for the first time in several weeks, from a seven-day average of 13.6% last week to 10%.
“Between the closures two weeks ago and the renewed vigilance that I am certainly feeling across the city, we’ll know in the next week or so — together, guided by our county health department, by the data — where we are and where we’re moving,” he said.
Health officials continue to emphasize that personal decisions are just as important as policies. Residents and business owners need to continue taking the steps necessary to protect themselves, their customers and those around them— including physical distancing, wearing cloth face coverings and practicing good hand hygiene.
“We’ll get to the other side of this soon enough, but it will, again, take all of us and all of our businesses to do,” L.A. County Health Officer Dr. Muntu Davis said Thursday.
County officials unveiled a tiered enforcement plan to potentially cite and fine businesses that violate the county’s coronavirus health orders.
Starting at the end of August, noncompliant businesses will face fines ranging from $100 for a first offense to $500 and a 30-day permit suspension for multiple offenses.
Last weekend, county inspectors visited 507 restaurants, 69 hotels and 174 residential pools and found that the vast majority of them were complying with relevant rules, according to Davis.
“We want to be reasonable and work with businesses, but we also know that time is of the essence to slow the spread of this virus and protect our residents’ health,” he said.
Times staff writers Alejandra Reyes-Velarde and James Rainey contributed to this report.


latimes--2020-07-23--Officials identify 25-year-old man fatally shot after Ladera Heights house party

A 25-year-old man was shot and killed late Wednesday night after leaving a Ladera Heights house party , authorities said .
Los Angeles County sheriff ’ s deputies responding to a report of gunfire in the 5800 block of Holt Avenue found a man with multiple gunshot wounds , a Sheriff ’ s Department news release said .
On Thursday , L.A. county coroner officials identified the man as Jakeil Reynolds and said he died in the home ’ s yard .
The L.A. County medical examiner-coroner did not name a cause of death .
Witnesses said Reynolds had gotten @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with another partygoer , who then pulled a gun and shot him multiple times , authorities said .
He was pronounced dead at the scene .
Sheriff ’ s officials did not provide any information about the shooting suspect and are still working to determine a motive .
The owner of the house where the party took place told KTLA-TV that he had rented the residence to a woman Wednesday night .
When he checked on the property , he discovered a crowd of partygoers and asked them to go home before calling @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said people had begun to leave the house before the shooting occurred .

An investigation is underway in Ladera Heights after a man in his 20s was shot and killed after leaving a house party late Wednesday night, authorities said.
A 25-year-old man was shot and killed late Wednesday night after leaving a Ladera Heights house party, authorities said.
Los Angeles County sheriff’s deputies responding to a report of gunfire in the 5800 block of Holt Avenue found a man with multiple gunshot wounds, a Sheriff’s Department news release said.
On Thursday, L.A. county coroner officials identified the man as Jakeil Reynolds and said he died in the home’s yard. The L.A. County medical examiner-coroner did not name a cause of death.
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Witnesses said Reynolds had gotten into a physical altercation about 11:30 p.m. with another partygoer, who then pulled a gun and shot him multiple times, authorities said. He was pronounced dead at the scene.
Sheriff’s officials did not provide any information about the shooting suspect and are still working to determine a motive.
The owner of the house where the party took place told KTLA-TV that he had rented the residence to a woman Wednesday night. When he checked on the property, he discovered a crowd of partygoers and asked them to go home before calling the Sheriff’s Department.
He said people had begun to leave the house before the shooting occurred.


latimes--2020-07-23--Better than social distancing? In this game you take a virtual walk in Griffith Park

Video games , at their most basic , allow us to partake in activities that we often can ’ t experience in our real lives .
We can jump inside green pipes and toss fireballs in “ Super Mario Bros. ” In the just-released “ Ghost of Tsushima ” we can wield a sword and pretend we ’ re in an Akira Kurosawa film .
And in the mobile vignette of a game “ Four Months Earlier ” we can go for a relaxing hike in Griffith Park with a family member , an activity that became impossible in our @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reflective , “ Four Months Earlier ” is based on a true story , and unfolds like a short diary entry , a look back at a day that may not have felt all that pivotal in the moment but is rendered unforgettable by future events .
We know going in to the interactive brief that there is going to be a sadness that drapes the proceedings .
“ The next 12 months will be the worst year of your life , ” reads an opening prompt .
That ’ s referring to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of 41-year-old designer Russell Quinn , although the Echo Park resident admits 2020 may force him to eventually drop that tag line .
“ Four Months Earlier , ” a game that takes about 20 minutes , is ultimately meant to tease the in-development full-length “ Linda & Joan , ” which Quinn is currently at work on .
By the time that game is released , this year may , in fact , hold the “ worst year of your life ” mantle for too many of us .
Yet “ Four @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , the game equivalent of a poem .
Los Angeles is often said to be a city of transplants , and Quinn is no different , having spent the bulk of his life in the English town of Cheltenham and parts of Europe .
“ Four Months Earlier ” shows a mother and son exploring our hilly urban park , making small talk , as many of us have done with visitors , over the notorious history of the park ’ s founder , Griffith J. Griffith .
But mostly it ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who know us best , even when we may be drifting apart .
What resonated in the experience was how Quinn ’ s game gently captured a sense of familiarity as well as moments of guilt .
As the two main characters in the game , stand-ins for Quinn and his late mother , Linda , walk to the Griffith Observatory , pausing to chat at a lookout bench , the pair occasionally find a conversational rhythm .
But they struggle to maintain it , as talk drifts back to their earlier breakfast @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The only challenge in the game is making sure Quinn and Linda keep pace with one another ; frustrations will mount if the speedier Quinn gets out of earshot .
Though it ’ s a deeply personal game to Quinn , “ Four Months Earlier ” is able to capture universal emotions .
The game version of Quinn clearly feels bad that his mother has left England and braved her fear of flights .
His mother yearns for a connection , attempting to plan a future trip , which Quinn doesn ’ t @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ t take time off of work .
“ Four Months Earlier , ” thus , is a game about time — how time together shapes us and how time apart alters us , even creating a sense of loneliness in our most important relationships .
“ That was kind of the emotion I was going for , ” says Quinn , who was previously the digital media director for McSweeney ’ s and also helped develop acclaimed interactive fiction such as “ The Pickle Index ” and “ The Silent History.
” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ Most family relationships , if you don ’ t live in the same space , then you have these brief windows together , ” he says .
“ I feel like most people are kind of disappointed by how they go compared to the idealized version .
It ’ s difficult having conversations with your parents .
And it ’ s difficult for parents to have conversations with their kids .
So you have this nice situation , where you have this parent who has flown to the other side of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
And it ’ s a beautiful day , but there are things you need to talk about , and they might not even be serious things , but you don ’ t want to get annoyed with your parents , and that can be hard , even with the best of intentions.
” The initial plan was to release this short , free game in April , but once COVID-19 started to blanket America and lead to nationwide shutdowns , Quinn fleshed out some of the dialogue to make it a fuller @ @ @ @ @ @ @ wanting to find a way to deal with the aftereffects of losing his mother and grandmother in a span of a couple of weeks .
But he started to realize the game could have a deeper emotional resonance in our current climate , when those who do not live in the same city as their families are unsure of when they ’ ll be able to reconnect .
So he added heft to a scene — a breather that mother and son share at a bench — and when it was all-clear to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Park to walk the trails and capture audio .
The field recordings of the park ’ s breezes and birds make up the bulk of the game ’ s soundtrack .
“ It started to have much more a beginning and an end , ” says Quinn , noting that as recently as March “ Four Months Earlier ” was little more than a teaser for a fuller game .
With coronavirus on his mind , however , he started to think that “ Four Months Earlier ” should be an experience that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
He also was stuck at home .
So he spent some time tidying up the game ’ s look , wanting to frame the Griffith Observatory as if he were making a digital painting .
The backgrounds , he says , were inspired by English painter George Shaw , whose “ beautiful simplicity ” helped Quinn set the game ’ s warm yet quiet tone .
“ It became much more of a stand-alone meditation on the parent-child relationship , ” he says .
“ It ’ s about a parent who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ his sick , and then the distance .
All these themes were bubbling up .
That ’ s when I built out the ending , and it became it ’ s own vignette of a parent-child conversation.
” When Quinn eventually completes the longer “ Linda & Joan , ” it will also be a look at how quickly life can change .
The complete game will be more of a point-and-click experience in which the character of Quinn must return to his childhood home and care for his mother as she succumbs @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he ended up returning home for a year , while his wife stayed in Los Angeles to work .
He doesn ’ t want “ Linda & Joan ” to be a downer , and hopes to instead focus on the small choices we can make to find the best of a bad situation .
Yet he began these games because that year forever altered him .
There ’ s a moment , depending on the conversational choices one makes , in “ Four Months Earlier ” where Linda is trying to reconcile @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Angeles versus the reality .
“ The music she likes was recorded here , and all the movies , but I was over the glamour , ” Quinn says .
“ This was just a place to live .
Then when I was back in my childhood home , I remember at some point watching a movie by myself when my mother was in hospice .
I remember seeing the Fox Searchlight logo come up at the start .
I couldn ’ t even believe I lived in Los Angeles .
It felt @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fantasy place at that time.
” “ Four Months Earlier , ” and what will be “ Linda & Joan , ” were born out of Quinn ’ s own struggles to reconnect with the reality of the life he built for himself with the one he left behind .
He was raised primarily by his mother , and Quinn notes the two were largely inseparable until he began his adult life , and then mostly apart until her final months .
“ Coming back to Los Angeles , it was so different @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ Everything here was sunny , beautiful and bright and it was so hard to communicate to my friends , even my wife , about what had happened .
I wouldn ’ t make a direct comparison to going to war , but I had underwent a trauma in a different country far away , a place I hadn ’ t lived for 15 years .
All my friends were sympathetic , but I had no one to share this with .
I don ’ t have siblings .
I wanted to share @ @ @ @ @ @ @ also to give other people space to explore those feelings.
” The ultimate goal is to stop players from thinking of the ending .
Quinn knows users will be aware of the outcome going in .
Think of “ Four Months Earlier ” as a brief look at how we spend the time we do have together .
“ Even though what happened to my family was compressed in a short place of time , ” Quinn says , “ it ’ s a real thing that will happen to every family .
@

Video games, at their most basic, allow us to partake in activities that we often can’t experience in our real lives. We can jump inside green pipes and toss fireballs in “Super Mario Bros.” In the just-released “Ghost of Tsushima” we can wield a sword and pretend we’re in an Akira Kurosawa film.
And in the mobile vignette of a game “Four Months Earlier” we can go for a relaxing hike in Griffith Park with a family member, an activity that became impossible in our stay-at-home lifestyle of 2020. Bittersweet and reflective, “Four Months Earlier” is based on a true story, and unfolds like a short diary entry, a look back at a day that may not have felt all that pivotal in the moment but is rendered unforgettable by future events.
We know going in to the interactive brief that there is going to be a sadness that drapes the proceedings. “The next 12 months will be the worst year of your life,” reads an opening prompt.
Advertisement
That’s referring to what was essentially 2018 in the life of 41-year-old designer Russell Quinn, although the Echo Park resident admits 2020 may force him to eventually drop that tag line. “Four Months Earlier,” a game that takes about 20 minutes, is ultimately meant to tease the in-development full-length “Linda & Joan,” which Quinn is currently at work on. By the time that game is released, this year may, in fact, hold the “worst year of your life” mantle for too many of us.
Yet “Four Months Earlier” stands on its own, the game equivalent of a poem. Los Angeles is often said to be a city of transplants, and Quinn is no different, having spent the bulk of his life in the English town of Cheltenham and parts of Europe. “Four Months Earlier” shows a mother and son exploring our hilly urban park, making small talk, as many of us have done with visitors, over the notorious history of the park’s founder, Griffith J. Griffith.
But mostly it’s a game about finding comfort in those who know us best, even when we may be drifting apart.
Think of “Four Months Earlier” as a video game poem. (False Vacuum Games
)
What resonated in the experience was how Quinn’s game gently captured a sense of familiarity as well as moments of guilt. As the two main characters in the game, stand-ins for Quinn and his late mother, Linda, walk to the Griffith Observatory, pausing to chat at a lookout bench, the pair occasionally find a conversational rhythm. But they struggle to maintain it, as talk drifts back to their earlier breakfast meal or Linda’s cancer. The only challenge in the game is making sure Quinn and Linda keep pace with one another; frustrations will mount if the speedier Quinn gets out of earshot.
Though it’s a deeply personal game to Quinn, “Four Months Earlier” is able to capture universal emotions. The game version of Quinn clearly feels bad that his mother has left England and braved her fear of flights. His mother yearns for a connection, attempting to plan a future trip, which Quinn doesn’t commit to because he says he can’t take time off of work. “Four Months Earlier,” thus, is a game about time — how time together shapes us and how time apart alters us, even creating a sense of loneliness in our most important relationships.
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“That was kind of the emotion I was going for,” says Quinn, who was previously the digital media director for McSweeney’s and also helped develop acclaimed interactive fiction such as “The Pickle Index” and “The Silent History.” This is his first proper game.
“Most family relationships, if you don’t live in the same space, then you have these brief windows together,” he says. “I feel like most people are kind of disappointed by how they go compared to the idealized version. It’s difficult having conversations with your parents. And it’s difficult for parents to have conversations with their kids. So you have this nice situation, where you have this parent who has flown to the other side of the world to spend time with their child. And it’s a beautiful day, but there are things you need to talk about, and they might not even be serious things, but you don’t want to get annoyed with your parents, and that can be hard, even with the best of intentions.”
The initial plan was to release this short, free game in April, but once COVID-19 started to blanket America and lead to nationwide shutdowns, Quinn fleshed out some of the dialogue to make it a fuller experience. He began the project by wanting to find a way to deal with the aftereffects of losing his mother and grandmother in a span of a couple of weeks. But he started to realize the game could have a deeper emotional resonance in our current climate, when those who do not live in the same city as their families are unsure of when they’ll be able to reconnect.
So he added heft to a scene — a breather that mother and son share at a bench — and when it was all-clear to do so he went back to Griffith Park to walk the trails and capture audio. The field recordings of the park’s breezes and birds make up the bulk of the game’s soundtrack.
“It started to have much more a beginning and an end,” says Quinn, noting that as recently as March “Four Months Earlier” was little more than a teaser for a fuller game. With coronavirus on his mind, however, he started to think that “Four Months Earlier” should be an experience that could carry a narrative on its own.
Ultimately, “Four Months Earlier” is a game about how we spend our time together with loved ones. (False Vacuum Games
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He also was stuck at home. So he spent some time tidying up the game’s look, wanting to frame the Griffith Observatory as if he were making a digital painting. The backgrounds, he says, were inspired by English painter George Shaw, whose “beautiful simplicity” helped Quinn set the game’s warm yet quiet tone.
“It became much more of a stand-alone meditation on the parent-child relationship,” he says. “It’s about a parent who is getting older, a parent who his sick, and then the distance. All these themes were bubbling up. That’s when I built out the ending, and it became it’s own vignette of a parent-child conversation.”
When Quinn eventually completes the longer “Linda & Joan,” it will also be a look at how quickly life can change. The complete game will be more of a point-and-click experience in which the character of Quinn must return to his childhood home and care for his mother as she succumbs to cancer. In real life, he ended up returning home for a year, while his wife stayed in Los Angeles to work. He doesn’t want “Linda & Joan” to be a downer, and hopes to instead focus on the small choices we can make to find the best of a bad situation.
Yet he began these games because that year forever altered him.
There’s a moment, depending on the conversational choices one makes, in “Four Months Earlier” where Linda is trying to reconcile what she’s heard of Los Angeles versus the reality.
“The music she likes was recorded here, and all the movies, but I was over the glamour,” Quinn says. “This was just a place to live. Then when I was back in my childhood home, I remember at some point watching a movie by myself when my mother was in hospice. I remember seeing the Fox Searchlight logo come up at the start. I couldn’t even believe I lived in Los Angeles. It felt so far away. It became a fantasy place at that time.”
“Four Months Earlier,” and what will be “Linda & Joan,” were born out of Quinn’s own struggles to reconnect with the reality of the life he built for himself with the one he left behind. He was raised primarily by his mother, and Quinn notes the two were largely inseparable until he began his adult life, and then mostly apart until her final months.
“Coming back to Los Angeles, it was so different to me,” he says. “Everything here was sunny, beautiful and bright and it was so hard to communicate to my friends, even my wife, about what had happened. I wouldn’t make a direct comparison to going to war, but I had underwent a trauma in a different country far away, a place I hadn’t lived for 15 years. All my friends were sympathetic, but I had no one to share this with. I don’t have siblings. I wanted to share this story to feel understood, but also to give other people space to explore those feelings.”
The ultimate goal is to stop players from thinking of the ending. Quinn knows users will be aware of the outcome going in. Think of “Four Months Earlier” as a brief look at how we spend the time we do have together.
“Even though what happened to my family was compressed in a short place of time,” Quinn says, “it’s a real thing that will happen to every family.”