A 91-year-old man accused of murdering his 67-year-old stepdaughter in San Jose last year has died in jail, according to the Santa Clara County District Attorney’s Office.
Police arrested Anthony Aiello in 2018 after an autopsy, security footage, blood and DNA evidence indicated that he staged Karen Navarra’s death to look like a suicide. An analysis of her FitBit confirmed the approximate time of her demise.
Navarra’s body was found on Sept. 13, 2018—two days shy of a year ago—by a co-worker who stopped by her house after she missed work at the Regional Medical Center pharmacy, according to the DA officials.
Investigators say Aiello placed a knife in Navarra’s hand to make it look like she took her own life. Evidence indicated that she actually died from head injuries inflicted by a heavier weapon, authorities say.
When police presented Aiello with their discovery, which contradicted his version of events, he reportedly repeated the phrase “I’m done” over and over again.
A criminal grand jury indicted Aiello on Aug. 7 this year.
Prosecutors will now dismiss the charges against Aiello, which is the usual protocol when a defendant dies. “The case is over, but our thoughts remain with Ms. Navarro,” DA Chief Trial Deputy Angela Bernhard said in a news release Wednesday.
Aiello’s daughter, Annette Aiello, however, says she believes her father was innocent.
“Our family is devastated by his death and disillusioned by the judicial system,” she said. “We hold the San Jose Police Department that wrongfully arrested him, the District Attorney’s Office that fought for his detention, the judge that denied his bail, and the sheriff and the jail custody health administrators—responsible for the death of an innocent man. My father’s death doesn’t end the suffering and his prophecy that they were waiting for him to die so he would be denied his day in court has been proven true. My father was killed by pretrial incarceration.”
Sigh.
Innocent or guilty, it’s a sad state of society when we jail a 91 year old man, especially without a conviction, and he dies alone in a cage locked by all of us. https://t.co/kpHMUDqh5g
— Sajid A. Khan (@thesajidakhan) September 12, 2019
Why is it the Santa Clara County DA can only indict 91 year-olds when it comes to the Grand Jury. So many police officers have engaged in misconduct that violates their training and does harm, yet no charges from the DA. Sexual assault and failure to report has been a runaway train at Presentation High and other area campuses, and Mr. Rosen has been complicit, indifferent and abusive in his management and supervision of the DA’s office these past 10 years.
Mr. Rosen has built his political career prosecuting murder cases, with no body.
Sexual assault cases as rape, contrary to the SART kit and other evidence in the case.
Rosen holds DV cases only long enough to see if the family courts will do something about it, or if one of his buddy family lawyers can make just a bit more money our of some vulnerable family in Silicon Valley.
My personal favorite was when he had a positive SART and ID on a rapist, but he let’s the rapist go in less than 24 hours.
Rest assured, when history reports on Mr. Rosen’s career, it will not be kind. His children will not be proud.
If you are a betting person, it is my opinion it would be a good bet that Mr. Rosen is more likely than not to go the way of former traffic court judge William Danser and former Contra Costa County DA Mark Peterson, complete with indictment and stripping of the pension.
Our community is not safer following Mr. Rosen’s 2010 , 2014 and 2018 elections. Mr. Rosen cheated, threatened his political opponents and is no worse than the folks he pretends to prosecute.
Mr. Rosen is the most corrupt DA Santa Clara County has ever had. I will toss in Mr. Rosen’s buddy Jim Towery to boot , after all Judge Danser had some company with those Los Gatos Police Officers and Little League adults in the room.
The man admitted guilt (to himself), everything points to him and yet his daughter still has the nerve to say he’s innocent. Absolutely disrespectful behaviour.
utterly impolite actions
Fit bit needs to capitalize on this… if it detects a no heart rate it should make a phone call to 911 or someone of your choice and report your location and vitals.