Photo by John Johnson/Gila Herald: Amber Langley, 38, was taken back to prison from court after a preliminary hearing Wednesday. Langley is posting $200,000 bail on fraud and theft charges .Authorities believe Langley was involved in murder wastel 14 year old autistic daughter.she was found dead Near the enclosure on Artesia Road while continuing to receive government assistance for the child for two years.body was found Only recently identified on October 26, 2020.
Graham County – The mother of an unidentified autistic child who was thrown into a livestock watering hole southeast of Safford and shot execution-style in the back of the head has been arrested on fraud charges and could face murder charges. I have.
The suspect, Amber Langley, 38, of Safford, is believed to be involved in the October 2020 murder and dumping of her 14-year-old autistic daughter, Cadence Langley. Two-year-old kid totals him just over $4,700.
The Graham County Sheriff’s Office declined to comment on pending charges related to Cadence’s death. I haven’t commented on either.
On Wednesday, Amber Langley appeared before Magistrate First District Judge Gary Griffiths for a preliminary hearing with appointed attorney Dennis McCarthy. Graham County Attorney L. Scott He Bennett represented the state.
Amber Langley was arrested on August 24 on charges of fraud scheme conspiracy and theft after a fruitful call from the FBI. No murder charges have been filed yet, but charges are likely to be filed soon.
On October 26, 2020, quail hunters found what turned out to be Cadence’s corpse abandoned in a sack off Artesia Road near the ranch about eight miles east of U.S. Route 70. The bag was found partially underwater.
Investigators had a hard time identifying her because her body was decomposing. A year later, the best descriptor came from her autopsy, which indicated she was between 13 and 15 years old at the time of her death. A bullet fragment was found in her skull.
The Sheriff’s Office worked with the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children and assisted them by posting information on their website. With the assistance of the National Center for Children and the Pima County Coroner, a caricature was created based on measurements and other information.
On Wednesday, Graham County Sheriff’s Office Sgt. Mark Smith testified at a preliminary hearing and told how a tooth, a single hair, and a piece of bone led investigators to Amber Langley through a family DNA search. is being used to identify and bring to justice killers such as California’s “Golden State Killer.”
The teeth and hair were sent to a California lab and the bone fragments to the FBI. From there, her DNA profile for the family was created and the sheriff’s office was contacted. Innovative forensic investigationaccording to Smith’s testimony, used the family’s DNA profile to perform a genealogical investigation, showing that the victim was Amber Langley’s daughter.
After being identified, Sgt. Smith said their investigation found that Amber had been receiving Cadence benefits since October from the time the child’s body was discovered to the present. , Amber Langley reportedly told the FBI agent that Cadence was alive and well. She also said that she lived with Amber’s mother in Springfield, Oregon when Amber actually lived in Graham County.
Amber sat expressionless for most of the time until the hearing began. With her hair in a ponytail on either side of her head, she was bouncing her legs with nervous energy. Her attorney, McCarthy, refused to discuss the merits of the prosecution against his client. McCarthy reminded her that this hearing was only about her fraud and theft charges, not her murder.
What McCarthy did was challenge the $500,000 bail held by Amber Langley on charges of theft and fraud only. He explained that the amount was greatly exaggerated due to the crimes listed, advised that she was an Air Force veteran, and that she still had other children living with her.
“Every week we bring lawsuits to this court involving fraudulent schemes and schemes and confiscation of money, and bonds are never $500,000 in cash or paper,” McCarthy said. “This is absurd. This is a violation of the Eighth Amendment to the United States Constitution over (inaudible). My client’s rights are taken away by that excessive bondage. There is a case in the state If they have the DNA and they have witnesses, they should file a lawsuit and get a bond in that lawsuit. , in a $5,000 lawsuit, it would not be appropriate for a court to take into account Mr. Bennett’s allegations…this is a fraud scheme in front of you.”
McCarthy then demanded that the bond be reduced from $500,000 to $3,000 in cash or paper.
Bennett said Amber Langley faces “more serious charges” and the court can determine the amount because it “could come back,” and a $500,000 bond given other circumstances. argued that it was appropriate.
Judge Griffiths appeared to agree to some extent with McCarthy’s demands, reducing her bond to $200,000 in cash or paper. Griffiths also determined there was sufficient evidence to bind the matter to Graham County Superior Court and set an arraignment date for Tuesday, September 13 at 8:30 am.
The case is reminiscent of the Makayla Sanchez murder, in which a 3-year-old girl was beaten by her mother’s boyfriend, Joshua Matthew Cisneros, and then buried in the Thatcher mansion’s backyard. The case took McKayla two years of government-backed fraud before it was discovered that she had not been seen since March 25, 2012. .
Cisneros was found guilty of second-degree murder, child abuse, and forgery, and sentenced to up to 40 years in prison. He is scheduled to be released on December 31, 2052.
Anna Sanchez was found guilty of child abuse, body concealment, illegal use of food stamps, and two forgery charges. She received her 17-year sentence and is scheduled to be released from prison on June 13, 2033.
Editor’s Note: This article has been updated to correct the spelling of Cadance Langely’s name from “Cadence”.
