UPDATE: Judge Declares Mistrial in Duenas Trial !!!!! ~Karen Duenas, Mother Of Five Died From Multiple Stab Wounds~Husband Mark Gilbert Duenas, 53 Charged For Karen's murder

By Shay ARTHUR
POSTED: 10:32 am PDT May 9, 2012
UPDATED: 6:13 pm PDT May 10, 2012
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COTTONWOOD, Calif. -- In a news conference Thursday afternoon Sheriff Tom Bosenko confirmed Karen Duenas died from multiple stab wounds.

The Sheriff said it was her husband, Mark, who found the 51 year-old mother in their bedroom.

However the details surrounding her death are still limited. Bosenko would not divulge any information about the time of death, what was used to kill her, or if there were signs of a struggle, saying it would compromise the investigation. (If she died of multiple stab wounds, I would think a knife was used.)

Bosenko said members of the family as well as neighbors have all given helpful interviews. No one is in custody, but the Sheriff would not say if the department has any suspects.

Bosenko said he understands the public may be confused by the lack of information in the case, saying this investigation is complicated but there is no reason for people to worry about their safety.

On Wednesday divers combed the A.C.I.D. canal looking for evidence in the death of Shasta College instructor Karen Duenas
Wednesday morning, members with the Shasta County Sheriff's Office, Major Crimes Unit, Search and Rescue Team and Dive Team, searched the area of the A.C.I.D. canal near Rhonda Road and Collin Court in Cottonwood.

The search began around 8 a.m., investigators did not say they were looking for anything specific, but said they were hoping to come across any new leads. Detectives said they have interviewed more than 200 people in their investigation, but have no one in custody. They would not comment if they believe the death was random or pre-meditated.

Dozens of neighbors congregated around the investigation site, many said there are lots of rumors going on around the neighborhood.
Bill Rainer lives around the corner from the Duenas'. He didn't know the family but said he often drove by and would see several boys playing basketball.

"I don't know anything. Investigators have come and looked in my yard three times for clues," said Rainer.

Bryan Whitmore went to West Valley with one of Duenas' sons, he lives down the street as well.

"It's really heartbreaking. It's really tragic. It's hard to realize it could actually happen this close to people you know," said Whitmore.
The Sheriff's department said they are aware of the rumors. Detective Brian Jackson said he has family and friends that live in the neighborhood as well, but said based on the department's information the public has no reason to be worried about their safety.

Duenas was found dead inside her home early Saturday morning on Robinson Glen Drive. Investigators have not released her cause of death. Dispatch records revealed a caller to 911 reported Duenas had a large gash to her chest when she was found.

Duenas was an instructor at Shasta College's Tehama County campus. Neighbors said the mother of five boys was well known in the Cottonwood community.

A memorial fund has been created to help the family of a Cottonwood who was murdered earlier this week.

Donations can be made to any Tri Counties Bank to the "Karen Duenas Memorial Fund."

A funeral service will be held for Duenas at The Church of Jesus Christ Latter-day Saints on Churn Creek Road at 10 a.m. Friday.
Shasta College will be holding a memorial vigil at the downtown Redding health sciences building. The vigil will be from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m.

Secret Witness is offering a $10,000 reward to anyone with information leading to an arrest in the case.
Secret Witness: (530) 243-2319
Sheriff's Department: (530) 245-6135

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Stabbing victim honored; 600 attend funeral for Karen Kay Duenas

Fellow Shasta College nursing students also remember Cottonwood woman

By Jim Schultz, Joe Szydlowski
Posted May 12, 2012 at 12:02 a.m., updated May 12, 2012 at 11:08 a.m.
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Shasta College nursing students Wendy Frazier-Uzzardo (center left) and Erica Williams comfort each other before a vigil was held for Karen Duenas on Friday evening in downtown Redding. In the background (right) is fellow student Nick Amrine.

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Karen Duenas

A sign and candles sit outside the Shasta College downtown campus during a vigil Friday evening held in remembrance of Karen Duenas.

The 51-year-old Cottonwood woman stabbed to death Saturday at her home was laid to rest Friday at Lawncrest Memorial Park in Redding after approximately 600 mourners crowded into a Redding church where she was remembered as a vibrant, beautiful, patient, cheerful and caring wife and mother of five whose family was the focus of her life.

"She could squeeze every waking moment out of the day and still enjoy the sunset," said close family friend Chuck Crawford, who gave the tearful eulogy for Karen Kay Duenas through the recollections of her grieving family.

But Crawford, wiping his eyes with a tissue as the words stuck in his throat, said Duenas always will be alive in the hearts of her loved ones and in the lives of those she touched with her compassion, humor and zest of life.

And then, there were her homemade chocolate chip cookies, which she always baked for her family and their many friends, including those who played on the numerous sports teams with her sons.

For although she had five sons, Crawford said, Duenas was mom to hundreds.

Duenas has been described as a constant fixture at sporting events throughout the Cottonwood area where her sons were involved in sports for the past 18 years.

It was at these sporting events where she often could be seen keeping score and cheering from the stands.

Crawford, who traced the Cottonwood woman's life from childhood to adulthood during a memorial service at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints Stake Center on Churn Creek Road, said it was one filled with joy.

"She was pure," Crawford said, quoting one of her five sons.

Tyler Duenas, one of her five sons, said his mother, who was in the nursing program at Shasta College, always was supportive of him and his brothers.

"She was the best grammie, too," he said, fighting back tears.

A grandmother of five, she had two grandchildren on their way, including her first granddaughter.

Duenas' brother, Joseph Tenney, fondly recalled the pool parties, Easter egg hunts and barbecues with his sister. He said he dearly misses her and always will.

"She was always there" for him and his siblings, he said.

Tenney also spoke at a vigil at the Shasta College downtown campus Friday evening to Duenas' nursing school colleagues. He told them how she loved spending her life helping others.

"Nursing would have been a perfect fit for her," he said. "We encouraged and supported her, as meticulous and OCD as she might have been."

The memories only helped to make the baffling death of the Redding native and Shasta College business teacher that much more shocking.

Wendy Frazier-Uzzardo first met Duenas in Shasta High School, when Duenas was on the diving team and Frazier-Uzzardo, who is two years younger, was on the swim team.

They met again when Frazier-Uzzardo enrolled in the nursing program.

"We grabbed onto each other, both of us being older, and taking on a new career," she said. "We found a strength in one another."

This semester, she carpooled with Duenas to St. Elizabeth in Red Bluff, where the pair worked as nursing interns.

"We would pray as we pulled up into the hospital that God's plan is perfect and that he would help us help others," she said.

John Dorney had met Duenas 14 years before. But when the pair of nursing students enrolled in the same class at Shasta College, she mistook Dorney for one of her former students from classes in Red Bluff.

"I'm not that young," Dorney said.

He said she was "always positive, always smiling."

Frazier-Uzzardo said Duenas' big heart made her the perfect caregiver.

Duenas had recently been assigned to the emergency room — a post with a quick pace that she loved, Frazier-Uzzardo said.

Tenney said he'd spoken with Duenas about her time in the emergency room — one of the last conversations he'd had with his sister.

"I asked how it was going," he said. "Her countenance changed. She loved the fact that she got in the ER and started doing something with everything that she'd learned."

Although little information has been released about her death as the sheriff's investigation continues, Sheriff Tom Bosenko said Thursday that Duenas died from multiple stab wounds after being found early Saturday by her husband in a bedroom at their Robinson Glen Drive home.

Bosenko wouldn't say Thursday where or how many times Duenas was stabbed, what time she died or whether there were signs of a struggle or break-in at the Cottonwood home. He said releasing that information could jeopardize the investigation.

Sheriff's Sgt. Brian Jackson has said the department has conducted at least 200 interviews, but could not say if an arrest is imminent.

A $10,000 reward is being offered by the Shasta County Secret Witness program for information leading to the arrest and conviction of whoever is responsible for her death.

A memorial fund also has been established at Tri Counties Bank for those wishing to donate money to help the family defray the cost of funeral and other expenses.

Duenas is survived by her husband of nearly 33 years, Mark; five sons, Jason, Jacob, Tyler, Troy and Casey; father Hugh Tenney of Redding; four brothers, Ammon of Anderson, Paul of Cottonwood, Roger of The Colony, Texas, and Joseph of Rescue; sisters Julie Waters of Redding and Jennifer Regelin of Oregon; and five grandchildren.

Reward in Duenas case

The Shasta County Secret Witness program is offering a $10,000 reward for

information leading to the arrest and conviction of whomever is responsible for the death of Karen Kay Duenas.

Secret Witness: To give a tip anonymously,

call 243-2319, or go to

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Tipsters also can contact investigator Logan

Stonehouse at 245-6135.

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There is not a lot of info on "Google". The poor woman!!!

Why in the world would someone want to kill her? It sounds like she was a wonderful person. So sad...She had five sons and five grandsons with her first granddaughter on the way. Don't you know she was excited about that little girl after all those boys?

It's Horrible!! My first thought is Always the husband in these scenarios. I hope I'm wrong!

By Pamela Britton-Baer
Posted May 16, 2012 at 2:57 p.m.

After days of speculation, the Shasta County Sheriff’s Office has named Mark Duenas as "a person of interest” in the Karen Duenas homicide that occurred in Cottonwood.

“After conducting a lengthy investigation, (11 days), conducting hundreds of interviews and examining a significant amount of evidence collected during the investigation,” said Sergeant Brian Jackson in a new release, “the Shasta county Sheriff’s Office has named Karen’s husband, Mark Duenas, as a person of interest regarding her death.”

According to Jackson, the Shasta County Sheriff’s Office is waiting for additional forensic evidence to be examined regardin the investigation.

“Detectives are continuing with the investigation, following up on leads and interviewing persons close to the investigation,’ said Jackson.

Dueneas lost her life on Saturday, May 5, though the details of her death remain murky. According to a Shascom Incident Report, a call was made to the Shasta County Sheriff’s Office at approximately 1 a.m. that a woman had been found “with a large gash in her chest.” That woman, Karen Kay Duenas, 51, was pronounced dead at the scene, stated a news release issued on May 6.

The Sheriff’s Office is still asking that anyone with information regarding the investigation contact their office at 245-6157.

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Authorities are now looking at the husband of a Shasta College professor found murdered in her home as a possible suspect. Mark Duenas, has been named a person of interest in his wife, Karen's, murder.

The Sheriff's Office made the announcement this Wednesday afternoon.

Officials said last week that Mark Duenas was the one that found his wife, stabbed multiple times, inside her bedroom.

The last 24-hours of this investigation have yielded more results than the previous 10 days. That's what Sergeant Brian Jackson said Wednesday afternoon outside the Duenas home.

Detectives were on scene conducting forensic work and processing the scene.

The garage door of the home was covered in a black tarp, Jackson said this had to be done in order to use certain forensic equipment. No word on what specific equipment, but a dark environment is required when crime scene investigators are looking for traces of blood.

Wednesday’s investigation at the Duenas home comes after the sheriff's office gathered enough evidence for a search warrant, which they received this morning.

Mark Duenas was named a person of interest, not necessarily a suspect. At this point he has not been accused of the crime.

Still, sheriff's detectives say this case has kicked into high gear and they have made a lot of developments just since this morning. They say the public could expect to hear some new information in the next 24 hours.

The following is a press release from the Shasta County Sheriff's Office:

"On 05/05/12, Saturday, at 0057 hours, deputies from the Shasta County Sheriff’s Office responded to 20481 Robinson Glen Drive, Cottonwood for a report of a female with major injuries. Upon arrival deputies discovered the Victim, Karen Duenas, inside the residence who was pronounced dead at the scene and was a result of an apparent homicide.

After conducting a lengthy investigation, (11 days), conducting hundreds of interviews and examining a significant amount of evidence collected during the investigation, the Shasta County Sheriff’s Office has named Karen’s husband, Mark Duenas, as a person of interest regarding her death. The Shasta County Sheriff’s Office, is waiting for additional forensic evidence to be examined regarding the investigation that is on going. Detectives are continuing with the investigation, following up on leads and interviewing persons close to the investigation. We encourage anybody with information to contact the Sheriff’s Office. There is no additional information to be provided at this time."

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By Record Searchlight staff
Posted May 22, 2012 at 7:31 a.m.

Investigators hope to have forensic test results back within two to three weeks in the Karen Duenas homicide case.

“Those tests that we have requested we feel will assist us in completing the case,” Shasta County Sheriff’s Capt. Jeff Foster said Monday.

Duenas, 51, died of multiple stab wounds and was found in the bedroom of her Robinson Glen Drive home in Cottonwood on May 5.

Investigators, last week, named her husband, Mark Duenas, a “person of interest” in the bloody slaying.

Foster said Mark Duenas was cooperating with the investigation in the beginning, but lately has been “less cooperative.” Foster declined to elaborate.

Duenas called 911 about 1 a.m. May 5 to report he had found his wife with a large gash in her chest and “blood everywhere”, according to sheriff’s dispatch logs.

Late last week, investigators again searched the area around the couple’s upscale Cottonwood home.

Foster said that search failed to undercover any new evidence. Foster declined to reveal details about the evidence that has been sent to the Department of Justice.

“What we can tell you is that it is voluminous,” he said.

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By Shay ARTHUR

POSTED: 7:06 pm PDT May 30, 2012
UPDATED: 9:23 am PDT May 31, 2012

The attorney for Mark Duenas, the husband of Karen Duenas, who was murdered on May 5 said Mark's side needs to be heard.

The Shasta County Sheriff's Department named Mark a person of interest in the case soon after their investigation began.

Ron Powell, an attorney from Rancho Cucamonga, said his client didn't do it but would not elaborate on the details of what Mark told him happened the night of the murder.
Powell said, so far, Mark has had no voice in the case. Powell said Mark hired him after he realized the investigation was becoming more about him, rather than his wife's death.
On May 5 Mark called 911 around 1 a.m. after he found his wife of 33 years stabbed to death in her bedroom on Robinson Glen Drive in Cottonwood.

The Sheriff's Department has been tight-lipped about their more than three week-long investigation. No arrests have been made but the department has remained firm in saying Mark is a person of interest.

Powell said too much of this investigation has been focused on Mark and not enough on the grieving family.

Over the last few weeks the case has become riddled with rumors, CNN's Nancy Grace even aired a segment on her nationally syndicated show. Powell said Mark's family and five sons have grown tired of having his name dragged through the mud.

"They got tired of these Nancy Grace shows and these ridiculous accusations made that appeal to people's bloodlust. When this happenes, it brings out the worst in people. It makes their lives feel better that someone else is in a really bad spot," said Powell.

Powell said the rumors swirling around the family are all false. The family is well-known in the small Cottonwood community. Karen was an instructor at Shasta College in Red Bluff as well as a nursing student at the campus in Redding. He said the family is a nice, church-going family similar to an all male version of "The Brady Bunch."

Powell said the family is trying to get through the ordeal and that they haven't had time to grieve.

The Shasta County Sheriff's Department said they are still waiting for results from forensic evidence to get back from the Department of Justice before they can move forward with the case. They said that could take up to several weeks.

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Update: Detectives Say Investigation Into Cottonwood Mother's Death is Far From Cold

By Shay Arthur
POSTED: Jul 19 2012 06:57:28 PM

The Shasta County Sheriff's Department says the investigation of the death of Karen Duenas, the Cottonwood mother of five, is still ongoing.

Duenas was found stabbed to death in her Cottonwood home on Robinson Glen Drive early in the morning on May 5th.

According to Shascom dispatch reports, Duenas was found with a large, bloody gash in her chest.

Two weeks after the murder, the Shasta County Sheriff's Department named the Shasta College instructor's husband of 33 years, Mark, as a person of interest.

The department has been tight lipped about the investigation since it started more than two months ago. They told us they were waiting for results from the Department of Justice.

Lead Detective Logan Stonehouse said more than 20 items were submitted as evidence. Stonehouse said the department has gotten results back from tests on some of the evidence, but have yet to release any new information.

The department also continues to receive tips from the public. Stonehouse said the investigation is making progress and it takes time.

"It doesn't work how you see it on T.V. You don't get instant results in a day. In the real world it takes a long time for these results to come back and for the DNA to process, it can take weeks, if not months, if not years," said Stonehouse.

The department has not conducted any new searches in the last month and would not say if they have any more planned.

Despite the lack of developments in the case, detectives are still confident in naming Mark as the person of interest.

Stonehouse said since Mark hired an attorney several months ago they have had limited contact with him.

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I don't know how I missed this case but I did. Thanks for updating us Wrap!

Your welcome. Love the "google alerts".

By Jim Schultz
Posted September 19, 2012 at 5:52 a.m.

Karen Duenas' case is not a cold case, says the sheriff's investigator in charge.

The husband of a 51-year-old woman who was found stabbed to death in their Cottonwood home remains the primary person of interest in the nearly five-month-old case.

But sheriff’s Detective Pat Kropholler would not say Tuesday whether investigators have their eyes trained on anyone else.

In a baffling case that has gained nationwide media exposure, the body of Karen Kay Duenas was found early May 5 by her husband of nearly 33 years, Mark, in a bedroom at their Robinson Glenn Drive home.

The mother of five sons died from multiple stab wounds, authorities have said.

Kropholler said Tuesday that while Duenas remains the primary person of interest in the case, his office continues to receive and review forensic test results from the state Department of Justice and FBI crime labs.

“We have gotten a big portion of it back,” he said, but added there is a “multitude of evidence” in the case.

He said he could not provide a timeline on when his office will receive all the evidence that’s being tested.

In the meantime, he is urging those who might have information about the slaying to contact the sheriff’s major crimes unit at 245-6135 or Secret Witness at 243-2319. A reward of up to $10,000 is being offered through Secret Witness to those who provide information leading to the arrest of whoever was responsible for the death.

Sheriff Tom Bosenko said Tuesday investigators are continuing to await test results on “vital pieces” of evidence in the case, but would not disclose the specific nature of the evidence. (They are Still waiting for "vital pieces" since May??? Makes NO Sense!)

Some of it, however, is DNA, he said.

Bosenko, Kropholler and other sheriff’s personnel have been keeping tight-lipped on the case for fear of jeopardizing the investigation.

But they, as well as many others, are eager for the case to be solved.

“We want it resolved as quickly as everyone else,” Kropholler said.

But a DOJ case backlog and other factors have slowed investigators as continue to try to piece the slaying puzzle together.

“They (investigators) want to be very diligent in what they are doing,” he said. “These guys are constantly working on the case in some fashion or another. We’re staying on top of it.”

Ron Powell, a Rancho Cucamonga attorney retained by Duenas, has said his client is not guilty of murder and that the sheriff’s investigation focused much too quickly on the innocent husband.

Powell said late Tuesday afternoon that his own investigator has an open dialogue with sheriff’s detectives, but he doesn’t know if sheriff’s personnel might be looking at any other people of interest in the case.

“I’m hopeful that they are,” he said.

Although Powell said Duenas is innocent, he has said he can’t discuss details that his client told him about the death.

Meanwhile, he said, his client continues to grieve for his late wife.

“I know he’s having a tough time,” Powell said.

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By George L. Winship, Editor
Posted October 5, 2012 at 2:41 p.m., updated October 5, 2012 at 2:57 p.m.

Five months to the day, Shasta County Sheriff's Deputies today arrested Mark Gilbert Duenas, 52, at his Cottonwood residence for the May 5 stabbing death of his then-51-year-old wife, Karen Kay Duenas.

Officials were acting on DNA evidence analyzed by the California Department of Justice laboratory as well as multiple interviews that had previously led authorities early on to name Mark Duenas as a "person of interest" in the investigation, stated Sheriff's Detective Sgt. Steve Grashoff.

"Our investigation continued for months as there were numerous amounts of evidence located at the scene (that) needed to be processed. The Department of Justice aided us in this investigation by processing such evidence," Grashoff wrote in a report released Friday, Oct. 5.

"After analyzing all of the evidence and conducting a multitude of interviews, we determined that Mark Duenas murdered his wife," Grashoff stated.

An arrest warrant was issued Friday, Oct. 5, on Mark Duenas, who back on June 5 had hired Ron Powell of Rancho Cucamonga in Ontario, Calif., to act on his behalf as his attorney. Duenas was arrested at his Robinson Glen Drive home, the same residence to which authorities had responded shortly after midnight in early May to reports of a female victim with major injuries.

Upon arrival, the sheriff's deputies discovered Karen Duenas inside the residence already dead.

Within two days, Shasta County Sheriff's Office representatives had ruled the death a homicide, Cottonwood's first since Carole Garton was murdered May 16, 1998.

Mrs. Duenas was the mother of five boys, many of them star athletes at West Valley High School.

Mark Duenas has been booked into Shasta County Jail on a single charge of murder.

Further details will be revealed later by representatives of the Shasta County District Attorney's Office.

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Shasta county sheriff's deputies arrested Mark Duenas for the murder of his wife Karen Duenas.
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Karen Duenas was found dead in the couple's Cottonwood home on Robinson Glenn Drive, May 5th. Deputies named Mark as a person of interest shortly after but they didn't have enough evidence to arrest him until now.

The Shasta County Sheriff's Office put out this press release on the arrest:

On Saturday, May 5th 2012 at approximately 0057 hours, deputies from the Shasta County Sheriff’s Office responded to 20481 Robinson Glen Drive in Shasta County for a report of a female with major injuries. Upon arrival deputies discovered the Victim, Karen Duenas, inside the residence who was pronounced dead at the scene.

Shasta County Sheriff’s Office Major Crimes Detectives responded and took over the investigation. Karen Duenas’ husband, Mark Duenas was named a “person of interest” during this investigation. He was interviewed by detectives but soon cut off all ties with our Office. Our investigation continued for months as there were numerous amounts of evidence located at the scene which needed to be processed. This evidence included DNA. The Department of Justice aided us in this investigation by processing such evidence. After analyzing all of the evidence and conducting a multitude of interviews, we determined that Mark Duenas murdered his wife.

The Shasta County Sheriff’s Office has been working closely with the Shasta County District Attorney’s Office. On today’s date an arrest warrant was issued on Mark Duenas. He was arrested at his home and booked into the Shasta County Jail for the murder of his wife.

Any questions in regards to this case will be handled by the District Attorney’s Office.

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By Sean Longoria
Published Tuesday, October 9, 2012

A 52-year-old Cottonwood man accused of the May murder of his wife pleaded not guilty Tuesday in Shasta County Superior Court.

Mark Duenas, arrested Friday on suspicion of the May 5 stabbing death of 51-year-old Karen Duenas, appeared briefly in court as his Rancho Cucamonga defense attorney, Ron Powell, entered the plea on his behalf.

Duenas remained mostly expressionless during the arraignment, switching his gaze from paperwork handed to him by Powell to retired Shasta County Superior Court Judge Anthony Anderson.

Duenas has been in custody since his arrest, and Anderson ordered bail will remain at $1 million. Powell said it's unlikely his client will post bail.

About 10 members of the Duenas family who attended Tuesday's arraignment politely declined to speak to reporters after the hearing.

But Powell did offer a statement, reiterating his client's innocence and support from the family.

"They're 100 percent behind him," he said.

Powell also said incarceration has been difficult on Mark Duenas, especially having his sons and other family members visit him at the jail.

"It's a big adjustment going from being a free man and never, ever having a charge in your life to being in custody and charged with murder," Powell said.

He also addressed Mark Duenas' treatment while in custody.

"They've played a few little games with him inside, where they've given a newspaper to the folks in his pod and said 'hey, we got a celebrity,' " Powell said. "That doesn't make thing easier for him, but that died down, and I hope they'll treat him with respect."

Sheriff's Lt. Dave Kent, reached by phone at the jail Tuesday, said inmates are given newspapers but he didn't think Powell's remark had merit.

Sheriff's deputies have said Mark Duenas admitted to dispatchers the morning Karen Duenas' body was found that he'd killed his wife. So WHY is he pleading NOT Guilty??

Powell said Tuesday he hasn't heard that on the tape of the 911 call and has yet to have the voice professionally analyzed.

"Unfortunately in this matter so far it's all been one-sided with these leaks or statements from law enforcement, with no one to test that evidence," Powell said.

Investigators also have said Mark Duenas began a "relationship" consisting of phone calls, texts and "romantic feelings" with a married woman in another state during the months leading up to Karen Duenas' death.

When Karen Duenas found out, she was "angry and upset," deputies said. After she confronted her husband, he told her he had ended the relationship.

But Mark Duenas later obtained a secret phone and kept communicating with the woman until she broke off the affair in February and sent a letter apologizing to Karen Duenas.

The woman told investigators Mark Duenas told her "'something bad would have to happen' for them to be together," a sheriff's detective said.

Mark Duenas will be back in court Oct. 17 for a plea disposition hearing. A preliminary hearing is set for Oct. 23.

Powell, who acknowledged the high-profile nature of Karen Duenas' murder and the aftermath, said it would "very, very difficult" to move Mark Duenas' trial outside Shasta County.

"All the judge wants to see is there's 12 people out there somewhere who haven't heard about the case and are fair and impartial," he said.

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Mark Duenas is expected to make his first court appearance on Tuesday, where he'll face charges for the murder of his wife, Karen Duenas. Mark was arrested on Friday, five months after his wife was found stabbed to death in their Cottonwood home.

Friday's arrest did not come from out of the blue. Based on evidence, Duenas was named a person of interest months ago. Investigators were just waiting for DNA to link him to the crime.

According to court documents, Mark Duenas first implicated himself in his wife's murder during a 911 call. In the first 13 seconds of the call, he was heard saying "I killed my wife...blood everywhere."

After police arrived, Mark's peculiar behavior interested investigators. He appeared to be leading them to the backyard where he suspected they may find something. What they did find was an open window, and a window screen cut open. But investigators say the scene around the window and any kind of intruder theory did not add up.

At the time of the murder, Mark and Karen were sleeping in separate rooms. Possibly, investigators say, because Mark was in a relationship with a married woman in another state. Karen found out and forced him to break it off. But they continued to communicate via calls and text messages on a secret cell phone. The relationship ended months before the murder, but detectives learned at some point Mark said "something bad would have to happen" for them to be together.

The scene of the murder also added several clues. Karen was stabbed in bed where she died within seconds, but police found her on the floor propped up with pillows. Despite the gruesome scene, Mark Duenas did not have any blood on him when police arrived.

Early on, police say, mark stopped cooperating with the investigation. At the time, they did not have enough evidence to charge him with murder. But DNA evidence, processed by the Department of Justice, finally lead to an arrest.

Duenas is currently being held on $1,000,000 bail.
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Duenas back in court in connection with his wife's death

By Record Searchlight staff
Posted October 19, 2012 at 11:58 a.m

A shackled Cottonwood man accused of murdering his wife of nearly 33 years was in Shasta County Superior Court this morning as he prepares to have his preliminary hearing next week.

Superior Court Judge William Gallagher was assigned to preside over Tuesday’s preliminary hearing for Mark Gilbert Duenas who is charged with murder in connection with the May 5 death of his 51-year-old wife, Karen.

Duenas, who nodded to two of his sons seated in a nearly empty courtroom, was arrested on Oct. 5 and remains in Shasta County jail in lieu of $1 million bail.

Chief Deputy District Attorney Brian Popkes declined this morning to say how many witnesses he expects to call to the stand during the preliminary hearing and said he did not want to answer questions about the high-profile case for fear of tainting the potential jury pool.

Next week’s hearing could determine whether there is sufficient evidence to order Duenas, 52, to stand trial for his wife’s death.

He has pleaded not guilty.

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There is MORE than "sufficient evidence". I hate this when the courts drag their feet.

New Details: Testimony Reveals More About Karen Duenas' Death

By Shay Arthur
POSTED: Oct 23 2012 11:30:49 AM PDT UPDATED: 6:35 PM Oct 23 2012

REDDING, Calif. -
A preliminary hearing is underway in Shasta County Court to determine if there's enough evidence to send Mark Duenas to trial for the murder of his wife.

Karen Duenas was found dead in the family's Cottonwood home in May. Her husband of 30 years, Mark Duenas, was arrested in October.

According to the criminal complaint filed by the District Attorney's Office, Mark Duenas was having a phone relationship with a woman out of state and that he told her quote "something bad would have to happen for them to be together".

The complaint also stated that in the initial 911 call, Mark Duenas admitted to the operator that he killed his wife.

In court Tuesday morning the prosecution played the 9-1-1 tape. Several people in the packed courtroom cried as the first and second calls were played, as well as an enhanced version of the first 13 seconds where prosecutors said Mark admitted he killed Karen.

A deputy testified about how neighbors came forward later to report they had heard screams coming from the Duenas' home. The Duenas' five sons were in the courtroom for Tuesday's hearing, along with other family members.

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video at above link.

Trial-setting for Duenas delayed

By Record Searchlight staff
Posted November 7, 2012 at 4 p.m.

The setting of a trial date for a Cottonwood man accused of stabbing his wife to death was put off today in Shasta County Superior Court until Nov. 19.

Mark Gilbert Duenas, 52, is charged with murder in the May 5 death of his wife of nearly 33 years, Karen, 51, at their Cottonwood home.

Duenas, who was arrested Oct. 5, was ordered last month to stand trial for murder following a lengthy preliminary hearing.

On the 911 call, played during the preliminary hearing that saw a battery of sheriff's deputies and investigators testify, an apparently distraught Duenas reportedly says, "'I got ah, I killed my wife; s--t, I'm, blood everywhere.'"

However, Ron Powell, a Rancho Cucamonga attorney representing Duenas, maintained that his client said on the 911 call, "I found my wife sick."

Chief Deputy District Attorney Brian Popkes said he believes Karen Duenas had been dead for hours before that 911 call was made and that Duenas has tried to make it appear that an intruder broke into the house and killed her.

Duenas remains in custody in Shasta County jail in lieu of $1 million bail.

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A trial date for Mark Gilbert Duenas, a Cottonwood man accused of murdering his wife earlier this year has been set for May 14, 2013.
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May trial date set for Duenas

By Raquel Royers
Posted December 19, 2012 at 3:17 p.m.

A trial date for Mark Gilbert Duenas, a Cottonwood man accused of murdering his wife earlier this year has been set for May 14, 2013.

Duenas, 52, is charged with the murder of his wife of 33 years, Karen Duenas at their home in Cottonwood. Karen Duenas was found dead May 5 after a 911 call was allegedly made by Mark Duenas, stating he had killed her.

However, Duenas is pleading not guilty and says an intruder killed his wife, court records state. He also denies saying that he killed her in the recorded 911 call.

A conference to check on reports was set for Feb. 19, as well as an April 8 settlement conference.

Duenas remains in custody in Shasta County Jail with a bail of $1 million.

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Duenas murder trial put off until July
By Jim Schultz
Posted March 25, 2013 at 10 p.m.

His legs and hands shackled to a wooden courtroom chair Monday, the Cottonwood man accused of killing his wife saw his May 14 trial postponed until summer.

Mark Gilbert Duenas, 53, who was in Shasta County Superior Court for a status conference, had his trial put off until July 9 at the request of his Southern California-based defense attorney, Ron Powell.

Duenas is charged with murder in the May 5 stabbing death of his wife of nearly 33 years, Karen.

Powell sought, and was granted, the trial continuance due to scheduling conflicts and his forensic expert just beginning to get DNA discovery evidence for analysis.

The high-profile case, which has been assigned to Superior Court Judge Bradley Boeckman, also has a new prosecutor, Eamon Fitzgerald, who replaces former Chief Deputy District Attorney Brian Popkes.

Popkes left earlier this month to take a position with the state Attorney General’s Office in Sacramento.

Duenas, who conversed briefly with Powers before his short court hearing, is due to return to court on June 17 for a trial readiness conference.

An April 8 settlement conference has been canceled.

Unlike his previous court hearing, there were no members of his family in attendance, but that might have been due to confusion surrounding the scheduling of his Monday hearing.

Last month, Powell was joined by members of the Duenas family, who read statements in strong defense of Duenas and proclaimed his innocence.

Duenas, who was arrested on Oct. 5, has maintained an intruder killed his wife.

But Popkes, the former prosecutor, has said he believes Duenas, after killing his wife, tried to make it appear an intruder had broken into the house.

Popkes has said there was no evidence of robbery or burglary at the Cottonwood home. Rather, he said, the Duenas marriage was in crisis and the husband had carried out a secretive text message and telephone relationship with an old flame who lives in Idaho.

Family members have disputed that the marriage was in crisis and maintained Duenas and his wife were deeply in love.

Forensic pathologist Susan Comfort has told detectives Karen Duenas died within a few seconds from a stab wound to her chest that severed her aorta. She also suffered two additional stab wounds to her back, but those wounds were not considered life-threatening.

Duenas remains in custody in Shasta County jail, with bail set at $1 million.

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Hope it's televised..and this guy burns in HELL!!

Did you read that whole article????? I was on fire when I read it!

Oh yes..I read it!

A pool of at least 140 prospective jurors has been called in Redding for the high profile trial of accused killer Mark Duenas.
Jury selection starts Tuesday.
Duenas is accused of killing his wife Karen, a mother of five and educator at Shasta College.
She was found stabbed to death in her bedroom last May, but her husband wasn't arrested for the crime until five months later ... when it was revealed he had a secret relationship with another woman.
Family members insist he's innocent .
Despite extensive publicity, including national media attention, the defense did not seek a change of venue.
The trial is expected to run six weeks, Duenas faces life in prison if he is convicted of first degree murder.
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The first day of testimony began Thursday in the trial of Mark Duenas, who is accused of murdering his wife of 33-years at their Cottonwood home.

The day began with opening arguments by the prosecution and defense attorney teams.

Shasta County Deputy Eamon Fitzgerald said the prosecution will prove that Mark Duenas stabbed his wife Karen to death May 5, 2012 so he could carry on with what has been described as an emotional affair with a woman in Idaho.

Defense attorney Ron Powell gave a brief opening statement announcing that his client "is not guilty of these charges" and that law enforcement has wrongly focused only on Mark Duenas from the beginning.

The prosecution's first witness of the trial was Annette Green, the woman alleged to be involved in an affair with Duenas.
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Duenas murder trial begins with testimonies
By Chelsea Kay
POSTED: 6:23 PM Jul 11 2013

REDDING, Calif. -
Details about the crime scene and a secret affair emerged on Thursday during the trial of Mark Duenas, the Cottonwood man accused of stabbing his wife, Karen, to death.

The prosecution's first witness was a woman who was involved in a phone relationship with Mark Duenas.

The witness, Annette Green, was from Idaho but lived in Redding in the late 1970's, when she and Mark were teenagers.

She said that they never dated and were just friends but they lost touch after her family moved.

In 2011, Green said she got a Facebook message from Mark with his phone number.

At first, she said that their messages mostly consisted of catching up and talking about their lives and families but over time, she said Mark started expressing feelings for her through texts and phone calls.

Green testified that she and Mark hid their relationship from their spouses and that they both knew it was wrong.

Eventually, Mark's wife, Karen Duenas discovered Green's phone number repeatedly showing up on phone records and confronted Mark about it.

After Karen found out, Green and Duenas stopped talking for a few months but Green said they picked back up again when Mark bought a pre-paid phone and used his friends' phone and his work phone.

Green told the courtroom that they had talked about the future and Mark had told her that "something really bad would have to happen" in order for them to be together.

She said that in January of 2012, she told Mark that she wanted to end their phone relationship but he reached out to her again in February, three months before Karen was murdered.

During the cross examination, Green said that while Mark did talk about a rocky marriage with Karen, he never said he wanted to leave her.

Dale Green, Annette's husband, testified after her, telling the courtroom that he had talked to Mark over the phone and stressed that he could no longer have a phone relationship with his wife.

Deputies who were at the scene also testified and described what they saw at the home that night and showed photos of Karen Duenas' bloody body. When Mark Duenas saw the photos, he held up his hand, blocking his view.

During Deputy Cary Erickson's testimony, he said that Mark, who did not sleep in the same bed as Karen, told him he was woken up by a cat fight the night of the murder and noticed a light on in the master bedroom.

Erickson said Duenas told him he went to check on his wife and that was when he found her dead.

Deputy Troy McCoy said he was the first to arrive at the crime scene, but it appeared that Karen had been dead for a few hours.

The next trial date will be on Tuesday morning.

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UPDATE: Judge denies defense motion for mistrial in Mark Duenas murder trial
By Shay Arthur
POSTED: 9:23 AM Jul 17 2013

REDDING, Calif. -
Wednesday morning a judge denied a defense motion for a mistrial in the murder trial of Mark Duenas. He's accused of killing his wife of 33 years, Karen Duenas in May of 2012.

The defense motion brought the trial to an abrupt halt Tuesday afternoon. Defense attorneys claimed prosecutors had introduced inadmissible evidence in front of the jury.

Prosecutors played a tape of Duenas being questioned after his wife Karen was found dead. In the tape, Duenas is heard asking for an attorney, and that's what the defense objected to in court Tuesday.

Judge Bradley Boeckman ruled no prejudice was suffered and any prejudiced has been cured by judge. The correct video of the interview will be taken into evidence.

Karen Duenas was found stabbed to death at the family's Cottonwood home in May 2012.

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Tears filled the courtroom on Thursday as the gallery and jury listened to testimony from Casey and Jason Duenas, the sons of murder suspect Mark Duenas and his murdered wife, Karen Duenas.
The Duenas' youngest son, Casey was the first to take the stand. He said he was frantically woken up by Mark after he said he had discovered a bloody Karen.
Earlier that evening, Casey had been at the movies. He said on the stand that Mark told him to go next door to his brother's house for help.
Casey said he was frightened that someone could be outside, but he did what he was told.
When Jason, the oldest son, testified, he said he felt for a pulse on Karen but could not find one and thought she was dead.
Because he lived next door to his parents, Jason Duenas described the openness of the Duenas home. He said the couple's garage was always open to friends and family. He began to tear up as he went on to say that his children had access to eat pancakes with "Grandpa Mark" and "Grandma Karen" whenever they wanted.
Earlier in the day, Sgt. Michael Perry with the Shasta County Sheriff's Office testified about Mark Duenas' lack of emotion at the crime scene.
He testified that when he saw Mark and Jason near Karen's body, Mark's behavior appeared to be "nonchalant" while he saw Jason crying.
Mark Duenas' attorney, Ron Powell, immediately objected to this and said that nowhere in Perry's report did he mention seeing the two in the same room nor did he describe their demeanor.
Following these testimonies, Dr. Susan Comfort, who conducted Karen's autopsy, testified.
She said that Karen had been stabbed three times, twice in the back and once in the chest and she had several cuts on her hands.
She said the weapon appeared to be a knife and it could have been a kitchen knife, but it was difficult to tell whether or not it was serrated.
The trial is expected to resume Tuesday.

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I feel so bad for Karen's sons!!!! OMG for their Dad to be emotionless while his sons were so upset is just plain cold. Those poor kids/grandkids have lost both Mom and Dad. I hope Mark Duenas rots in hell! MOO.

What you said!

7/31/2013


Today the prosecution and defense teams made their closing arguments in the Mark Duenas murder trial in a Shasta County Superior Courtroom.

In its closing statements, the prosecution made its case the evidence presented to the jury shows that Duenas murdered his wife Karen in their Cottonwood home last May. The defense cited a 911 call in which the prosecution claims Duenas stated "I killed my wife". The defense claims Duenas stated "my wife is sick" during the call. The prosecution argued with the amount of blood found at the scene, “sick” was not a reasonable interpretation.

In closing the prosecution stated Duenas was the only one with the motive, means, and opportunity to kill Karen.

The defense in its closing arguments stated it was “easy to assume” Duenas murdered his wife since he was the only one known to be at the scene, but that the prosecution failed to fully prove its case. The defense also claimed investigators unfairly targeted Duenas from the start. Duenas also claimed the 911 call investigators played for him was altered and slowed down. The defense further stated according to witness testimony there was little evidence the married couple intended to file for divorce.

The Jury began its deliberation at approximately 3:30 p.m. today.

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Darn, I missed almost this entire trial and I didn't mean to. Thanks for the update Nite. I'm sorry I haven't been keeping up my part for the past few days. Hopefully I'll be up running within the next couple of days and you won't be out in the cold alone!

I bet! 91 at 3:30 am? Oh no way....

 

raine1953 wrote:Darn, I missed almost this entire trial and I didn't mean to. Thanks for the update Nite. I'm sorry I haven't been keeping up my part for the past few days. Hopefully I'll be up running within the next couple of days and you won't be out in the cold alone!

Raine.....  

Aug 02 2013
On Friday the jury listened to the remainder of a read-back of Jason Duenas' testimony as well as read-backs from Deputy McCoy and Erickson.
The jury will meet again at 9 a.m. on Tuesday to continue their deliberations.

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8/6/2013

The jury in the Mark Duenas murder trial has indicated they are "hopelessly deadlocked". The judge has declared a mistrial.

A “hung jury” was announced during the verdict reading in the Mark Duenas trial moments ago. The judge has sent the jury back for further deliberation. A courtroom source has told Action News Now Reporter Charlene Cheng the jury is currently hung 9-3 in favor of acquittal. Duenas is charged with stabbing his wife to death his wife in their Cottonwood home last May.

Last Wednesday, the prosecution and defense teams made their closing arguments to the jury.

In its closing statements, the prosecution made its case the evidence presented to the jury shows that Duenas murdered his wife Karen in their Cottonwood home last May. The defense cited a 911 call in which the prosecution claims Duenas stated "I killed my wife". The defense claims Duenas stated "my wife is sick" during the call. The prosecution argued with the amount of blood found at the scene, “sick” was not a reasonable interpretation.

In closing the prosecution stated Duenas was the only one with the motive, means, and opportunity to kill Karen.

The defense in its closing arguments stated it was “easy to assume” Duenas murdered his wife since he was the only one known to be at the scene, but that the prosecution failed to fully prove its case. The defense also claimed investigators unfairly targeted Duenas from the start. Duenas also claimed the 911 call investigators played for him was altered and slowed down. The defense further stated according to witness testimony there was little evidence the married couple intended to file for divorce.

The jury began its deliberations around 3:30 p.m. last Wednesday.

Ealier in the trial, the judge denied a motion for a mistrial by the defense. The motion was prompted while the prosecution was playing a dvd recording of Duenas being interviewed by detectives shortly after his arrest. Minutes into the presentation, however, prosecutors realized that a portion of the interview that was not supposed to be played was playing in the courtroom. It was during that segment when Duenas was heard asking for an attorney to be present. Our reporter tells us a member of the prosecution team leapt up to turn down the recording.

Prosecutors explained to the judge that the there was a long and short version DVD recording. The long version was the one played to the jury. motion was eventually denied by the judge.

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SPEECHLESS!! And  

This is Florida all over again! MOO!