Case FLMSD96-00974 - J. WILLIAMS VS J. WILLIAMS

Case FLMSD96-00974 - J. WILLIAMS VS J. WILLIAMS  

This divorce like many others ended with a Murder Suicide on Lookout Point Mt. Diablo 

Case FLMSD96-00974 - J. WILLIAMS VS J. WILLIAMS


Case FLMSD96-00974 - Complaints/Parties

Complaint Number: 1 Complaint Type: Pre-JBSIS Complaint/Petition Filing Date: 03/15/1996 Complaint Status: ACTIVE
Party Number	Party Type	Party Name	Attorney	Party Status
1	PLAINTIFF	JUDITH E. WILLIAMS	Pro Per
2	DEFENDANT	JAMES R. WILLIAMS	Unrepresented	Serve Required (WaitS)

Case FLMSD96-00974 - Actions/Minutes

Viewed	Date	Action Text	Disposition	Image
	08/28/2008	COPIES	Not Applicable
Minutes     You are Not Authorized to View Minutes prior to 12/31/2099
	08/21/2008	COPIES	Not Applicable
Minutes     You are Not Authorized to View Minutes prior to 12/31/2099
	07/27/2001	STIPULATION & ORDER AFTER 8/21/00 HEARING	Not Applicable
	07/27/2001	STIPULATION & ORDER TO/FOR APPOINTMENT OF SPECIAL MASTER FILED	Not Applicable
	10/10/2000	ORDER AFTER 082100 HEARING RE: RESERVED ISSUES FILED	Not Applicable
Minutes     You are Not Authorized to View Minutes prior to 12/31/2099
	08/21/2000	ORDER AFTER 082100 HEARING RE: ARREARS/REIMBURSEMENT OF FEES FILED	Not Applicable
Minutes     You are Not Authorized to View Minutes prior to 12/31/2099
	08/21/2000 8:30 AM DEPT. 05	F/L FURTHER HRG/REVIEW RE: CUSTODY & VISITATION	COMPLETED
Minutes     You are Not Authorized to View Minutes prior to 12/31/2099
	08/21/2000 8:30 AM DEPT. 05	HEARING ON F/L MTN/OSC TO/FOR EATABLISH ARREARAGE ( JAMES R. WILLIAMS) (PRO PER)	COMPLETED
Minutes     You are Not Authorized to View Minutes prior to 12/31/2099
	07/14/2000	ORDER AFTER 051600 HEARING RE: MEDIATION, CUSTODY, ETC FILED	Not Applicable
	07/06/2000	HEARING ON F/L MTN/OSC WAS SET FOR 8/21/00 AT 8:30 IN DEPT. 05
	07/06/2000	FAMILY LAW OSC/MOTION RE: ESTABLISH ARREARAGE FILED BY JAMES R. WILLIAMS
Minutes     You are Not Authorized to View Minutes prior to 12/31/2099
	05/16/2000	HEARING ON F/L REVIEW WAS SET FOR 8/21/00 AT 8:30 IN DEPT. 05
	05/16/2000 8:30 AM DEPT. 05	HEARING ON F/L MTN/OSC TO/FOR MODIFICATION OF CHILD VISITATION/INJUNCTIVE ORDER ( JUDITH E. WILLIAMS) (PRO PER)	COMPLETED
Minutes     You are Not Authorized to View Minutes prior to 12/31/2099
	05/08/2000	RESPONSIVE DECLARATION OF JAMES R. WILLIAMS TO OSC OR NOTICE OF MOTION FIELD; HEARING SCHEDULED FOR 05/16/00 AT 08:30 IN 05	Not Applicable
	04/21/2000	HEARING ON F/L MTN/OSC WAS SET FOR 5/16/00 AT 8:30 IN DEPT. 05
	04/21/2000	INCOME & EXPENSE DECLARATION FILED BY JUDITH E. WILLIAMS	Not Applicable
	04/21/2000	OSC (CUSTODY AND/OR VISITATION RE: MODIFICATION OF VISITATION/INJUNCTIVE ORDER FILED BY JUDITH E. WILLIAMS	Not Applicable
Minutes     You are Not Authorized to View Minutes prior to 12/31/2099
	03/07/2000	FINDINGS & ORDER AFTER 03/07/00 HEARING RE: CLARIFYING SUPPORT, ADD-ONS AND ARREARS FILED.	Not Applicable
	03/07/2000 1:30 PM DEPT. 05	HEARING ON F/L MTN/OSC TO/FOR CLARIFICATION OF SUPPT,ARREARS,FEES,ETC *OST* ( JUDITH E. WILLIAMS) (PRO PER)	COMPLETED
Minutes     You are Not Authorized to View Minutes prior to 12/31/2099
	03/06/2000	RESPONSIVE DECLARATION OF JAMES R. WILLIAMS TO OSC OR NOTICE OF MOTION FIELD; HEARING SCHEDULED FOR 03/07/00 AT 01:30 IN 05	Not Applicable
	02/25/2000	HEARING ON F/L MTN/OSC WAS SET FOR 3/07/00 AT 13:30 IN DEPT. 05
	02/25/2000	EX-PARTE APPLICATION FOR ORD SH TIME (P) FILED BY JUDITH E. WILLIAMS
	02/25/2000	FAMILY LAW OSC/MOTION RE: CLARIFICATION OF SUPPT;ARREARS;FEES FILED BY JUDITH E. WILLIAMS
	02/25/2000	FEE RECEIVED FOR OSC W/ORD SH TIME (P)	Not Applicable
Minutes     You are Not Authorized to View Minutes prior to 12/31/2099
	10/15/1999	SUBSTITUTION OF ATTORNEY FILED. SCHLEGEL, LEANNE SUBSTITUTES OUT AS ATTORNEY FOR JUDITH E. WILLIAMS AND IS REPLACED BY PRO/PER	Not Applicable
	09/02/1999	NOTICE OF UNAVAILABILITY OF ATTORNEY SCHLEGEL, LEANNE FOR JUDITH E. WILLIAMS FOR PERIOD 9/10/99 THROUGH 9/20/99 FILED	Not Applicable
	03/30/1999	JUDGMENT ON RESERVED ISSUES FILED	Not Applicable
Minutes     You are Not Authorized to View Minutes prior to 12/31/2099
	03/22/1999	ORDER (AFT TRIAL) ON RESERVED ISSUES OF BANK ONE DEBT; VALUE OF FORD TAURUS AUTO & CHILD SUPPORT	Not Applicable
Minutes     You are Not Authorized to View Minutes prior to 12/31/2099
	02/17/1999 1:30 PM DEPT. 07	F/L SPECIAL SET HEARING ON: BANK ONE DEBT (JUDGE JOEL H.GOLUB TO HEAR)	COMPLETED
Minutes     You are Not Authorized to View Minutes prior to 12/31/2099
	01/28/1999	WE CANNOT FILE/ISSUE YOUR JMT ON RSVD ISSUES FOR THE FOLLOWING REASON:	Not Applicable
Minutes     You are Not Authorized to View Minutes prior to 12/31/2099
	01/28/1999	FINDINGS & ORDER AFTER 12/16/98 HEARING RE: ALLOCATION OF DEBT, ATTENDANCE AT ELEM SCHOOL FILED.	Not Applicable
	12/16/1998	DECLARATION OF RESPONDENT FILED RE: BANK ONE CREDIT CARD	Not Applicable
	12/16/1998	DECLARATION OF COUNSEL FOR RESPONDENT FILED RE: BANK ONE CREDIT CARD STATEMENTS	Not Applicable
	12/16/1998	F/L SPECIAL SET HEARING WAS SET FOR 2/17/99 AT 13:30 IN DEPT. 07
	12/16/1998 1:30 PM DEPT. 07	F/L SPECIAL SET HEARING ON: ARREARS,R/C,BONUS ISSUE,FEES	COMPLETED
Minutes     You are Not Authorized to View Minutes prior to 12/31/2099
	12/07/1998	INCOME & EXPENSE DECLARATION FILED BY JAMES R. WILLIAMS	Not Applicable
	11/05/1998	PROOF OF SERVICE ON ATTY, RONALD WAGNER RE P&AS;I&E & DECL RE FEES SERVICE DATE OF 11/04/98 FILED BY JUDITH E. WILLIAMS; METHOD OF SERVICE: PERSONAL DELIVERY	Not Applicable
	11/05/1998	QUALIFIED DOMESTIC RELATIONS ORDER	Not Applicable
	11/04/1998	F/L SPECIAL SET HEARING WAS SET FOR 12/16/98 AT 13:30 IN DEPT. 07
	11/04/1998	STIP TO PRO TEM JOEL H. GOLUB	Not Applicable
	11/04/1998	STIP FOR JUDGE PRO TEM JOEL H. GOLUB	Not Applicable
	11/04/1998 1:30 PM DEPT. 07	F/L SPECIAL SET HEARING ON: TRIAL (JOEL GOLUB TO HEAR)	COMPLETED
Minutes     You are Not Authorized to View Minutes prior to 12/31/2099
	11/04/1998	DECLARATION OF LEANNE SCHLEGEL FILED RE: ATTORNEYS FEES	Not Applicable
	11/04/1998	POINTS AND AUTHORITIES IN SUPPORT OF CUSTODY DESIGNATION FILED BY JUDITH E. WILLIAMS	Not Applicable
	11/04/1998	INCOME & EXPENSE DECLARATION FILED BY JUDITH E. WILLIAMS	Not Applicable
	11/02/1998	PROOF OF SERVICE ON ATTY RONALD WAGNER RE REBUTTAL TO RSPDTS DECL SERVICE DATE OF 10/29/98 FILED BY JUDITH E. WILLIAMS; METHOD OF SERVICE: PERSONAL DELIVERY	Not Applicable
	10/29/1998	PENTRS REBUTTAL TO RESPTS DEC IN LIEU OF TEST	Not Applicable
	10/28/1998	RESPONSE TO DIRECT TESTIMONY OF PETNR (R)	Not Applicable
	10/20/1998	DECLARATION OF RESPT FILED RE: IN LIEU OF DIRECT TESTIMONY	Not Applicable
	10/20/1998	DECLARATION OF COUNSEL FOR RESPT FILED RE: LATE FILING OF DIRECT TESTIMONY OF RESPT	Not Applicable
	10/16/1998	PROOF OF SERVICE ON ATTY R. WAGNER RE PTNRS DECL IN LIEU OF TESTIMONY SERVICE DATE OF 10/14/98 FILED BY JUDITH E. WILLIAMS; METHOD OF SERVICE: PERSONAL DELIVERY	Not Applicable
	10/14/1998	PETNRS DECL IN LIEU OF DIRECT TESTIMONY	Not Applicable
	10/07/1998	F/L SPECIAL SET HEARING WAS SET FOR 11/04/98 AT 13:30 IN DEPT. 07
	08/12/1998 8:00 AM DEPT. 07	MAND SETTLEMENT CONF JUDGE PRO TEM JOEL H. GOLUB TO HEAR	COMPLETED
	08/04/1998 8:00 AM DEPT. 07	MAND SETTLEMENT CONFERENCE JUDGE PRO TEM JOEL H. GOLUB	CONTINUED
	06/26/1998 8:00 AM DEPT. 07	MAND SETTLEMENT CONF JUDGE PRO TEM JOEL H. GOLUB TO HEAR
	06/17/1998 8:00 AM DEPT. 07	MAND SETTLEMENT CONFERENCE JUDGE PRO TEM JOEL H. GOLUB
	06/17/1998 8:00 AM DEPT. 07	NON-JURY TRIAL - F/L SHORT CAUSE JUDGE PRO TEM JO EL H. GOLUB
	06/16/1998 8:00 AM DEPT. 07	MAND SETTLEMENT CONFERENCE JUDGE PRO TEM JOEL H. GOLUB	COMPLETED
Minutes     You are Not Authorized to View Minutes prior to 12/31/2099
	04/23/1998	** END OF RECONSTRUCTED FILE
	04/20/1998	STIP & ORDER RE TEMP FAMILY SUPT ENTERED ON MICR OFILM: 9/20/96
	04/17/1998	QUALIFIED DOMESTIC RELATIONS ORDER
	04/17/1998	QUALIFIED DOMESTIC RELATIONS ORDER RETIREMENT IN COME GUARANTEE PLAN
	04/08/1998	STIP & ORDER RE PENDENTE LITE CUSTODT & VISIT- A TION ISSUES (R)
	04/08/1998	STIP & ORDER FOR PRIVATE CH CUST, NON-CONF RECOM MENDING MEDIATION & EVALUATION (P)
	04/08/1998	FEE COLLECTED FOR (2) EX PARTE ORDERS
	04/08/1998	STIP & ORDER RE PENDENTE LITE CUST & VISIT ISSUE S
	04/08/1998	STIP & ORDER RE PRIVATE CH CUST, NON CONFIDEN- T IAL RECOMMENDING MEDIATION, & EVAL, IF >>>
	04/08/1998	** <<< RECOMMENDED
	03/27/1998	** RETD STIP & ORDER - CHECK NOT SIGNED
	02/25/1998 8:00 AM DEPT. 07	FAMILY LAW TELEPHONE CONFERENCE	COMPLETED
Minutes     You are Not Authorized to View Minutes prior to 12/31/2099
	02/25/1998 8:00 AM DEPT. 07	MAND SETTLEMENT CONFERENCE JUDGE PRO TEM JOEL H. GOLUB
	02/05/1998	SUBST OF ATTY FOR RESPT (OLD:HARDIN ET AL (NEW:W AGNEER & WAGNER
	12/03/1997 8:00 AM DEPT. 07	FAMILY LAW TELEPHONE CONFERENCE
	12/03/1997	NOTICE OF TELEPHONE CONFERENCE D-7, 2-25-98 AT 1 :50PM
	12/01/1997	> AT-ISSUE MEMORANDUM OF PETNR -JUDITH WILLIAMS B Y: LEANNE SCHLEGEL/NJT/4 HOURS
	12/01/1997	> AT-ISSUE MEMORANDUM OF PETNR (JUDITH WILLIAMS B Y: (SCHLEGEL - NJT 4 HRS
	11/25/1997	** RTRND RS AT-ISSUE - MUST BE ON PINK PAPER PER LOCAL RULES OF COURT
	07/31/1997	QUALIFIED DOMESTIC RELATIONS ORDER
	07/31/1997	QUALIFIED DOMESTIC RELATIONS ORDER
	07/31/1997	QUALIFIED DOMESTIC RELATIONS ORDER
	07/31/1997	QUALIFIED DOMESTIC RELATIONS ORDER RE CASH BA- L ANCE RETIREMENT ACCT (R)
	07/31/1997	QUALIFIED DOMESTIC RELATIONS ORDER RE XEROX STOC K FUND BEFORE TAX PLAN & BALANCE FUND..
	07/31/1997	... OPTIONAL PROFIT SHARING PLAN (R)
	07/31/1997	QUALIFIED DOMESTIC RELATIONS ORDER RE EMPLOYEE S TOCK OWNERSHIP OLAN (R)
	07/28/1997	FEE COLLECTED FOR EX PARTE QDRO RE EMPLOYEE STOC K OWNERSHIP PLAN (R)
	07/28/1997	FEE COLLECTED FOR EX PARTE QDRI RE XEROX STOCK F UND BEFORE TAX PLAN & BALANCED FUND
	07/28/1997	FEE COLLECTED FOR EX PARTE QDRO CASH BALANCE RET IREMENT ACCOUNT
	06/17/1997 8:00 AM DEPT. 08	TELEPHONE CONFERENCE	COMPLETED
Minutes     You are Not Authorized to View Minutes prior to 12/31/2099
	05/28/1997	NTC OF ENTRY OF JUDGMENT
	05/28/1997	NTC OF ENTRY OF JUDGMENT WITH CERT OF MAILING
	05/21/1997	APPEARANCE, STIP. & WAIVERS
	05/21/1997	STIP & ORDER FOR BIFURCATION OF ISSUES TO OBTAIN JDGMENT OF DISSO - STATUS ONLY
	05/21/1997	DECL FOR DEFAULT OR UNCONTESTED DISSOLUTION FC 2 336
	05/21/1997	JUDGMENT - STATUS ONLY ENDS 5/21/97 (MICROFILMED 05/21/97)
	05/21/1997 8:00 AM DEPT. 08	MTN: COMPEL BIFURCATION OF MARITAL STATUS, ATTY F EES (R)	COMPLETED
Minutes     You are Not Authorized to View Minutes prior to 12/31/2099
	05/21/1997	APPEARANCE, STIP. & WAIVERS
	05/21/1997	STIP.& ORDER TO BIFURCATE-STATUS ONLY
	05/21/1997	DECL FOR DEFAULT OR UNCONTESTED DISSOLUTION FC 2 336
	05/21/1997	JUDGMENT - MARITAL STATUS ONLY ENDS 5-21-97 (MIC ROFILMED 5-21-97)
	05/20/1997	NTC OF UNAVAILABILITY OF COUNSEL (PETN)
	05/15/1997	SUBST OF ATTY FOR PETNR (OLD: IN PRO PER) (NEW: LEANNE SCHLEGEL)
	05/14/1997	SUBST OF ATTY FOR PETNR(OLD:ROSEMARY MATOSSIAN ( NEW:PRO PER
	04/28/1997 8:00 AM DEPT. 08	MTN: COMPEL BIFURCATION OF MARITAL STATUS, ATTY F EES (R)
	04/25/1997	NTC OF MTN RE ATTY FEES & COMPEL BIFURCATION OFM ARTIAL STATUS (R) 5-21-97 D8 8:29AM
	04/17/1997 8:00 AM DEPT. 08	TELEPHONE CONFERENCE	COMPLETED
Minutes     You are Not Authorized to View Minutes prior to 12/31/2099
	04/17/1997 8:00 AM DEPT. 08	TELEPHONE CONFERENCE
	03/25/1997	** (LETTER RE REGISTRATION OF OUR JUDGMENT IN CIR CUIT CT OF MISSOURI THEIR # 973-00928
	02/25/1997 8:00 AM DEPT. 08	FURTHER SETTLEMENT CONFERENCE	COMPLETED
Minutes     You are Not Authorized to View Minutes prior to 12/31/2099
	02/25/1997 8:00 AM DEPT. 08	TELEPHONE CONFERENCE
	02/24/1997	RESPT SETTLEMENT CONFERENCE STATEMENT
	11/27/1996 8:00 AM DEPT. 08	FURTHER SETTLEMENT CONFERENCE
	11/25/1996 8:00 AM DEPT. 08	MAND SETLMT CONF - FAM.LAW	COMPLETED
Minutes     You are Not Authorized to View Minutes prior to 12/31/2099
	11/04/1996 8:00 AM DEPT. 31	MTN FOR CH/SP SUPPORT, FEES (P)	COMPLETED
Minutes     You are Not Authorized to View Minutes prior to 12/31/2099
	09/27/1996 8:00 AM DEPT. 08	MAND SETLMT CONF - FAM.LAW
	09/27/1996	NOTICE OF SETTLEMENT CONFERENCE
	09/20/1996	FEE COLLECTED FOR STIP ORDER RE: TEMP FAMILY SUP PORT MICRO 9-20-96
	09/20/1996	COPY & CERTIFICATIONS
	09/19/1996	> AT-ISSUE MEMORANDUM OF PLTF- JUDITH E. WILLIAMS BY: ROSEMARY MATOSSIAN/NJT/4 HOURS
	09/19/1996	> AT-ISSUE MEMORANDUM OF RESP- (JAMES BY:MATOSSIA N NJ/4HRS.
	09/16/1996	>> RESPONSE FILED FEE PD
	09/16/1996 8:00 AM DEPT. 31	MTN FOR CH/SP SUPPORT, FEES (P)
	09/16/1996	NTC/MTN RE CH SUPPT, SP SUPPT & ATTY FEES/COSTS( P) 11/4/96 1:30PM D41
	09/16/1996	>> RESPONSE FILED
	04/02/1996	SUMMONS W/PRF OF SVC BY MAIL & ACKN SIGNED 3/25/ 96
	04/02/1996	SUMMONS W/NTC OF ACKNOW OF SUM & PETN RE: JAMESR . WILLIAMS W/PRF OF MLG SIGNED ON 03-25-96
	03/15/1996	PETN FOR DISSOLUTION OF MARRIAGE - SUMMONS ISSUE D FEE PD
	03/15/1996	PETN FOR DISSOLUTION OF MARRIAGE - SUMMONS ISSUE D

Case FLMSD96-00974 - Pending Hearings

Date	Action Text	Disposition	Image
This Case Does Not Have Any Pending Hearings

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Obit: The Clare Orton Murder and Orton Development

WALNUT CREEK — Two promising students — one a freshman at San Diego State and the other who studied engineering at Stanford University — died Tuesday in what police said looked like a murder-suicide in a home just north of Ygnacio Valley Road.

Clare Orton, a 19-year-old majoring in environmental engineering in San Diego, was found dead in her parents’ Walnut Creek home off Homestead Avenue. Also there was the body of Scott Bertics, a 21-year-old Lafayette resident who had attended Stanford.

Police called to the neighborhood around 6:50 a.m. said they found the two dead from gunshot wounds inside a home on Holton Court.

The two knew each other and had dated, police said.

She had graduated from Las Lomas High School in 2014 and he from Acalanes in Lafayette in 2012. Both were interested in engineering and both were long distance runners on the track teams at their high schools.

Orton’s family lived in the home for more than 10 years, said neighbor Linda Darnsteadt.

The “very pleasant” college student was visiting her home for the summer break from San Diego State, where she had completed her first year, Darnsteadt said.

“I’m just so sad. That’s so tragic,” she said.

Darnsteadt and her husband Gary said that they did not hear gunshots.

“We knew something tragic had happened, but we didn’t know what,” Linda Darnsteadt said. Police cars filled the cul-de-sac until noonOrton was an honors student at San Diego State, according to a school merit page. Her Facebook page includes a reference to membership in the Society of Women Engineers at San Diego State and to the Eco-Action Club at Las Lomas High School in Walnut Creek.

For a photo of a rainbow posted on her Facebook page, she wrote, “When the sunrise is underwhelming, turn around, you may see a double rainbow.”

Bertics was on leave of absence from Stanford and last attended the school in the fall of 2014, a school spokesman said.

Stanford’s website lists Bertics as a member of a team that in 2013 worked on project called “Controlling Robot Dynamics with Spiking Neurons.” He is also credited in a 2014 paper by some of the same team members for developing the driver interface in a project titled: “Controlling Articulated Robots in Task-Space with Spiking Silicon Neurons.”

A 2011 Github entry shows his pleasure at winning an animation code award. “I wrote this program during the summer quarter in 2011 and it won the Stanford CS106A graphics contest!”

Bertics also had a YouTube channel called “sbertics” on which he put videos of his projects, but the newest videos were of glider flights over Oahu in Hawaii. His electronic device videos were three years old.

Walnut Creek police would like to hear from anyone who might have information about what happened. They can be reached at 925-943-5844.

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City Manager Ken Nordoff

The City of Walnut Creek has far too many suicides, dubious jumpers, and has a history of covering up investigations. 
The City Manager resigned effective Dec. 31, 2016 but my first successful use of the Brown Act occurred on Nov 2nd, 2011. 
Not knowing the specifics of the Brown Act uses and timing relevant to the Agenda Items.  I stood up. 
Later I learned one of my oldest customers Bill Hoot was ranting at the correct time.  We basically said the same thing to the Council. 
We’ve been robbed, our cases are stalled and the Walnut Creek Police were corrupt. 

Pete Bennett was holding a protest at the B of A tech Center in 2003, a year later just about every employee at the Town of Danville witnessed Bennett’s truck explode.  I know I have witnesses and those employed in Danville could end up dead like my other witness. 

The prior day I’d met with City Manager Ken Nordoff and then Chief Joel Bryden.   There was late June conversation with Bryden about the recent Federal Indictments of officers connected to the Contra Costa Narcotics Enforcement Taskforce linked to an attack by Gary Vinson Collins who was a building inspector who nearly beat me to death in my house.  
The Bennett/Bryden/Nordoff meeting was about Bennett v.  Collins (2004) with then Chief Chris Wenzel.

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OBIT: Army Spc. James J. Coon, 22, Walnut Creek; killed by a sniper @dod @cia @army @marines

Army Spc. James J. Coon, 22, Walnut Creek; killed by a sniper


April 15, 2007|John M. Glionna | Times Staff Writer

James J. Coon went to war as a way to better his life, hoping to use his soldier's pay to one day buy a house.






SPC James Coon

Step Mom worked at Nordstrom

Was my tailor

Knows my sons and ex

Stracks, Driscolls and Marshalls

ALL KNOWN TO BENNETT

Once in Iraq, he was recognized for his heroism after he jumped from his Humvee in an effort to save two fellow soldiers seriously injured in a roadside bomb explosion.

Then, his family says, a sniper's bullet took his life.

The 22-year-old Army specialist from the San Francisco Bay Area city of Walnut Creek was killed April 4 while on patrol in Balad, north of Baghdad.

The Department of Defense initially listed his cause of death as a roadside bomb explosion. But a co lonel in Coon's unit called the family last week from Iraq to explain that their son had been shot in the head.

Coon's body was returned to his family Thursday.

The soldier's father, Jim, described his son as an outgoing youth who loved hip-hop music and dancing, and excelled in football and darts. Coon had won a national steel-tip dart championship in 2001 and traveled to England as a 16-year-old to represent the United States. He finished fifth.

At 6 feet 6, with a size 14 1/2 shoe, Coon also was a punter on his high school and college football teams. His real love, his father said, was popping wheelies on his motorcycle.

"He was a good athlete as tall as he was," his father said. "He could ride his motorcycle doing a wheelie from one county to the next, even using one hand.

"He was a happy-go-lucky and free-spirited kid without a care in the world. He made friends very easily. It was uncanny how easily he could do that."

Pat Lickiss, principal of Las Lomas High School in Walnut Creek, said Coon was a "kid who always had a smile on his face. He was a really nice young man. And you can't say that about all kids these days. But you can about James."

Coon, who grew up in Walnut Creek, was practical about his future, his father said. He worked as a supermarket clerk and in a paint store and lawnmower shop. He figured that the military would be a good way to save enough money to buy his own home some day.

He enlisted in September 2005, right after his 21st birthday, and spent six months in Iraq before he was killed.

Jim Coon said he kept in regular touch with his son through e-mails, which the young soldier used to express his growing frustration with the war effort. In one e-mail, the soldier wrote about fighting what he called an unseen enemy: "Dad, I feel like we're fighting ghosts. There's nobody out here to fight."

His father offered support. "James didn't like what was going on in Iraq," he said. "He didn't want to be there. But he was a dedicated soldier who did what he was told."

Last month, Coon attempted a rescue near Baghdad. He was working as a gunner in the hatch of a Humvee on patrol when his unit was struck by a roadside bomb, his father said.

When several soldiers went to investigate, a second bomb detonated, wounding half a dozen men. "He heard them screaming for help, so James told his driver to hold his gun, and he went out, without cover, to help his fellow buddies," his father said. "One guy was a medic, the other a sergeant. He put tourniquets on them. Both later died."

Coon was nominated for a Bronze Star but couldn't understand the honor, his father said. "He said, 'Dad, they're calling me a hero, but all I did was what I thought was right. A lot of kids would have done the same thing.' "

Coon said he had lost his buddies, and that hurt. "He told me, 'The only good thing I had out of this whole thing was taken from me when both those guys passed away,' " his father said.

In a subsequent e-mail to his family, Coon wrote of a lingering depression. "I wanna come home so bad. I don't wanna play Army anymore," he wrote.

Jim Coon said he saw his son in February during a military leave. He will remember him as a big, strapping boy who had yet to figure out a direction in life.

"In his last e-mail, he said he'd die for his brothers, as he called them," his father said. "My boy didn't go down without a fight."

He said that he recently read an entry on his son's MySpace.com website in which he wrote: "My dad is for sure my hero. He is also my best friend."

Said his father: "When I saw that, it tore me up."

In addition to his father, Coon is survived by his stepmother, Marie Coon; two half sisters, Roxanna Coon and Samantha Lares; and his grandparents, Jack and Janet Stahl of Fairfield, Calif.

john.glionna@latimes.com


War casualties
Total U.S. deaths*:
* In and around Iraq**: 3,292
* In and around Afghanistan***: 313
* Other locations***: 61

Source: Department of Defense* Includes military and Department of Defense-employed civilian personnel killed in action and in nonhostile circumstances
**As of Friday
***As of April 7

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Obit: 2011 ~ Two Las Lomas graduates killed in Sacramento County car crash

Two Las Lomas graduates killed in Sacramento County car crash

June 3, 2011 17:38 pm · 45 comments

Two Las Lomas High School graduates & a Lincoln man were killed in an overnight accident in Sacramento County.
The two Walnut Creek natives were 18-year-old Christian Bishop and 20-year-old Maurice Waters.
Watch the video above for more information on the crash.

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