New Trial Date Set for Accused Murderer

A new trial date was set Tuesday for John J. Famalaro, a former handyman accused of killing a Newport Beach woman and storing her body in a freezer for three years.

Jury selection in the long-delayed murder trial is now scheduled to begin on Feb. 24, two weeks later than originally anticipated. Orange County Superior Court Judge John J. Ryan, who will preside over the high-profile case, said he is prepared to question at least 1,000 potential jurors to find an impartial panel.

Famalaro, 39, is accused of kidnapping, sexually assaulting and bludgeoning 23-year-old Denise Huber after her car broke down on the Corona del Mar Freeway in June 1991. Famalaro was arrested in July 1994 after authorities found Huber’s body in a running freezer in a stolen rental truck parked in the driveway of his home in Dewey, Ariz.

The former Lake Forest resident has pleaded not guilty to the charges. He faces the death penalty if convicted.

Ryan will begin hearing arguments for a change of venue motion Feb. 14. Famalaro’s attorneys want the trial moved to another location because they say public knowledge of the case is unprecedented in Orange County and could taint potential jurors.

In addition, a lengthy battle is being fought by defense attorneys to suppress evidence collected in the case. That process, which is taking place before Orange County Superior Court Judge Kathleen E. O’Leary, has taken much longer than planned and will resume Monday.

O’Leary was to have presided over the murder trial, but it was assigned to Ryan because of a conflict in O’Leary’s court calendar. The case has experienced a series of delays since Famalaro’s arrest more than two years ago.