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TMCNet: Sandoval Trial Day 10: Theory that woman skipped town rebutted

[July 24, 2010]

Sandoval Trial Day 10: Theory that woman skipped town rebutted

Jul 24, 2010 (Greeley Tribune - McClatchy-Tribune Information Services via COMTEX) -- If ever there was someone who vanished without a trace, it was Kristina Tournai-Sandoval.

The young nurse who had just graduated from the University of Northern Colorado to work her dream job at North Colorado Medical Center hadn't even finished her six-month forbearance period on her student loans before disappearing on Oct. 19, 1995.


But the only travel plans she had, according to family, friends and co-workers, was a meeting with her estranged husband that day to get one phase of her life behind her. Her husband, John Sandoval, stands charged with her murder, now almost 15 years later.

Prosecutors are halfway through their case against the man, now 45, whom they say killed her and disposed of her body. To date, though, no body has been found, and no physical evidence has tied Sandoval to her death. Circumstances, however, all point to him, prosecutors say.

They countered some lingering defense theories Friday that Tournai-Sandoval skipped town suddenly.

There has been no activity on her credit cards, her bank account, her nursing license, earnings or Social Security since October 1995. She hasn't gotten a passport, or crossed the border. There also hasn't been evidence that she changed her name on her birth certificate, for which she'd have to petition the courts.

Throughout the day, prosecutors brought in almost 20 officials representing every piece of a possible paper trail she would leave behind. All testified to account activity trailing off in October 1995.

She was due to start paying on her three student loans in December. Not one payment was made.

Tournai-Sandoval went from being a new nurse who never missed a day of work, with a new apartment lease, and who was paying her bills regularly to absolutely nothing.

"All documents show a relatively consistent payment history," reported Jimmy Myers, with Discover Card Services, talking about Tournai-Sandoval's account prior to her disappearance.

Prosecutors also brought more evidence of Tournai-Sandoval's motive for leaving her husband in August 1995. Sandoval was a voyeur and had a habit of following women around.

One woman, Wendy Faust, a former employee at the Greeley Tribune, reported a Latino man followed her intensely from west Greeley to downtown in 1993. She eventually took down his license plate, which police later traced to Mary Lou Sandoval, Sandoval's mother.

"I looked through the windows of a car next to me to see what this person looked like. I thought, 'Do they know me? It was weird, because I didn't know him," Faust said. "I got a flushed feeling, so I backed out at that point, thinking he was following me. I went past his car and got his plate number. He backed out and continued following me." Faust said the man, driving a maroon Ford Escort, followed her to her next sales stop to Scott Realty just blocks away, and parked behind her.

"I knew at that point, he was following me," Faust said. "I was crying." Faust said she was frightened and sped off to return to the Tribune, about six blocks away.

She said she ran into the building to tell her supervisor what happened. At the same time, she said she saw him get out of the car and go into the building. She said her supervisor then confronted the man. Prosecutors did not have her discuss the confrontation between her supervisor and the man.

When questioned by police, Sandoval told them he wasn't following anybody, and had gone to the Tribune to place an ad for a piano.

Friday's witnesses Friday's witnesses --Chip Bulin, Citibank, fraud investigator, said the last known activity on Tina's credit card was Oct. 15. Her last payment was Oct. 4, the end of a regular payment history. The account was sent to collections in the winter of 1996.

--Jimmy Myers, Discover card fraud investigator, noted a regular payment history that dropped off after her disappearance.

--Wendy Faust, a former sales representative for the Greeley Tribune.In 1993, reported to police that she was followed by a man in a car throughout Greeley.

--Greg Tharp, Greeley police detective, reported his efforts to establish a paper trail for Tournai-Sandoval.

--James White, a fraud investigator with the state Department of Labor, reported only wage earnings reported on Tournai-Sandoval's Social Security number past October 1995, were in 2009. The earnings in 2009 were in error, based on a typographical error.

--David Johnston, CEO of Argus Home Care in Pueblo. Reported an employee named Amanda Gilmore was who earned money on Tournai-Sandoval's Social Security number.

--Amanda Gilmore, the employee who earned $72 on that number; her Social Security number is one digit off from Tournai-Sandoval's.

--Kennetha Julien, a records custodian for the state nursing board with the state Department of Regulatory Agencies.

--Rita Postolowski, DORA, also with the nursing board. States Tournai-Sandoval's nursing license was issued June 30, 1995, and it expired the following year. It was never renewed.

--James "Rex" Tincher, met Sandoval Oct. 18, 1995, in Rafferty's, where they both began to have a gripe-session about their women. Reported then that Sandoval said "Too bad you just can't kill them." On Friday, said he thought he said that, but admitted he couldn't remember who made the statement.

--Bob Ghent, owner Ghent Chevrolet and Cadillac, reported that Tournai-Sandoval bought a Geo Prism in 1992.

--Kim Eaton, former Evans police officer, investigated Sandoval stalking a woman in June 1995 at work at State Farm in Evans. She said Sandoval said he was under a lot of pressure. Eaton said he told her he was a recovering voyeur, his wife was seeing another man, and his brother was just in a serious car accident.

--John Harrison, a special agent with the IRS, detailed Tournai-Sandoval's tax payment history dating back to 1988 up to 1994. The couple owed taxes in 1994, and it was paid off in $50 increments with a final payment of $407.14. Tournai-Sandoval had written a check for that amount to the IRS a week prior to her disappearance.

--Jacquelyn Gray, senior communications specialist with Qwest Communications, reported on Tournai-Sandoval's phone billing statements.

--Jill Warner, of Nelnet, a student loan company, prepared Tournai-Sandoval's student loan payment history. She was due to start paying in December 1995 and no payments were made.

--Sgt. Fred Meyer investigated Faust's complaint of a man following her to downtown Greeley in 1993. The plate number she took down registered to Mary Lou Sandoval, John Sandoval's mother. He told police he didn't follow anybody that day.

--Darrell Franklin, Immigrations and Customs Enforcement, reported there have been no reports and no border crossings related to Kristina Tournai or Kristina Sandoval.

--John Ripsam, with Target in Greeley, identified Tournai-Sandoval's credit card bill; last payment was posted to the account on Oct. 14. No payment was posted after.

--Mike Davis, an employee for Best Buy, identified Tournai-Sandoval's Best Buy credit card bill.

To see more of the Greeley Tribune, or to subscribe to the newspaper, go to http://www.greeleytribune.com. Copyright (c) 2010, Greeley Tribune, Colo.

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