Gag Order Lifted In Stephanie Crowe Case

SAN DIEGO -- One of San Diego County's most notorious unsolved murders was again the topic of court debate Monday.

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People Involved Still Not Talking

A federal judge has ruled to lift a gag order in the murder investigation of Stephanie Crowe. The order was issued in June, when the case was forwarded from the District Attorney's office to the California Attorney General, 10News reported.

Stephanie Crowe, 12, was found stabbed to death in her Escondido home in January 1998. Her brother and his friends were originally named as suspects in the case, but those charges were dismissed after DNA tests showed traces of Stephanie Crowe's blood on the sweatshirt of transient Richard Tuite, 33.

Tuite has spent the past several years in and out of jail, but he has never been indicted for the murder.

The issue has been a source of controversy for both the District Attorney's Office and the Escondido Police Department which have taken criticism for their handling of the case.

The Crowe's family attorney, Milt Silverman, told 10News that now that the case has been delivered to the state's attorney general, it's in good hands.

"I do know that they are very conscientious, dedicated people who have gone to a lot of trouble to find out who the killer is. And I'm confident that if it hasn't been messed up beyond complete repair by the Escondido Police Department, that they'll be able to do it," Silverman said.

10News reported that the fact that the gag order has been lifted doesn't really change things because the people in the case still don't want to talk about an ongoing criminal investigation.