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TWO TO BE ARRAIGNED FOR 1995 COLD CASE KIDNAPPING AND
STABBING-MURDER OF MAN
Posted Date: 12/20/2012 11:13:03 AM
Orange County District AttorneyPress Release
Tony Rackauckas, District Attorney
401 Civic Center Drive West
Santa Ana, CA 92701
For Immediate Release
Case # 12CF3518
12CF3070
December 20, 2012
Contacts: Susan Kang Schroeder
Chief of Staff
Office: 714-347-8408
Cell: 714-292-2718
Farrah Emami
Spokesperson
Office: 714-347-8405
Cell: 714-323-4486
TWO TO BE ARRAIGNED FOR 1995 COLD CASE KIDNAPPING AND
STABBING-MURDER OF MAN
SANTA ANA Two defendants will be arraigned tomorrow for the 1995
cold case kidnapping and stabbing-murder of
man. Gianni Anthony Van, 43, Costa Mesa, and Diane Tran, 44,
Costa Mesa, are each charged with one felony coun
of conspiracy to commit murder and one felony count of special
circumstance murder during the commission o
kidnapping and lying in wait. If convicted, the defendants face
a minimum sentence of life in state prison without th
possibility of parole. The defendants are being held without
bail and are scheduled to be arraigned tomorrow, Friday
Dec. 21, 2012, at 10:00 a.m. in Department CJ-1, Central Jail,
Santa Ana.
Co-defendant Shannon Ray Gries, 42, Santa Ana, is facing the
same charges and enhancements as Tran and Van
and is being held without bail. Gries is scheduled for a
pre-trial hearing Jan. 11, 2013, at 8:30 a.m. in Department C
55, Central Justice Center, Santa Ana.
Co-defendant Norma Patricia Esparza, 38, France, is charged with
one felony count of special circumstance murde
during the commission of kidnapping and faces a minimum sentence
of life in state prison without the possibility o
parole. Esparza is being held on $300,000 bail and is scheduled
for a pre-trial hearing Feb. 22, 2013, at 8:30 a.m. i
Department C-55, Central Justice Center.
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Kody Tran, Diane Trans husband, was also involved in the murder
but died and subsequently was not charged.
In March 1995, Esparza, a college student in Pomona, was
romantically involved with Van. After they ended th
relationship, Esparza is accused of returning to Orange County
to visit her sister.
On March 25, 1995, Esparza is accused of going out with her
sister to a bar. She is accused of meeting 24-year-old
Gonzalo Ramirez at El Cortez bar in Santa Ana.
On the morning of March 26, 1995, Esparza is accused of having
breakfast at a restaurant inSanta Anawith Ramirezher sister, and a
friend. Ramirez later drove Esparza and her friend back to Esparzas
dorm room in Pomona. In earl
April 1995, Esparza is accused of calling her ex-boyfriend, Van,
and telling him about Ramirez.
Late on the night of April 15, 1995, Esparza, Van, Gries, and
another friend are accused of meeting at Accurate
Transmission in Costa Mesa, owned by Kody Tran. Esparza, Van,
and Gries are accused of going to El Cortez tha
night. Once at the bar, Esparza is accused of pointing out
Ramirez.
Early on the morning of April 16, 1995, Ramirez left the bar
with a friend. Gries, Van, and Kody Tran are accused o
following Ramirez in a van as he drove away, intentionally
rear-ending his vehicle, and forcing Ramirez to pull ove
When Ramirez exited his car, Gries and Van are accused of
attacking him and dragging the victim into the van
Ramirezs friend saw the attack and attempted to help the victim,
but the defendants are accused of threatening the
victims friend. While Ramirezs friend fled to seek help, Gries
and Van are accused of kidnapping Ramirez and drivin
him back to Accurate Transmission, where they were met with
Diane Tran, Kody Trans wife. The defendants are
accused of conspiring to kill Ramirez. Esparza, Gries, Van,
Diane Tran, and Kody Tran are accused murdering
Ramirez. They are accused of then dumping his body on the side
of Sand Canyon Road, where he was found tha
morning by Irvine Police Department.
The Santa Ana Police Department investigated this case, but it
went cold. Sometime after the murder, Esparza i
accused of moving to France with her husband. In that time, new
evidence surfaced and when Esparza re-entered th
United States in October 2012, landing in Boston, she was
arrested and extradited back to Orange County to face
murder charges.
Senior Deputy District Attorney Mike Murray of the Homicide Unit
is prosecuting this case.
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