Attorney: Few facts certain in plunge fatality

A Los Alamos woman was drunk and driving recklessly before she drove herself and her husband off a 350-foot cliff nearly four years ago, a prosecutor said Monday.

[DriveByPoster]

and by the way.. this sounds hauntingly like that murder/suicide attempt from that guy that duct taped his girlfriend in the passenger seat of his car before driving off the edge of overlook.

any similarities? a copy cat suicide? gee. i would have thought that a granich would have been more creative. like maybe having a runaway bronco dragging the man to his death...

[Recovering Santa Fean]

Does Judge Vigil hear these kinds of cases day in and day out? Drunks, accidents, blood and guts, damaged people ... How depressing.

[DriveByPoster]

Recovering Santa Fean wrote:

Does Judge Vigil hear these kinds of cases day in and day out? Drunks, accidents, blood and guts, damaged people ... How depressing.

there is something called hypocrisy in this country. everyone hates people who drink and drive, and they will beg the judge to throw the book at someone who is found guilty.. but then, they don't want to remove the cause at the root. i.e. get rid of booze.

as long as there is booze, and as long as there are motor vehicles.. there will be instances such as this.

hypocrisy at it's best.

[Chaya]

Getting back to the subject of the article, I say, let her go! How ridiculous to try to lynch her. This is an absolute tragedy for her. Compound it by charging her with homicide etc. when no one even knows the facts for sure? Just leave her alone and let her nurse her wounds and manage her own guilt about an event that she CAN'T EVEN REMEMBER. She's in hell enough without having the government come after her.

[US 550 traveler]

Incompetence in Santa Fe, from the police department all the way through the judicial system.

[someone who knows]

Chaya wrote:

Getting back to the subject of the article, I say, let her go! How ridiculous to try to lynch her. This is an absolute tragedy for her. Compound it by charging her with homicide etc. when no one even knows the facts for sure? Just leave her alone and let her nurse her wounds and manage her own guilt about an event that she CAN'T EVEN REMEMBER. She's in hell enough without having the government come after her.

You obviously don't know this person this isn't the first time she has attempted to drive off a cliff this also wasn't the first time she has tried to hurt someone. It's high time she pay for her actions

[someone who knows]

This wasn't the first time Penny has attempted to drive a vehicle off a cliff nor is it the first time she has tried to physically hurt somone. She is not capable of feeling any guilt or remorse - she was laughing at Tom's funeral - she gave his dog to the pound shortly after his death

[Jennifer]

She is no victim. Tom is the victim. The Granich family are victims. If you went and viewed the crash site only an idiot would think that it was not on purpose. Tom was a kind person and he LOVED her. He couldn't see what others could see. He was my friend and I felt really bad he got mixed up with her. She has been trouble ever since I knew her back when we were in middle school.

Don't pity her. She is on trial for a reason. Pity Tom dying at such a young age leaving a daughter he loved behind to be raised by her.

[No crime in Los Alamos]

Guilt? This woman has no guilt. She has acted like nothing ever happened. She moved onto some other guy in no time and the Granichs had to take her to court just to see their grandchild.
The problem is Los Alamos does not want to admit there is crime in the small town. That is why people like her get away with murder.
Hopefully the people of Santa Fe will see thru it and find her guilty. She has been able to go on with life for the last 4 years like nothing happened. It is time she pay the price for killing someone.

[You Think you know]

someone who knows wrote:

This wasn't the first time Penny has attempted to drive a vehicle off a cliff nor is it the first time she has tried to physically hurt somone. She is not capable of feeling any guilt or remorse - she was laughing at Tom's funeral - she gave his dog to the pound shortly after his death

Ummmmm... for someone who lives there, you don't know jack! The dog is alive and well at HER house! The problem with Los Alamos is not that they don't want to admit something terrible happened, its people like you who just because you were friends with him and hated her, you THINK she is guilty! Nobody was there and just because she survived a 300' crash, then she was driving? If she is soooooo guilty, then why is it taking almost 4 years for it to go to trial. I too grew up with them. It is very, very sad that Tom is gone. I would wish that on no one. But why if something bad happens and one person survives, is there always a lynch mob?????

[Lite Wt]

No crime in Los Alamos wrote:

Guilt? This woman has no guilt. She has acted like nothing ever happened. She moved onto some other guy in no time and the Granichs had to take her to court just to see their grandchild.
The problem is Los Alamos does not want to admit there is crime in the small town. That is why people like her get away with murder.
Hopefully the people of Santa Fe will see thru it and find her guilty. She has been able to go on with life for the last 4 years like nothing happened. It is time she pay the price for killing someone.

I couldn't agree more. I live in Los Alamos and I'm pretty sure this story, if it even makes it to the Monitor, will be buried so that most people miss it entirely. If I want to know what's happening in LA, I read the SF New Mexican.
I know the Granichs and my heart goes out to them for their loss. They have waited a long, long time for justice. I hope they get it soon so they can finally get some peace.

[Jennifer]

You Think you know-

I have the pictures of the truck she bashed into the cliff because she was mad and upset.

For your information, I didn't hate her. I actually thought she was my friend until I started dating an ex-boyfriend of hers. Then she began harassing me - calling me at 2am or making up stories like I tried to run her over. She made life hell because she was obsessed that he had moved on and she couldn't let him go.

I know her. I know her better than I wish I had. She scared me.

Tom wouldn't have done that. He loved his daughter too much. He LOVED Penny. He couldn't hear anything from anyone bad about her. When he spoke about her, I thought maybe she had grown up and changed.

I am just so sorry the Granichs have had to go thru this nightmare just trying to get justice.

[You Think you know]

Jennifer-

And I am also very truly sorry for their loss but lets not crucify someone until all the facts are out. I'm not saying who did it either way, I am just saying to wait. It's been going on a long time and the answers will finally come this week. It just stinks that even after the case is done (however it turns out), this will never be over, people will still be split, and everyone will still be hurting

[this]

US 550 traveler wrote:

Incompetence in Santa Fe, from the police department all the way through the judicial system.

was not Santa Fe city Police it was Los Alamos police.

[Santa Fe Native]

US 550 traveler wrote:

Incompetence in Santa Fe, from the police department all the way through the judicial system.

Santa Fe Police has been corrupted for many years, what's new

[someone who knows]

You Think you know wrote:

<quoted text>
Ummmmm... for someone who lives there, you don't know jack! The dog is alive and well at HER house! The problem with Los Alamos is not that they don't want to admit something terrible happened, its people like you who just because you were friends with him and hated her, you THINK she is guilty! Nobody was there and just because she survived a 300' crash, then she was driving? If she is soooooo guilty, then why is it taking almost 4 years for it to go to trial. I too grew up with them. It is very, very sad that Tom is gone. I would wish that on no one. But why if something bad happens and one person survives, is there always a lynch mob?????

Maybe you are thinking of the puppy she got after she took Tom's dog to the shelter. His dog was up for adoption in October 2006. Her signature was on the documents releasing it to the shelter. I am sure Los Alamos Animal Shelter could provide documentation. If she has it now, she must have gone back for it.

[DriveByPoster]

it's got to make one wonder what's going on with this world.

just these last couple of weeks alone, we have had three cases where people go out drinking, kill someone, and then the cowards won't take responsibility for their actions.

the santa fe case with that drunken b astard fierro at 2 in the morning

the pojoaque case with that b tch lt gov linda diaz who hit that guy on the highway at 2 in the morning

and now this pitiful excuse for a human penny granich who not only didn't care about herself, but decided to take her husband with her

what's going on???

[chatterbox87501]

DriveByPoster wrote:

it's got to make one wonder what's going on with this world.
just these last couple of weeks alone, we have had three cases where people go out drinking, kill someone, and then the cowards won't take responsibility for their actions.
the santa fe case with that drunken b astard fierro at 2 in the morning
the pojoaque case with that b tch lt gov linda diaz who hit that guy on the highway at 2 in the morning
and now this pitiful excuse for a human penny granich who not only didn't care about herself, but decided to take her husband with her
what's going on???

As distasteful as it seems for some, those people are taking full advantage of their Constitutional right to due process and their fifth amendment rights against self incrimination.

[DriveByPoster]

chatterbox87501 wrote:

<quoted text>
As distasteful as it seems for some, those people are taking full advantage of their Constitutional right to due process and their fifth amendment rights against self incrimination.

maybe so, but when you lie, your lawyer lies, your witnesses lie, you try to shift the blame to the innocent, then there is something wrong. that has NOTHING to do with 'self incrimination' or accepting responsibility for ones actions.

[Disgusted]

US 550 traveler wrote:

Incompetence in Santa Fe, from the police department all the way through the judicial system.

What does this have to do with Santa Fe and incompetence. This took place in Los Alamos. Before you slam everyone you may want to read the article and know what you're talking about! Just a suggestion ...