| For Immediate Release Case # 12CF3397 November 29, 2012 |
Susan Kang Schroeder Chief of Staff Office: 714-347-8408 Cell: 714-292-2718 Farrah Emami
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FIANCÉ OF MAN INDICTED BY GRAND JURY FOR 2010 DOUBLE MURDER OF NEIGHBOR AND NEIGHBOR’S FRIEND CHARGED AS ACCESSORY
*Orange County District Attorney seeking death penalty against defendant Daniel Wozniak
SANTA ANA – The fiancé of a man indicted by the Orange County Grand Jury for the double execution-style murder of his neighbor and neighbor’s friend for financial gain will be arraigned tomorrow for being an accessory to the crime. Rachel Mae Buffett, 25, Costa Mesa, is charged with three felony counts of accessory after the fact. If convicted, she faces a maximum sentence of three years and 8 months in state prison. Buffett is being held on $100,000 bail and is scheduled to be arraigned tomorrow, Friday, Nov. 30, 2012, at 10:00 a.m. in Department CJ-1, Central Jail, Santa Ana.
In 2010, Buffett is accused of becoming engaged to 28-year-old Daniel Patrick Wozniak. They are accused of planning to marry May 28, 2010 in Long Beach, a week after the murders of 26-year-old Samuel Herr and Herr’s friend, 23-year-old Juri “Julie” Kibuishi.
Circumstances of the Crime
Prior to May 21, 2010, Wozniak is accused of plotting the murder of his neighbor, Herr, who lived in the same apartment complex with the intention of stealing the victim’s substantial savings. On the afternoon of May 21, 2010, Wozniak is accused of luring Herr from their Costa Mesa apartment complex and driving him to the theater facility at the Los Alamitos Joint Forces Training Base. Wozniak is accused of being familiar with the theater because he had previously acted in plays at that location.
Once inside the theater, Wozniak is accused of murdering Herr by shooting him twice in the head with the intention of stealing the victim’s savings. He is accused of leaving Herr’s body in the theater and stealing the victim’s ATM card, wallet, and cell phone.
Later that evening, Wozniak is accused of using Herr’s cell phone to text message Herr’s friend, Kibuishi. He is accused of also being acquainted with Kibuishi and was her “friend” on Facebook. Wozniak is accused of pretending to be Herr in the text messages and arranging with Kibuishi to come to Herr’s Costa Mesa apartment. The apartment is located in the Camden Martinique complex at 2855 Pinecreek Drive.
Shortly after midnight on May 22, 2010, Kibuishi arrived at Herr’s apartment. Wozniak is accused of meeting her at the door of Herr’s apartment and luring her inside into the bedroom, where he murdered her by shooting her twice in the head. Wozniak is accused of then partially removing Kibuishi’s clothing to stage the crime scene to appear as though the victim had been sexually assaulted.
On the afternoon of May 22, 2010, Wozniak is accused of returning to the theater, cutting off Herr’s clothes and dismembering the victim’s body.