Caro Defense Prepares to Wrap Up Its Case

After nearly two months of testimony, the defense in the Socorro Caro murder case said it would probably rest its case on Monday.

Caro is accused of killing three of her four young sons as they slept in their Santa Rosa Valley home the night of Nov. 22, 1999.

The defense has asserted that her husband, Dr. Xavier Caro, committed the crimes and tried to frame her. He has not been charged in the slayings.

On Thursday, Assistant Public Defender Jean Farley called Lorie Leon to the stand. Leon is Socorro Caro’s cousin and once worked in Xavier Caro’s Northridge medical office.

Caro’s defense team maintains that Xavier Caro had misrepresented notes written by Leon as having been written by his wife. His goal, Farley said, was to paint his wife as depressed and unstable.

Farley asked Leon whether she had written any personal messages to the Caros about being depressed, past romantic relationships and her career plans.

Leon said Xavier Caro, a rheumatologist, was her mentor. She said she sometimes wrote down her feelings, but she wasn’t certain she ever sent either of the Caros the notes.

Farley had a page of notes she said were written by Leon and, when the jury was excused, argued to have the notes admitted as evidence.

“It doesn’t look at all like Mrs. Caro’s handwriting,� said Farley. The actual contents of the document were not revealed in court.

But prosecutors said Leon never wrote that she was depressed.

“This is, in fact, speculation that could be very misleading,� said Deputy Dist. Atty. Cheryl Temple.

Judge Donald Coleman ruled that the document could be admitted as evidence.

Socorro Caro, 44, is charged with three counts of first-degree murder in the shootings of three of her four sons, aged 11, 8 and 5. Prosecutors say she did this to hurt her husband, who was trying to curb her lavish spending and was allegedly having an affair with another woman. He had also recently asked for a divorce.

Caro has pleaded not guilty and not guilty by reason of insanity. If convicted she could face the death penalty.

Today, the defense hopes to present a digitally enhanced audio tape of Socorro Caro being interviewed by a Ventura County Sheriff’s Department detective shortly after the killings. Parts of the tape were previously inaudible.

The tape will be played for Coleman, without the jury present, so he can decide whether to admit the taped testimony as evidence. The defense maintains the enhancement will boost its case, but Farley did not any give details why.