Diana said...

I am a 46yo woman residing in Sunnyvale, and I was a bestfriend of Mary in the 4th and 5th grade school. She was a very
special, talented and charismatic little girl. Our friendship was practically magical. We spent countless hours sewing funny bean
bags, talking about Donny Osmond, and roller skating in scooter skirts!

I fiercly sought Mary's friendship in the 4th grade. I clearly remember riding my green stingray bike back and forth in front of
Mary's house on Ferguson Drive in the hopes that she happen to come outside where I would then greet her with a "Hi! Gee, I
didn't know you lived so close to my house." She never came outside, but since we were in the same class, I eventually won
over her friendship in Mrs. Nelson's 4th grade classroom.

I clearly remember how talented she was at drawing. When she was about 10 years old, Mary could draw any cute caricature
of anything her classmates asked her to draw. Mary's drawings were practially effortless, and the art she created could have
easily graced the front of a young child's Hallmark birthday card. For a 10 year old, her talent was nothing short of amazing,

I remember Mary's infectious giggle and her adorable oversized front two teeth. As a little girl, I remember that she loved
petticoats, scooter skirts, roller skating, and anything frilly and girly! She had big brown, doe-like eyes, with long curly
eyelashes, and a doll-like porcelain face. Mary was great, and to this day, I miss her and her friendship very much, albeit it was
so many years ago and so much has happened since our childhood days. Most people in nowadays hardly remember their
childhood, yet alone their friends. But the memory of Mary and our friendship has always stayed with me.

There was something special about Mary, and I will never forget her. We drifted apart from each other because I could see that
she preferred the company of more teenage-minded girls. Notwithstanding, we still said 'hi' to each other at school through 7th
grade.

Now that I am a mother myself, I cannot help but feel so much compassion for Mary's parents and brother, who I remember
very well. To an extent, I have always felt like Mary was a sister to me. My mom, had she lived to see the day, would have
been very glad to see that they finally caught at least one of the dogs responsible for her death, My mom, like me, was
heart-broken when Mary passed away.

I believe, in my heart, that Mary would have made something of herself because she possessed many wonderful talents. The
late news has opened up an old wound that had scarred over for almost thirty years. I still weep for Mary, my dear and special
childhood friend.

Continue to rest, dearest Mary, and know that I still think of you and continue treasure our friendship.

Diana Schaller (nee Merle)

January 1, 2007 8:55:00 AM PST

--Diana

Diana said...

Okay, I'm putting to rest for a moment the impending trial.

Here's a funny story I want to share with everyone about Mary. Did you know that Mary was obsessed with Donny Osmond
when she was 12 years old? Oh my gosh, she'd go on forever and a day about him. Mary kept making trips to the 7-11 store
around the corner to buy Teen Beat, and the like, to get his fold out pictures, which she posted all over her bedroom wall.

Well, here we were, sewing in her bedroom and talking about none other than Donny Osmond (I was kind of getting sick of
hearing about him). I remember Mary telling me that she had never kissed a boy before, and she felt very nervous about her
impending (fantasy) meeting with Donny, and soon after, their first kiss. Well, leave it to Mary to ask me the worst question that
any friend could ask of another very obliging friend. "Diana, do you think you could pretend that you're Donny Osmond so that
I can get some practice kissing him?" I responded something like, "Er, eh, yeah ... I guess I could be Donny Osmond and let
you practice on me." I was a easily manipulated friend who would do anything that Mary asked me. Mind you, as a young 11
or 12 year old (Mary was about 8 months old than I), I had never kissed a boy either. Okay, so I puckered up and closed my
eyes. Mary moved in to plant one on my lips, and just then, her mom walked in and said "It's dinner time, girls." All I could
think was "Ah ah ah, this isn't what it looks like -- it was all Mary's idea that I play Donny Osmond." I never did get to explain
that to Mrs. Quigley. I still wonder to this day what she thought because Mary was just about to kiss me. I am so glad that her
mother interrupted us, albeit that I was very embarrassed!

That was the closest I've ever come to kissing another girl (other than my mom) on the lips!

Eventually, she got over Donny, especially once he met his dream girl (I think her name was Debbie), in the audience during one
of his performances.

I have a pretty good memory, wouldn't you say?

Sometimes I wish I could return to those days. As I noted above, Mary outgrew me to be with her more teenage-minded new
friends whose mothers, unlike mine, let them wear make-up, etc. in grammer school.

January 5, 2007 6:38:00 PM PST
--Diana

Lori said...

Hi James {MISSION CITY LANTERN}

I am the "Lori" that you refer to as a classmate of Mary's who attended the court date on January 8th. I would like to clarify that I was
not only a classmate, I was her best friend at the time. I am not sure if you were protecting me by not revealing that information or if
you just did not know. Regardless, my daughter and I flew in from Arizona to attend the court date.

It is so important to me to let people know that Mary should have NEVER been at that party. I was her best friend and I know that
was not a party either of us would have attended. She was only there because it was a back to school party and it was right around
the corner from the house we hung out every day after school and almost every weekend. I have felt guilty for all these years because
the reason I didn't see her that night was because my boyfriend Steve, had returned from Lake Tahoe the same day as the party after
working all summer. He too has felt the same guilt. We both believe she would be with us now if we would of decided not to spend
the evening alone and rather chosen to hang out with Mary and our usual friends. You can bet Steve would have NEVER allowed for
either of us to enter that party.

It has always bothered me how the press portrayed Mary. They made her sound like such a bad girl. I think they said she was
worldly, she hitchhiked, and dabbled in drugs. "Reality check" many people did that during that time. Guess what...we even has sex
with our boyfriends!!! OMG can you believe I said that. Even the girls that were concidered "nice girls" in high school had sex. I even
know many of them became pregnant. Doesn't mean they deserve to be raped and tortured.

I can go on and on about this. I only want to say a few more things because it is so late and I'm so tired. I am falling asleep and no
longer feel I am putting my sentences together so they make sense. First and foremost, Mary was a very special person. She was
not only beautiful, she had a careing loving soul. She was beyond her time. When I met her I knew she was going to be my friend
forever. I can never explain how I new she was going to be something big in this world. This tragedy is not what it was supposed to
be. If you knew her personally you understand what I mean.

As a 16 year old girl at the time, it has affected me throughout my life. Fear, paranoia, and my children have felt the effects. When I
am not so tired I will finish with what I have to say.

Until then, James will you please clarify for me what you are referring to when you speak of Kevin Moore and Mary's memorial. From
what I heard he had planned on dedicating something special to her???

I feel I have been mislead by certain people who have contacted me about this case. I have been lied to, befriended on false
pretenses, and really let down by believing this case was about Mary when actually it was about personal gain and recognition. I
know this is true because when it came down to the last couple weeks when the all the important things were happening and I was
promised e-mails and recordings of what was going on before I got here...I was never contacted. Moreover, I was never contacted
while I was here either. Doesn't sound like someone who really cares to me.

One of the last things I did while I was here for this visit was retrace Mary's last night alive on this earth with the Santa Clara District
Attorney. The most difficult part was going to the field that my best friend was murdered. I was not going to allow him to take me
there after retracing the events before that. I have never seen that area or the fence that she was hanging from. I was year behind
Mary and had to attend that school for two more years. I never had the strength to go back in that evil area.

Lori
Continued.....
January 12, 2007 3:08:00 AM PST
--Lori

Lori continues....
At the last minute I told him I wanted to go. I knew there was a memorial and I wanted to see it. It was devastating. The thoughts that
went through my head were horrid.

I haven't talked about Richard Archibeque because I wanted this to be about Mary. I'm not going to go into my feeling about him right
now because I don't have the strength. Just to tired to get on the subject of that no good, crazy, rapist, murderer. I'm not sure what
we are allowed to say on these blogs just know I really held back on what I called him. I hope that demon rots in hell for eternity.
How dare him laugh and joke in the court room as if this is a regular day in his life. Imaging how Mary's mother feels not only having
to look at that sick (bleep-bleep)and knowing what he did to her beautiful daughter. There should be some kind of punishment for
that. Why are dangerous criminals allowed to keep tormenting innocent people?

Lori
January 12, 2007 3:08:00 AM PST


--Lori

Diana said...

Dear Lori,

I was interested in reading your blog this morning. I was a childhood friend of Mary, and unfortunately, I didn't go to school with Mary
after the 7th grade. I believe she asked her mom to move her from 8th grade at Rogers Junior High to 9th grade at Prospect High
School.

I sought Mary's friendship in the 4th grade, just like everyone else. There was something special about Mary that seemed to compel
her classmates to seek her friendship. I remember Mary clearly; she was cute-as-a-button as a little girl, with large oversized teeth
(before her orthodontics) and big doe-like brown eyes with eyebrows that were actually bushier than my own. She was artistic and
musically inclined as I remember she loved to sing and play her flute. Even though we were friends for only two years in grammer
school, I miss her greatly. With the recent news, I frequently check my google account on new blogs, although I don't have the time
to write blogs with a two and a four-year-old under foot.

Truthfully, I don't recall ever reading any newspaper articles about Mary, now or in 1977, as to Mary's alleged promiscuity or dabbling
in drugs. However, another blogger depicted Mary as being in the so-called fastlane (I'm paraphrasing here, of course). That being
said, I would like to point out that it is a fact that some teenage girls, who hung out with the fastlane group in high school, were still
actually virgins when they graduated from high school and did not partake in using anything heavier than marijuana, which I believe is
a mostly benign controlled substance. Guilt by association is not an accurate judge of someone's personal choices. Personally, I
can't comment on Mary's choices in her high school years. I only recall that in grade school she seemed to prefer the friendship of
more teenage-minded kids, which I would've gladly attended to had my mom let me wear a bra, pantyhose and make-up in grade
school!

I remember going to her house on Clarendon Drive every day after school and making chicken boullion soup with noodles. I got so
sick of eating that darn soup (both her parents worked at the time, so it was a quick answer to a hot meal when we got home from
school), and I swear, I didn't eat chicken boullion soup again for about 20 years thereafter.

In the late 70's, many teenage girls had premarital sex and smoked pot. It was practically mainstream teenage stuff in those years
as portrayed in the recent Fox television program called That 70's Show. There was a sort of intangible kind of innocence of
teenagers in the 70's who smoked pot, talked back to their parents, and had sex with their significant others.

Now that I am a grown woman, I deeply regret my own actions during high school. Thankfully, I don't have to keep going back over
teenage years because it's in my past. That's the nice thing about having a future: we can change course. I had a conversation with
a woman who resides in So. Cal. about five years ago. In high school, she was just about the biggest teenage drug user, wrapped
together with all the other stuff that goes with that stigma. That woman apparently turned her life around, married an air force pilot,
attained a Masters in Nursing (working in the emergency ward of a hospital), and is a mother of two boys. I was completely amazed
at how she'd turned her life around.

I will try to attend the trial, which I presume will be in the spring or summer. In the meantime, Lori, if you'd like to share funny stories
about Mary, I'd really love that. Please feel free to email my google account at [email protected].

Diana

January 13, 2007 11:01:00 AM PST
--Diana

Lori said...
Hi Diana,
I have enjoyed the messages you have left regarding Mary. Wow, you have an amazing memory. I will most definitely be emailing
you.

I loved reading the first comment you left and I even read your story to Mary's mother over the phone. I also emailed it to her because
I'm sure she will read it over and over again. She remembers you and your family and was sad to hear that your mother has passed
away.

I didn't know Mary's mother when we were in high school because Mary was living with her father at that time. I think Mary and I went
to her mother's house a couple of times but unlike you, my memory is shot.

I don't have many fond memories of high school because going through and trying to live with such a tragety at 16 years old has not
been easy. I will give one example of the fear and craziness that went through my head during that time. (I will talk moare about it
with you in our personal email) Right after Mary was murdered I was completely a mess. My mom had to sleep in my room with me
because I was scared to death. I always had a cross with Jesus on my wall which I could see when I was laying in bed. I would stare
at it when I was trying to go to sleep and I would swear that Jesus's head would move from one side to the other. I was so freaked
out that my mom had to eventually take it down and I never wanted it back up on my wall. Believe it or not there is an explanation for
why I was probaly imagining that...

On the Saturday of Sept.10,1977 (which I had no idea would turn out be the worst day of my life and still is to this day)before I new
what happened to Mary, I was especially happy because my boyfriend had just returned the day before from Lake Tahoe after
spending the entire summer there working. I was with him on the night Mary was murdered and I was also with him and his family the
next day, which was the Saturday. I got a call from my mother to come home. I was so mad, it was early in the evening and I fought
with her on the phone and told her I'm not coming home and we went on and on. Eventually I realized there must be some reason I
had to go home and I told her I will come home but after that I'm coming right back to Steve's. Now this is what I was getting to...we
had just finished watching that movie "Carrie" with Sissy Spaceck. For those of you who remember the movie, if it effected you like it
effected me...it was scary. Remember she would have to go in that little room (or closet) at her mother's house where it was dark and
she would light candles and pray to Jesus. There were a bunch of Jesus's on crosses that the candlelight would flicker on. But it
wasn't healthy praying, because her mom was crazy and told her a bunch of crazy stuff. There were many scenes in that movie that
were very frightening. Of course, I never watched that movie again so I'm not sure if everything I remember is correct or not.
Regardless, I'm sure the scenes from that movie were subconsciously floating around in my head.

Lori
Continued...
January 13, 2007 2:45:00 PM PST
--Lori

Lori continues....

When I got home the only thing I remember is my mom was on the phone with the police who wanted to talk to me and my mom
asking me if I was with Mary last night. Apparently I lost it because my girlfriend that lived across the street said she could hear me
crying hysterically from her house. She said she came over and sat with me for awhile but I don't even remember her being there. I
didn't talk to the police that night, and I never made it back to Steve's. But thank goodness my mom let Steve stay with me that night
because I don't know what I would have done without him. Steve was my boyfriend for two years in high school, the year I met Mary
and the following year after Mary had died. Steve loved Mary too and was devasted by her loss. Thank god I had him to get me
through that time. I can't image the loneliness I would have felt if he wasn't there to lean on.

The rest of my high school experience is like a blur. I hated going and I all I wanted to do is graduate and get out of there. And that is
what I did. I have held Mary in my heart always.

I am so glad you expressed how you new Mary was so special even in the 4th grade. It was a different kind of special that I could
never put into words. It's wasn't the same special that all children and people are to their loved ones. I think someone explained it as
"magical". Maybe she already had her wings before she parted this life.

Lori
January 13, 2007 2:45:00 PM PST
--Lori

Diana said...

Dear Lori,

Thanks for posting. I am very sorry that you have had so much pain from Mary's death and it's lasting effects. My heart goes out to
you, and to your friend Steve, too. What a blessing you were in her life and what a tremendous friend you were to her. I was also a
junior at Prospect when Mary passed away. As you may know, Mary skipped the 8th grade and went on to high school.

Honestly, I haven't gotten much done around the house today with reading posting blogs. My two little girls have had a long day of
watching TV, which they rarely get to watch during the weekday. My husband is gone for the day to break in his new dirt bike (yes,
the guy still rides motocross at the ripe ol' age of 47), and I've got to get dinner on the table soon.

I look forward to receiving your email. It was I who had referred to my friendship with Mary as being magical during grammer
school. I don't ever think I was so completely consumed with any other friend I'd ever had. I really wish I had kept in touch with her
during her sophmore year at Prospect High and afterwards. We didn't speak to each other at all my freshman year, but I remember
feeling like that I'd sure like to share beauty tips with Mary! She was so pretty.

BTW: I went blond, too, like Mary did, my junior year, much to the dismay of my classmates who heckled me. I suppose I was
easy pickings back then.

Thank you for your kind response. I really look forward to reading your email in my google account.

Warmest regards,

Diana
January 13, 2007 4:15:00 PM PST

--Diana

I want to thank the Quigley webpage for allowing us to participate in this cause for justice.
--Mission City Lantern
<http://www.missioncitylantern.blogspot.com>

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