(April 17) - A woman accused of sexually assaulting and killing an 8-year-old California girl separately told three of her friends that she had been raped herself, the Tracy Press reported.
According to all three friends, Melissa Huckaby was 18 at the time and living with her parents in La Habra, Calif. The friends, who asked that their names be withheld, did not know each other. But each told the same story that Huckaby was date raped by a police officer shortly after she graduated from high school in 1990, the paper said.
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Each said the rape, which Huckaby never reported to police, occurred during a difficult period in her life, when her first boyfriend and best friend had both moved away and she was having trouble getting along with her parents.
One friend also shared private letters suggesting that Huckaby had suicidal episodes since the sixth grade.
Huckaby's ex-husband told ABC's 'Good Morning America' Friday that his ex-wife was generally carefree but "had her struggles" and suffered from depression.
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"I do believe the emotional issues came into play quite often in her lifetime," Johnny Huckaby said on 'GMA.' "She did suffer from depression. She did have issues with ... her self-persona, who she saw herself as."
Yet Johnny Huckaby said he could not imagine his former wife, a Sunday school teacher, would be capable of such a hideous crime as the murder of Sandra Cantu. The little girl's body was found stuffed into a suitcase left in an irrigation pond.
"My initial reaction was shock and complete disbelief," Johnny Huckaby said of his ex being the prime suspect. "It's not something you want to think anyone possibly [is capable] of doing -- let alone somebody that you knew. And that's a mother of your child."
The Huckabys wed in August 2003, when Melissa was pregnant with their now 5-year-old daughter. The couple separated a year later and divorced in September 2005.
Johnny Huckaby said, as far as he was aware, his wife was "a good mom" to their daughter.
Read the full story from ABC News.
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Seattle Police Department / AP
Seattle Police Department / AP
