TWO TO BE ARRAIGNED FOR 1995 COLD CASE KIDNAPPING AND STABBING-MURDER OF MAN

Posted Date: 12/20/2012 11:13:03 AM

Orange County District Attorney Press Release

Tony Rackauckas, District Attorney 401 Civic Center Drive West Santa Ana, CA 92701

For Immediate Release Case # 12CF3518 12CF3070

Contacts:

Susan Kang Schroeder Chief of Staff Office: 714-347-8408 Cell: 714-292-2718 Farrah Emami Spokesperson Office: 714-347-8405 Cell: 714-323-4486

December 20, 2012

TWO TO BE ARRAIGNED FOR 1995 COLD CASE KIDNAPPING AND STABBING-MURDER OF MAN
SANTA ANA Two defendants will be arraigned tomorrow for the 1995 cold case kidnapping and stabbing-murder of a man. Gianni Anthony Van, 43, Costa Mesa, and Diane Tran, 44, Costa Mesa, are each charged with one felony count of conspiracy to commit murder and one felony count of special circumstance murder during the commission of kidnapping and lying in wait. If convicted, the defendants face a minimum sentence of life in state prison without the possibility of parole. The defendants are being held without bail and are scheduled to be arraigned tomorrow, Friday, Dec. 21, 2012, at 10:00 a.m. in Department CJ-1, Central Jail, Santa Ana. Co-defendant Shannon Ray Gries, 42, Santa Ana, is facing the same charges and enhancements as Tran and Van, and is being held without bail. Gries is scheduled for a pre-trial hearing Jan. 11, 2013, at 8:30 a.m. in Department C55, Central Justice Center, Santa Ana. Co-defendant Norma Patricia Esparza, 38, France, is charged with one felony count of special circumstance murder during the commission of kidnapping and faces a minimum sentence of life in state prison without the possibility of parole. Esparza is being held on $300,000 bail and is scheduled for a pre-trial hearing Feb. 22, 2013, at 8:30 a.m. in Department C-55, Central Justice Center.

Kody Tran, Diane Trans husband, was also involved in the murder but died and subsequently was not charged. In March 1995, Esparza, a college student in Pomona, was romantically involved with Van. After they ended the relationship, Esparza is accused of returning to Orange County to visit her sister. On March 25, 1995, Esparza is accused of going out with her sister to a bar. She is accused of meeting 24-year-old Gonzalo Ramirez at El Cortez bar in Santa Ana. On the morning of March 26, 1995, Esparza is accused of having breakfast at a restaurant in Santa Ana with Ramirez, her sister, and a friend. Ramirez later drove Esparza and her friend back to Esparzas dorm room in Pomona. In early April 1995, Esparza is accused of calling her ex-boyfriend, Van, and telling him about Ramirez. Late on the night of April 15, 1995, Esparza, Van, Gries, and another friend are accused of meeting at Accurate Transmission in Costa Mesa, owned by Kody Tran. Esparza, Van, and Gries are accused of going to El Cortez that night. Once at the bar, Esparza is accused of pointing out Ramirez. Early on the morning of April 16, 1995, Ramirez left the bar with a friend. Gries, Van, and Kody Tran are accused of following Ramirez in a van as he drove away, intentionally rear-ending his vehicle, and forcing Ramirez to pull over. When Ramirez exited his car, Gries and Van are accused of attacking him and dragging the victim into the van. Ramirezs friend saw the attack and attempted to help the victim, but the defendants are accused of threatening the victims friend. While Ramirezs friend fled to seek help, Gries and Van are accused of kidnapping Ramirez and driving him back to Accurate Transmission, where they were met with Diane Tran, Kody Trans wife. The defendants are accused of conspiring to kill Ramirez. Esparza, Gries, Van, Diane Tran, and Kody Tran are accused murdering Ramirez. They are accused of then dumping his body on the side of Sand Canyon Road, where he was found that morning by Irvine Police Department. The Santa Ana Police Department investigated this case, but it went cold. Sometime after the murder, Esparza is accused of moving to France with her husband. In that time, new evidence surfaced and when Esparza re-entered the United States in October 2012, landing in Boston, she was arrested and extradited back to Orange County to face murder charges. Senior Deputy District Attorney Mike Murray of the Homicide Unit is prosecuting this case. ###