Arraignment postponed for suspect in Michaela Garecht murder case

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ByAmy Hollyfield KGO logo
Tuesday, December 22, 2020
Arraignment postponed for suspect in Michaela Garecht murder case
The arraignment for the man police say kidnapped and killed Michaela Garecht in 1988 has been postponed.

HAYWARD, Calif. (KGO) -- The arraignment for the man police say kidnapped and killed Michaela Garecht in 1988 has been postponed until January 22.

The parents of the nine-year-old have wondered for decades who took her from a Hayward parking lot. It appears they have that answer, but there is still so much they don't know.

RELATED: Suspect arrested in 1988 Michaela Garecht kidnapping case, Hayward police announce

Police say a palm print at the scene of the kidnaping matches 59-year-old David Misch. He is already in prison serving a sentence for another murder and waiting trial for the murder of two other people.

Misch is accused of killing 9-year-old Michaela Garecht. For police and her parents it has been 32 years of chasing and hearing about false leads. There were thousands of tips, sometimes dealing with false hope as they tried to find her kidnapper.

"All I know is the palm print was on the scooter and over the years they have gone back and as a matter of fact November of last year -- they just did an upgrade on my palm print for comparison matches and stuff like that," said Rod Garecht, Michaela's father.

RELATED: Reaction pours in after charges filed in Michaela Garecht case

Michaela was grabbed outside a Hayward grocery store and thrown into a car. Her kidnapper had moved her scooter - and when she went to find it she was snatched. Fremont police first tipped the Hayward police that they should look at Misch as they were investigating him for a double murder. Authorities have not found Michaela's remains.

Misch has declined to answer any questions from police. No bail has been set for the case.

VIDEO: Michaela Garecht's mother reads heartbreaking letter after man charged in daughter's 1988 murder

The mother of Michaela Garecht released a statement Monday after the Alameda County District Attorney's Office charged 59-year-old David Misch with murder in connection to the 1988 disappearance of her daughter.
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