Watkins makes plea to Clinton for help in Hoerig case

By Ed Runyan

The prosecutor said limits on Brazilians’ coming into the United States should be considered.

WARREN — As Trumbull County prosecutor for 24 years, Dennis Watkins has successfully prosecuted dozens of murderers, 10 of whom are on death row in Ohio.

He has an enviable conviction record over 37 years in the business. He has been featured on television shows across the country for some of the more notable murders that have occurred here and the investigations that have put the killers behind bars.

He also has a reputation as a forceful courtroom orator who is able to present his case in a colorful and persuasive way.

But an attractive brunette from Brazil may prove to be Watkins’ toughest case so far.

Though Watkins says police gathered sufficient evidence to try former Newton Falls woman Claudia Hoerig in the slaying of her husband, Karl, on March 12, 2007, the bigger problem will be to get her into a courtroom.

She fled to her native Brazil just after Karl Hoerig’s death, and Brazil does not extradite its citizens to the United States to face murder charges.

Watkins asked the administration of President George W. Bush to intervene. He has also asked for help from President Barack Obama.

His most recent effort was a letter he sent Friday to Hillary Clinton, U.S. secretary of state, to ask her to intervene in the Claudia Hoerig case in a fashion similar to her work in trying to get an 8-year-old boy named Sean returned to his father, David Goldman, of New Jersey.

Sean’s mother took him to Brazil four years ago, but she died last year, and the boy is being reared by his mother’s family.

Clinton has said it was possible the Goldman case would be brought to the attention of Brazilian President Lula da Silva when Obama meets with da Silva today in Washington.

In the letter, Watkins has asked Clinton to take the following steps:

UUrge da Silva to return Hoerig to the U.S.

UAsk Brazil to amend Brazilian laws that make it possible for Brazilian citizens to avoid prosecution in the U.S.

UTake all necessary action to assist Trumbull County and other American authorities in dealing with such issues.

UWrite a personal reply to Watkins’ letter, advising what action Trumbull County should take in this case.

UAdvise Watkins whether the U.S. government will provide financial and other assistance to Trumbull County officials and witnesses if they decide to travel to Brazil for a trial there.

In the event that Brazil does not cooperate with U.S. officials in the Hoerig matter, Watkins said he hopes U.S. officials would consider restricting visas and entry of Brazilian nationals to the United States and denying or limiting foreign aid to Brazil.

Watkins said U.S. officials have told him that the best hope that Claudia Hoerig will ever face trial is to assist Brazilian prosecutors “in a cooperative effort to try the case for us in a Brazilian courtroom.”

There are a multitude of problems with trying the case in Brazil, Watkins said, one of which is cost.

“Forgive me, the complexity, costs and sheer enormity of this task all seem nonsensical to me,” Watkins wrote to Clinton. “Nevertheless, I am willing to consider and evaluate all options.”

Watkins estimates the cost will be in the hundreds of thousands to take about 20 witnesses and investigators to Brazil for such a trial — money that Trumbull County cannot afford.

Another problem will be language, he said. In Brazil, they speak Portugese, and none of the witnesses does, he said.

Brazilian law also allows every person convicted of a crime and given a prison sentence of 20 years or more to have an automatic retrial, Watkins said. That would also increase the cost, he said.

Watkins also questions whether Claudia Hoerig would get a fair trial in Brazil, given the fact that the victim was a military hero who served in the U.S. Air Force, while she has “many family ties to Brazil.”

runyan@vindy.com