Bernadette Protti IS Jeannette Tomanka: Happy belated Birthday Kirsten!!

Thursday, August 11, 2016

Happy belated Birthday Kirsten!!

I started this blog to honor Kirsten. May we never forget the beautiful soul whose life was viciously snuffed out. Jeannette will be ok. She is still breathing. Kirsten would have been 48.

398 Comments:

At January 10, 2017 at 12:12 AM , Karen : ) said...: "She must have deleted it but the girl called her Bernie and brought up the murder. Lol that murderer gets what she deserves!"

I doubt a comment like that would have much of an effect. She is probably amused by them.
At January 10, 2017 at 12:21 AM , Karen : ) said...: Hi Susan,

"Where is our fearless leader Brittany? She's AWOL for a while now."

I don't know. She is probably just really busy. It's not like there isn't anything else to write about. There is the article I posted in the comments under the article, "sorry for the wait" - June 4th (the actual article also had pictures that are not on the web), there is the landscape suicide (1986) documentary which is a re-enactment of Bernadette's FBI interview, and there is also the recent documentary, "The 80's - Deadliest Decade", which is the most objective documentary I have watched so far.

I hope she is well.
At January 10, 2017 at 12:37 AM , Karen : ) said...: Hi Anonymous who wrote the following:

"She does not lash out on her FB page. She just deletes irrelevant comments or questions."

What questions are irrelevant in your opinion? Asking her why she refers to herself as a life hacker when she stabbed Kirsten to death? A murderer using "lifehacker" to describe herself will attract attention.

"Virginia is Bernadette Protti's sister who owned the knife left in the car. Some people think she weighs in on this forum from time to time. I doubt it but who knows."

The general opinion here is that theory is BS. Do you think it was Virginia's knife?
At January 11, 2017 at 3:28 AM , Anonymous said...: The new doc about the case has a very clear pic of bernadette/Jeannette at 41:31. The look on her face sums up what she thought of Kirsten's murder and the pain she caused other people
--- she didn't give two shits about any of it. She looked pleased.
At January 11, 2017 at 7:45 AM , Anonymous said...: Is that you,Gina? I heard you still defend your sister to this day. Shame shame shame shame shame shame shame<<>>
At January 11, 2017 at 7:47 AM , Anonymous said...: Shame shame shame Is a game of thrones reference.
At January 11, 2017 at 8:00 AM , Anonymous said...: It isn't sick. It's magical. Try it!¡!!!!!!!
At January 11, 2017 at 12:10 PM , Anonymous said...: Anon-you haven't changed if you are still calling people "losers". Your comment is the reason why some people do side with Bern(even though it's wrong). If anyone was bullied or picked on school they might have a look at you and say yeah, she's the type who I hated in school because they thought they were better than most of us. So congrats for continuing to perpetrate that stereotype.
At January 11, 2017 at 4:54 PM , Anonymous said...: The hell she doesnt. No your right she just gets rude!!
At January 11, 2017 at 4:55 PM , Anonymous said...: That is the whole point people change when they get out of high school. She is a loser!
At January 11, 2017 at 5:02 PM , Anonymous said...: I changed, people change. We don't stay who we were in high school and that's a good thing. When you get out of high school it doesn't matter if your parents were rich or you were a cheerleader or a jock or whatever. When high school is over the activities are too and the real world is a whole lot different. I didn't write it to perpetuate a stereotype but to point out the whole point of this bullshit theory people come up with. I don't care how snobbish or hateful a person may be they don't deserve to die. Kirsten costas was not this horrible person people say she was. She was confident. I don't see the problem I just see that Bernadette has serious problems.
At January 11, 2017 at 5:06 PM , Anonymous said...: Allow me to apologize for my distasteful comment even know I didn't mean to come across that way. So I apologize to those of you who found is wrong!
At January 12, 2017 at 4:44 AM , Unknown said...: Thanks, Purple! Yes, I was curious about the party because I feel like that would be a huge difference in wether or not premeditation was involved. The movie, if true, makes it seem that there was a party and she was hoping to impress Kirsten by taking her there. BUT that being said, I fully don't feel she had planned to kill her. I think she snapped. She obviously had mental instability and was obsessed with Kirsten and being her friend. She feared so badly to be looked at as 'weird'. I think she thought she was making headway (the Bobbies) and the thought of Kirsten telling everyone what a weirdo she was, would have ruined her life (according to her). Such a troubled child. The whole thing is just so tragic 😔
At January 12, 2017 at 4:45 AM , Unknown said...: Which new doc? I don't think I've seen it.
At January 12, 2017 at 8:18 AM , Anonymous said...: Jen, the doc is at the following:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E7YGKlLTf78
At January 13, 2017 at 5:37 AM , Anonymous said...: I am wondering what happened in the car that made Kirsten flee and go to a nearby residents house? Did Bernadette say something to scare her? I guess we will never know but I do know anyone would think it's quite bizarre that she went out of her way to make up a lie about a dinner to lure Kirsten out of the house. What idea did Bernadette have? If Kirsten didn't hang with her at school and I have read that Kirsten seen Bernadette as a wannabe lurking behind then she couldn't have possibly thought that Kirsten would want to be friends then. Bernadette's whole plan backfired and blew up in her face because Kirsten misconstrued it as she was attracted to her. Who wouldn't get that impression? What are you suppose to think? I just wish Kirsten could be here now and be enjoying life as much as all the rest of us because life is precious!!!!
At January 13, 2017 at 5:43 AM , Anonymous said...: I think Jeannette had feelings for Kirsten.
At January 13, 2017 at 5:47 AM , Anonymous said...: Who uses a carving knife to cut vegetables? Virginia protti varella should have been charged with perjury and thrown in jail. How does anyone know she didn't already know about the murder? It wouldn't surprise me because it's obvious she lived on the witness stand to cover for Bernadette. I think the measly sentence was a joke and the judge was a poor excuse for a human being by giving her a 9 year sentence. Missy Avila was murdered in 1985 and Karen severson and Laura Doyle got a long sentence and just got paroled a couple years ago. This whole case makes me sick. It shouldn't have mattered about her being a juvenile she still should have got a good long sentence and maybe even life without parole but you can tell she and her family lied through the whole thing. So very sad and tragic. Rest in peace beautiful Kirsten! I hope justice is served one day.
At January 13, 2017 at 5:50 AM , Anonymous said...: I guess we will never know because she didn't give all the details.
At January 13, 2017 at 5:55 AM , Anonymous said...: I think Bernadette took the knife when she went to confront Kirsten!!! Why is beyond me though!!! You don't need a huge knife to confront another person that's weird! I guess psycho people don't think of it that way!
At January 13, 2017 at 6:17 AM , Anonymous said...: Jeannette followed Kirsten home and brought the knife with her to confront her. Isn't that premeditation?
At January 13, 2017 at 6:19 AM , Anonymous said...: Virginia still defends Jeannette's actions to this day.
At January 14, 2017 at 7:10 AM , Unknown said...: Thank you!
At January 14, 2017 at 7:16 AM , Unknown said...: As in, she thinks it OK to kill someone you're obsessed with? I mean, I love my siblings dearly. If one of them ever did anything like this, I would absolutely still love them BUT in no way would I defend their actions. I still can't understand why this was treated so lightly.
At January 14, 2017 at 3:35 PM , Karen : ) said...: She doesn't look particularly bothered at 41:31, tbh.
At January 14, 2017 at 4:03 PM , Karen : ) said...: I agree with Susan, anonymous.

You are portraying yourself like a bitchy mean girl "Stacey Lockwood" type, which will encourage people to feel sympathy for Bernadette.

" people change when they get out of high school"

Not everyone does, but I'm sure most do and I'm sure most people feel regret when they think of someone they could have treated better. You haven't changed that much if you think it's appropriate to call someone a loser (I'm not sticking up for Bernadette, but I got the impression that you as an adult think it would be appropriate to refer to her as a loser in school, which is bullyish and juvenile).

" don't care how snobbish or hateful a person may be they don't deserve to die. Kirsten costas was not this horrible person people say she was."

I agree. No-one is a perfect angel at that age, but from what I have seen and read, Kirsten's behaviour was so innocuous in comparison to people I have met.
At January 14, 2017 at 4:10 PM , Karen : ) said...: Hi Jen,

" BUT that being said, I fully don't feel she had planned to kill her."

I don't know. Why did she have such a large knife in the car? A rational person wouldn't use such a large knife to cut fruit for lunch. A rational person also wouldn't store a knife between car seats and then use it for fruit and vegetables. That's odd and unhygienic. There is no reasonable explanation why the knife was in the car.

I agree with the rest of your comment.

There is also another documentary about the case, which is a re-enactment of Bernadette's FBI interview. It's called: Landscape suicide (1986). It's on youtube.
At January 14, 2017 at 4:28 PM , Karen : ) said...: Hi Anonymous,

"I am wondering what happened in the car that made Kirsten flee and go to a nearby residents house?"

We can only speculate. I think Bernadette probably came on too strong in her attempts to befriend Kirsten and it possibly came across as something sexual. As homosexuality wasn't as socially accepted then as it is now, it's understandable that something like that might have prompted her to leave the car and run to the house of a stranger.

"If Kirsten didn't hang with her at school and I have read that Kirsten seen Bernadette as a wannabe lurking behind"

Where did you read that?
At January 14, 2017 at 5:08 PM , Unknown said...: Hi, Purple. Yeah, I keep going back to that. I feel like the whole family was kind of 'odd'. Maybe the sister really did use a huge knife to cut veggies and kept it in the car. I don't know. I feel like that might be a possibility. I keep going back and forth with it. Was the knife already there or did she bring the knife in case whatever she was trying to achieve, backfired? So hard to tell.
I'm going to check out that other documentary. I've only seen the 80's Dealiest Decade and the movie. Both within the last 2 weeks. I've never heard of this story before and I'm completely intrigued by it.
At January 15, 2017 at 4:53 PM , Karen : ) said...: Hi Jen,

I don't believe the sister used the large knife to cut fruit and vegetables. Why take a large knife from the kitchen if smaller ones are available? It doesn't make sense.
I don't know whether or not the knife was in the car. I don't believe it was. Bernadette said the knife was in the car and the sister who testified on the stand stated that she "MIGHT" have left the knife in the car. If the sister did regularly cut fruit and veggies with a large knife and kept the knife in the car, why would she say she "might" have left it in the car? You would know perfectly well if you did or you didn't.
If Bernadette found the knife in the car, why did she return it to the kitchen?

The landscape suicide documentary is good. It's also quite sad as it shows a teenager at the end (portraying Kirsten) talking on the phone in her room as the song "memory" plays in the background, which is a reference to what Kirsten was like. Mrs Costas described Kirsten as the life of their house; she was always talking on the phone, dancing, singing, listening to music, laughing...etc. It is then revealed that the song "Memory" was played at Kirsten's funeral.
At January 15, 2017 at 5:41 PM , Anonymous said...: Purple Haze, how do you know that Jeannette's husband didn't know until 2 years ago? That is news to me! I can't believe he would stay married to her. How could she hide from him that she was in juvy, didn't graduate or go to prom or anything? That her name wasn't on anything from when she was a baby or a kid?
At January 16, 2017 at 1:55 AM , Karen : ) said...: This comment has been removed by the author.
At January 16, 2017 at 3:13 AM , Anonymous said...: Is that a sarcastic question ❓
At January 16, 2017 at 3:16 AM , Anonymous said...: I agree with you our insightful comment.
At January 16, 2017 at 3:23 AM , Anonymous said...: I think Bernadette and Kirsten might have become friendly acquaintances as time went on because they were in the same sorority. However,Bern tried to force it that night which would be a huge turn off to anyone.such a damn tragic case.
At January 16, 2017 at 7:15 AM , Unknown said...: Hi Purple,
That's a good point. If you always cut veggies in the car, you would KNOW a knife was in there. So this leads me to believe my original thought; she brought the knife in case things didn't go her way. For Kirsten to just jump out of the car at night, far enough from home to not be able to walk, there had to be some really bizarre things being said to her.
I watched Lanscape Suicide last night. (my husband thinks I'm nuts, haha but I'm so intrigued with any true crime. Criminology degree here :) ) Was the confession word for word, do you know? She was really vague with everything. Granted, she was a 15 year old child, but she just seemed so cold and confused. To be able to live with it like that for 6 months as if it never happened, is wild. I don't think she felt guilt, I think she just knew the FBI was closing in on her and she was scared.
Yes, the end was very sad. Showing 'Kirsten' on the phone, being just what she was; a normal, happy teenager.
Bernadette was reminded of all her failures when she looked at Kirsten. The fact that Kirsten didn't like her or accept her, enraged her. That's my feeling in it but I also don't know too much about this case.
At January 16, 2017 at 10:07 AM , Anonymous said...: How is she defending her sister's actions?
At January 16, 2017 at 10:58 AM , Anonymous said...: She says that Jeannette was pushed to kill Kirsten because she bullied her. We all know that is bullshit.
At January 17, 2017 at 5:31 AM , Karen : ) said...: This comment has been removed by the author.
At January 18, 2017 at 6:43 PM , Karen : ) said...: Hi Anonymous,

What sarcasm?
At January 18, 2017 at 7:56 PM , Karen : ) said...: Hi Jen,

It looks like the sister was intentionally being evasive by saying she "might" have left the knife in the car. You are either did or you didn't.

"For Kirsten to just jump out of the car at night, far enough from home to not be able to walk, there had to be some really bizarre things being said to her."

I agree. It's possible that Kirsten got annoyed when she discovered Bernadette's lie to get her out of her house and Bernadette possibly came on too strong when she was trying to explain why she did it (for ex: I admire you, I wanted to get to know you), which probably came across as something sexual to Kirsten.

"(my husband thinks I'm nuts, haha but I'm so intrigued with any true crime. Criminology degree here :)

I can understand the interest in this case. I think one of the reasons people are interested in this case is because they want to make sense of such a senseless, tragic crime. The frenzied knife attack Bernadette subjected Kirsten to is truly shocking. Two of Kirsten's stab wounds were two feet long!
I think another reason this case has generated a lot of interest is because of the movie, "Death of a Cheerleader". Some people appear to believe the Stacey Lockwood character is a factual depiction of Kirsten and they vilify her because the Stacey Lockwood character reminds them of some bitch in high school that gave them a hard time. At the beginning of the movie, it is stated that the production is INSPIRED by a real event and CERTAIN EVENTS AND CONVERSATIONS WERE DRAMATISED, yet some people still treat it all as fact.

That's very interesting that you have a Criminology degree.

"Was the confession word for word, do you know?"

I believe so.

Yes, she was vague. She wouldn't say what exactly she spoke to Kirsten about in the car. Maybe if she did, she would have looked a lot guiltier.
I don't mean to be pedantic, but she was 16 when she was "interrogated", not 15.

She was very detached from the crime as evidenced by her behaviour in the 6 months after she killed Kirsten. Yeah, I believe she knew she was going to be caught.

I thought the end with "Kirsten" was sad, but also very touching.

I don't think Bernadette was the "failure" she thought she was. Rather than focusing on her own strengths, she appears to have obsessed over Kirsten and I'm sure her neediness to befriend Kirsten (before the night she killed her) came across. As you know, neediness repels people like the stench of a skunk.

I agree with the above comment that it's possible they would have become "friendly acquaintances" because they were both in the same sorority club. However, it appears that Bernadette was trying to force something and as you know, friendship is a two way street. Also, lying to a person to get them out of their house under false pretences isn't exactly going to endear you to them either, nor is stalking them when they want to be left alone, or stalking them to their house.
At January 20, 2017 at 5:10 AM , Unknown said...: Hi Purple,
You're so right. It's just so interesting because I cannot wrap my mind around the brutality of such a young, seemingly good Kid. I just feel so heartbroken for Kirsten's family. I have a daughter myself. I cannot fathom losing her in such a horrific way and then to know her murderer is married and a mother herself, living the dreams I had for my daughter. I would've moved to Hawaii too. I don't know how Bernadette lives with herself. I wonder if her community knows who she really is and what she has done.
At January 21, 2017 at 4:24 PM , Karen : ) said...: Hi Jen,

I agree. What a horrific nightmare for any parent to endure. I wouldn't wish it on anyone.

"I don't know how Bernadette lives with herself."

Well, if she could block something so heinous out of her mind for months when she was 15/16, I imagine when wouldn't have much of a problem blocking it out now as an adult, especially with the amount of time that has passed.

"I wonder if her community knows who she really is and what she has done."

It's hard to know. Someone else pointed out that if their child was going over to a house and she didn't know the parents, she would google them, so it's possible some people know who she is.

I read somewhere on the blog that you thought Kirsten was a bully. Do you still think that is the case?
At January 21, 2017 at 4:49 PM , Karen : ) said...: "I wonder if her community knows who she really is and what she has done."

I know people living around Bernadette were informed about her past, but I don't know anything else.
At January 21, 2017 at 7:18 PM , Unknown said...: Hi Purple,
Good point about a parent looking up another on Google.
I don't remember writing that Kirsten was a bully but I did feel that way at first. I thought the story, from some things I was reading on the internet in preparation for the show I saw on ID, was more about a girl being bullied and couldn't take it any longer. Even the movie, although super exaggerated for film, just shows that Kirsten was a snob. She didn't really even interact with Bernadette. The more I've learned about the case, the more my option has definitely changed. I went from feeling sad for Bernadette (and also for the Costas family) to realizing that Bernadette was/is a sociopath. She just obsessed over Kirsten. It was a jealous rage that led to that poor child's death. I'm just thinking, if I was being bullied and tormented by someone, I would avoid them at all costs. I would certainly not be trying to get closer to them.
Again, I just really cannot get over the leniency of the sentence. Unbelievable to me. I was just watching something where a 17 year old boy maliciously murdered a gay man. It was a hate crime back in the 80's. He, at 17, received life. This was in Texas so I know laws are different but justice was served there. I just don't understand.
I just recently ready that someone on the parole board was against her release and they thought she was capable of snapping at any moment. BUT released early. Our justice system is beyond flawed.
Thanks for answering my tons of questions! I really appreciate the insight you've been giving me :)
At January 21, 2017 at 7:20 PM , Unknown said...: That must have been quite a shock for her neighbors.
At January 24, 2017 at 3:12 PM , Anonymous said...: I have some interesting articles from that time following step by step the investigation, including a photo of the sheriff's aide searching the bushes for murder weapon, a description of who the boobies were, strange phone calls similar to the one that lured Kirsten out received by her friends after the murder took place, the trial, the parole, the release and many other interesting stuff. If someone is interested, tell me.
At January 24, 2017 at 3:43 PM , Karen : ) said...: Hi Anonymous,

That sounds very interesting, thank you.

Would it be possible to just post it in the comments? I did the same thing with an article called: Borderline - the murder trial of Bernadette Protti. I posted it under "sorry for the wait.... (June 4)
At January 24, 2017 at 3:45 PM , Karen : ) said...: Hi Jen,

Yeah, I'm sure it was. I would be embarrassed to show my face if I was Bernadette.
At January 24, 2017 at 5:26 PM , Karen : ) said...: Hi Jen,

"I don't remember writing that Kirsten was a bully but I did feel that way at first. I thought the story, from some things I was reading on the internet in preparation for the show I saw on ID, was more about a girl being bullied and couldn't take it any longer"

I can understand why you thought that. The articles about Kirsten's murder are generally very one – sided. The movie was purposely biased in Bernadette's favour. The movie is based on the scathingly critical Rolling Stone article by Randall Sullivan. Randall Sullivan said he identified with Bernadette and boy does that blatantly come across in the movie as he deliberately portrayed Kirsten as an unsympathetic stereotypical high school bitch.

"The more I've learned about the case, the more my option has definitely changed."

It's great that you took the time to learn about the case. Many people take movies INSPIRED by true events at face value, which is a shame.

"It was a jealous rage that led to that poor child's death."

I agree. I also think Bernadette lost it because Kirsten was disturbed that Bernadette concocted a ruse to lure Kirsten out of her house. She also appears to have been understandably disturbed that Bernadette followed her home (according to the guy that drove Kirsten home, Bernadette was "bumper to bumper" with his car).
I think it's such a shame that Bernadette didn't confide in someone about her plan to lure Kirsten out of her house. I'm sure a good friend would have put her straight and told her what she was planning to do would indeed be interpreted as weird (at the very least) and not to do it!

I was thinking that if Bernadette really felt as inferior as she attempted to portray herself as in her FBI interview, would she have tried out for cheerleading? (I'm asking as a non American) Don't you have to have a certain amount of confidence to try out for cheerleading? She also seemed to believe that she had a good shot of getting it, which conveys confidence.

"if I was being bullied and tormented by someone, I would avoid them at all costs. I would certainly not be trying to get closer to them"

I agree. It doesn't make sense that Bernadette went to all of that trouble to get Kirsten alone if she was bullied by her. If Kirsten thought so little of Bernadette, why did she get in her car?

The sentence was indeed very lenient. She butchered Kirsten, yet she was sent to a juvenile facility until the age of 23 where she could have a boyfriend, finish her high school education and study college courses. When she was released, her record was sealed and she could then change her name, work as a nurse and live in anonymity.
It's amazing to me as a non American how different the laws are in different States. I'm glad the 17 year old got a life sentence.

"Our justice system is beyond flawed."

That's unfortunately the case everywhere, including the country I live in.

Thanks for answering my tons of questions! I really appreciate the insight you've been giving me :)

You're very welcome :)
At January 24, 2017 at 11:09 PM , Anonymous said...: I have some interesting articles from that time following step by step the investigation, including a photo of the sheriff's aide searching the bushes for murder weapon, a description of who the boobies were, strange phone calls similar to the one that lured Kirsten out received by her friends after the murder took place, the trial, the parole, the release and many other interesting stuff. If someone is interested, let me know.
At January 24, 2017 at 11:18 PM , Anonymous said...: Sorry for posting this twice, my mystake.
At January 25, 2017 at 12:30 AM , Al said...: Hi Purple haze, i'm Alma, the one that you asked to reveal identity for sending the article to. I've seen the article that you've posted and thank you for that. I wil write here the articles that i have in a chronological order. They contain some photos as wel, i don't know how to post them tho.
At January 25, 2017 at 7:56 AM , Unknown said...: I would be interested in seeing those things. Thanks!
At January 25, 2017 at 10:30 AM , Unknown said...: Hi Purple, what country are you in? Yes, you absolutely need to be confident to try out for cheerleading. Especially in a high school that seemed so focused on looks, etc...she seemed like she had a great deal of self confidence. Then losing for cheerleading and the yearbook club pushed her over the edge. Her own selfishness and jealousy drove her to commit this crime. It's clear as day what was happening here. There was no bullying involved. A deranged, jealous, obsessed child who couldn't deal with the fact that she was NOT Kirsten Costas.
Do you happen to know where I can read that Rolling Stones article?
At January 25, 2017 at 11:44 AM , Al said...: Art. 1, part 1.
Slain Orinda teenager was lured, police say
By Jack Cheevers (the Tribune)
Jun 26 1984

Orinda - A teenage girl sought in the stabbing murder of an Orinda cheerleader lured her victim from home under the guise of driving her to a phony initiation ceremony for a socially exclusive volunteer group, Contra Costa sheriff's deputies said yesterday.
Meanwhile, deputies continued to hunt for a "chunky," "stringy-haired" teenage girl suspected in the slaying of 15-year-old Kirsten Costas, a well-liked cheerleader and swim team member at Miramonte High School in Orinda.
Costas, described by a family friend as "cute as a bug's ear" and "an all-American girl", was fatally stabbed Saturday night on a neighbor 's front porch next door to her Orchard Road home in this wealthy community.
Sheriff's Lt. James Robinson said Costas' mother got a phone call Thursday evening froma female who said an initiation was to be held Saturday night for the Bob-O-Links, or "Bobbies," a by-invitation volunteer auxiliary that raises money for the Mt. Diablo Rehabilitation Center in Pleasant Hill.
Robinson said another local girl received a similar call from someone claiming to be president of the Bobbies, but didn't agree to go to because she knew the group's president was on vacation in Hawaii.
The mother of a girl already initiated in the Bob-O-Links told the Tribune that Kirsten had attended a "preliminary" initiation June 8, but that a dinner scheduled that night to formally initiate new members was never held.
"I think (the killer) was someone anti-Bobbie," said the woman, who asked not to be identified. "Someone used it (the initiation) as an excuse to get to her."
Deputies said that about 9 p.m. Saturday, a suspect driving a noisy, yellow or gold Pinto picked Kirsten up at home and drove her to a parking lot outside the Moraga Valley Presbyterian Church in Moraga.
Officers described the suspect as a 15- or 16-year-old girl, with stringy blond or light brown hair, wearing a yellowish, short-sleeve T-shirt and faded red sweat pants.
After sitting in the car for about 40 minutes, the driver "started to get weird" and Kirsten, apparently realizing there was no initiation, left the car and went to a nearby house, deputies reported.
Deputies said the homeowner, Alex Arnold, who was at home playing pinochle with friends, let the girl in to call her parents. When she was unable to reach her parents, Arnold offered to drive Kirsten home, deputies said.
Arnold said that as he began backing out of his driveway, he saw the Pinto partly blocking him, and asked Kirsten if she wanted to go home with her "friend" but that she said no.
While driving toward her house, deputies said, Arnold noticed the Pinto following him. He asked Kirsten if she was alright, but she didn't seem to be upset, officers reported.
At January 25, 2017 at 11:47 AM , Al said...: Art. 1, part 2
Arnold said that upon seing that her family wasn't home, Kirsten asked to be dropped off at a neighbor 's house. When he asked if she wanted him to stay and wait for a minute, the girl said nothing and got out of the car and walked to the neighbor 's front porch.
As Kirsten began knocking on the door, Arnold said, he saw the driver of the Pinto move past his car to the porch, raise her right hand and attack the other girl.
Arnold said Kirsten then began screaming, fell to the porch, but got up and ran back past him, bleeding profusely. He said he last glimpsed her attacker standing on the porch, holding a "blood-covered object," apparently a knife.
Arnold told deputies the suspect jumped into her car and roared off. He chased the car briefly, but then returned to try and aid Kirsten. The wounded girl was rushed to Kaiser Hospital in Walnut Creek, where she was pronounced dead.
Meanwhile yesterday, a stream of friends and neighbors arrived at the murdered girl's ranch-style home, bringing food and condolences to her secluded parents. Her father, Arthur, is a regional sales manager for 3M Co. and her mother, Berit, a part-time worker at the Orinda Community Center.
A family friend who asked not to be named described Kirsten as a well-liked swimmer and soccer and baseball player at Miramonte High School who had just finished a cheerleading camp at nearby St. Mary's College in Moraga.
"This was an all-American girl, the kind any mother and father would be proud of. She was neat, lots of personality, bubbly. She loved being a girl. She was vivacious, happy," the woman said.
"This is something that just doesn't happen here. There's no rhyme or reason. It is so bizarre, it is so beyond belief."
Nels Pierce, spokesman for the Mt. Diablo Rehabilitation Center, described the Bobbies as an adult-supervised volunteer auxiliary of about 25 to 30 girls who raise money and do volunteer activities at the center.
"These gals are all top achievers, they come from some of the better homes (in Orinda and Moraga)," he said. "They are invited in on the basis of their ability to get things done."
Pierce said that as far as he knew, "Costas' efforts to be admitted to the Bob-O-Links had nothing to do with this tragedy, although the law may come along and say something different down the road."
Sheriff's investigators are asking that anyone who received a similar call regarding the phony Bob-O-Links initiation let them know.
At January 25, 2017 at 11:51 AM , Al said...: Art. 2, part 1
Slain Orinda girl's friends received calls
By Jack Cheevers (The Tribune)
Jun 27, 1984

Orinda - At least three other teenage members of two sorority-like volunteer groups received phone calls similar to the one that lured an Orinda cheerleader to her murder, the Tribune has learned.
All three teenagers were close friends of the murdered girl, Kirsten Costas, according to a 16-year-old Orinda girl who belongs to one of the volunteer group.
Contra Costa sheriff's Capt. Stan Garvia said yesterday he was aware of only one girl besides Costas who received a call, but said homicide investigators are checking the possibility there may have been others.
The 15-year-old Costas, a popular swimmer who had been named to the cheerleading squad at Orinda's Miramonte High School, was fatally stabbed Saturday night next door to her Orchard Road home by a unidentified young woman.
Investigators said Costas' mother got a phone call earlier in the week from a female inviting her daughter to a phony initiation dinner Saturday night for the Bob-O-Links, or the "Bobbies," an exclusive, socially prestigious volunteer auxiliary for teenage girls at the Mt. Diablo Rehabilitation Center in Pleasant Hill.
At about 9 p.m. Saturday, a young woman driving a dilapidated yellow or gold Pinto picked up Costas at home and drove her to a church parking lot in Moraga, where the pair waited about 40 minutes, deputies said.
When the driver began acting strangely and Costas realized the dinner was phony, the girl got out of the car and relayed the situation to a nearby resident, who drove her to a neighbor 's house next door to her own, authorities said.
The woman in Pinto followed Costas back to Orinda , deputies said, hopped out of her car and stabbed Costas several times on the front porch of the neighbor 's home, fatally wounding her.
The 16-year-old girl, who declined to be identified, said calls about the phony dinner were also received by three close friends of Costas' who also are members of the Bobbies and Ailanthus, a volunteer auxiliary at Children 's Hospital in Oakland.
At January 25, 2017 at 11:54 AM , Al said...: Art. 2, part 2
Both groups, which draw their members from Miramonte High School, are invitation-only organizations in which membership is prized by girls at the high school.
The girl, speaking at the Sleepy Hollow Swim and Tennis Club in Orinda, said she was a Bobbies member but had not received such a call.
Asked if she thought there was a connection between the volunteer auxiliaries and Costas' murder, the girl responded, "I don't know, but obviously someone doesn't like that group."
The girl said that Costas' friends all turned down the dinner invitations because "they didn't believe it, i guess."
She said a dinner already been held for girls being inducted into Ailanthus, but that a dinner for Bob-O-Links initiates was to be held sometime this summer.
"That's why Kirsten believed it," the girl said.
Meanwhile yesterday, sheriff's deputies said they have not yet identified the suspected killer, and asked residents to call them with any information relevant to the murder on a special, 24-hours hotline at 372-2470.
Deputies originally described the suspect as being 15- or 16-year-old but said yesterday that witnesses weren't entirely sure of her age.
About eight local Explorer Scouts led by Sgt. Al Earl of the county crime laboratory searched juniper bushes near several homes on Orchard Road for possible evidence, including a murder weapon.
While Costas' parents remained in seclusion at their home, other neighborhood residents tried to go on with life as usual.
But some residents couldn't escape the impact of the shocking weekend murder..
"We are all nervous, we are all aprehensive," said an Orinda mother whose daughter was a good friend of the slain girl. "We are all watching out children more closely."
At Orinda Square, two 14-year-old girls who said they knew Costas glanced around skittishly and said the murder had made things "scary for all of us."
Even parents lounging around a pool at the Meadow Swim and Tennis Club were suspicious of an approaching stranger, and few residents would give their names to reporters.
"The whole thing is very bizzare," said one woman. "There's more to it, I think- something isn't coming out. It's very strange."
At January 25, 2017 at 12:01 PM , Al said...: Art. 3
Orinda's elite: the "Bobbies"
By Jack Cheevers (The Tribune)
Jul 1, 1984

At Miramonte High School, they are the girls with the best look, the cutest clothes, the richest parents.
Some arrive for high school classes in the bucket seats of Fiats and Porsches. Others take vacations not to Santa Cruz, but to Europe and Hawaii.
They are the high-spirited, fun-loving daughters of suburban affluence and privilege: the Bobbies.
In the subtle case system of high school cliques, the Bobbies are known as the group at Miramonte. The popular girls. The "in" crowd.
But the pleasant, playful world of the Bobbies was shattered last weekend by the brutal murder of one of their own: Kirsten Costas, 15, an athletic, curly-haired cheerleader who was to be the one of the group's newest member.
Formed in 1958, the Bobbies- known formally as the Bob-O-Links - are a volunteer fund-raising auxiliary of the Mt. Diablo Rehabilitation Center in Pleasant Hill, which provides physical therapy for victims of paralysis and brain-damage.
The group draws its members from among teenage girls in Orinda and Moraga who attend Miramonte High. The Bobbies have 40 to 45 active members- high school juniors and seniors- and recrut about 25 new members each year from Miramonte 's sophomore class.
To some students and parents, the Bobbies simply are the club for Miramonte 's best and brightest: the top achievers, the most popular girls, the winners.
"They're a very lovely, nice group of girls," said Cathy Woolsey, mother of Bobbies president Anne Woolsey, who is vacationing in Hawaii.
But to some Miramonte students, the Bobbies' exclusivity and elite membership have given its members the image of snobs.
"It's a socialite group. If you don't fit the socialite model, you're not asked to join," said Dan Gannett, 17, who graduated from Miramonte this year.
"The majority of the girls are pretty stuck up."
Some students say the Bobbies are less a volunteer group than a high school sorority and are more likely to be found at a party than helping paraplegics.
"Some of their parties are pretty wild, too," said one male student.
Those invited into the group usually are taken through day-long initiations that Bobbies describe as harmless fun intended only to slightly redden the cheeks of new members.
Many initiates are asked to don their mothers' oldest, ugliest clothes, rub mayonnaise or raw eggs into their hair and peddle kisses for a dime to motorists at stop lights.
Others wind up sitting on the school's front lawn trying to eat ice cream with their hands behind their back.
But some students characterize the annual spring initiation as "weird," especially for a volunteer medical auxiliary.
In one case, would-be members were dressed up in their nightgowns and sent to the Orinda BART station, where they had to panhandle for money for the Bobbies treasury.
Others were awakened at 5 a.m., slipped into the homes of high school boys and told to dance around the sleeping boys' bed.
Although few students think Costas' killer was directly associated with the Bobbies, some feel the murder could lead to the demise of the Bobbies themselves.
"I think it's the end of the Bobbies. People just hear the name and they say, "Oh, the Bobbies club. They think someone had a thing against the club," said Bouris.
"A lot of people think that the club won't last because the parents will relate the two together."
At January 25, 2017 at 12:03 PM , Al said...: This comment has been removed by the author.
At January 25, 2017 at 12:46 PM , Al said...: More articles will follow.
At January 25, 2017 at 6:15 PM , Karen : ) said...: Hi Jen,

I'm in Europe. I wouldn't have a problem telling you which country in Europe if we were talking privately, but I don't want to reveal it on the blog (I don't know why I feel that way. I know it's not a big deal). I've been mistaken for a British person.........perish the thought (I'm joking.)

Don't you also have to try out for cheerleading in front of a group of people? That takes confidence. By the way, she made it to the final 12 in her cheerleading try-outs. Six out of the 12 were chosen to be cheerleaders and Kirsten was one of the six.

I agree with your comment. She appears to have been focused on Kirsten to an unhealthy degree and rather that focus on her own strengths, she blamed Kirsten for her inadequate feelings. I also think it's possible that she had borderline personality disorder.

The following is a newspaper excerpt detailing Bernadette's taped confession in court:

Protti drove Costas in Protti' s family Pinto to a Moraga church parking lot, where they talked for about 30 minutes. Protti: "We just talked but she made me feel really dumb". All the feelings I had toward her came out and she thought I'd be weird and I was upset." After Costas became alarmed by Protti and sought help from a nearby resident who drove her home, Protti says she followed the pair back to Costas' neighborhood, pulled up behind the car carrying Costas, grabbed a knife in her Pinto, and strode up to Costas on a neighbor's front porch. Protti:"I just got out of the car and she started telling me to go away and I just got angry and I did it.

The following is a snippet from a newspaper:

Costas represented "Protti' s inability to be a highschool success. The emotional , 90-minute tape was played before a packed courtroom here on the second day of the 16-year-old Protti's trial of murd ering Kirsten Costas 15, a cheerleader at Miramonte High School in Orinda. Protti: "The end of my sophomore year, I had a lot of inferiority feelings and really bad feelings about myself," Protti said on the tape, which was made after she confessed to an FBI agent on Dec. 11. "I lost for cheerleader, I didn't get in the club I wanted to. and I didn't get on the year -"All that stuff — she just seemed to sort of represent it and she brought it all back like losing at things, or looks, or money, or popularity or things that are stupid."
The following is from her taped confession:
"I was afraid she was gonna tell everybody I was really weird. I thought, "Oh my God, everything' s going wrong she's gonna tell everybody. She's so outspoken, and I think she would just say, Oh my god, you wouldn't believe what happened with Bernadette —she's just so weird and that would stay in their minds"

Imo, Bernadette came across as me,me,me,me.

"Do you happen to know where I can read that Rolling Stones article"

Yeah. I can send it to you if you want.
At January 25, 2017 at 6:24 PM , Karen : ) said...: Hi Alma,

Thank you for posting the articles. I really appreciate it.

"the one that you asked to reveal identity for sending the article to."

I hope you weren't offended by that. I asked you for your identity because I previously experienced a bit of harassment from a Bernadette supporter when I posted an email address in the comments section to get in contact with someone else.

Thank you about letting me know about the Landscape Suicide (1986) documentary on youtube. I thought it was good.
At January 25, 2017 at 7:02 PM , Unknown said...: Hi Purple, haha! No worries. Europe is good enough 😊
Yes, you try out for cheerleading in front of EVERYONE. I did it in junior high and hated every minute. It was pretty torturous haha.
I didn't know that Bernadette made it so far in the competition.
I also don't understand why anyone feels bad for her unless they've watched the movie and take that as completely factual. I also agree she was all about herself. 'Look at me!' Pathetic, really. It's sad to me that people seem to stick up for Bernadette, as a whole not just in here, and there's very little sympathy for Kirsten. Regardless if she was bitchy, cocky, whatever. She was a kid and she wasn't doing anything different from anyone other than being really awesome at life. Such a shame.
I would love to read that article. Can you forward it to cozy813@aol.com? Thanks a bunch!
I wonder if Bernadette's family lives near her or if they're as far from her as possible.
At January 26, 2017 at 1:28 AM , Al said...: Hi Purple haze,
No problem for that, no hard feelings here :) I really understand it.
At January 26, 2017 at 3:12 AM , Al said...: I've uploaded some photos of Bernadette's house, the sheriff's aide Michael Bachmann searching for the murder weapon, the sheriff Richard Rainey and FBI Robert Gast, Berit Costas at court house. You can find them here https://www.photobox.co.uk/album/temporary
At January 26, 2017 at 6:31 AM , Al said...: The one above is a wrong link. Berit Costas at court house (https://s29.postimg.org/5ickx1ibr/Berit_Costas.jpg); Bernadette's house (https://s30.postimg.org/and0a8oi9/Bernadette_house.jpg); a photo of Bernadette in court (https://s24.postimg.org/3lr5mis79/Bernadette.jpg); the sheriff Richard Rainey and FBI Robert Gast (https://s23.postimg.org/j5dcyfsez/FBI.jpg); the sheriff's aide Michael Bachmann searching for the murder weapon (https://s24.postimg.org/wv419sk91/Michael_Bachmann.jpg); a photo of Kirsten (https://s30.postimg.org/f7bhc0akx/Kirsten.jpg)
At January 26, 2017 at 1:02 PM , Karen : ) said...: Hi Jen,

"Yes, you try out for cheerleading in front of EVERYONE"

Like I wrote above, Bernadette must have had a bit of confidence to do that. She also appears to have been also overly concerned with how she came across to people. Surely someone with self-esteem issues that is overly concerned with embarrassing themselves in front of others wouldn't try out for something like cheerleading, especially as you must try out in front of lots of other people? She must have been really confident that she had a good chance of becoming a cheerleader, which doesn't exactly fit the self-conscious, socially inept character, "Death of a Cheerleader attempted to portray her as.

"I also don't understand why anyone feels bad for her unless they've watched the movie and take that as completely factual"

That's exactly what appears to have happened. I think people also project their bullying experiences onto Kirsten because the Stacey Lockwood character represented a stereotypical insufferable "mean girl".

"She was a kid and she wasn't doing anything different from anyone other than being really awesome at life. Such a shame"

I agree. Kirsten was a typical teenager with typical teenager faults who appears to have been very confident. She also appears to have been a talented girl, and of course, that will attract jealousy.

I sent you the article.
At January 26, 2017 at 1:46 PM , Karen : ) said...: Hi Jen,

" It's sad to me that people seem to stick up for Bernadette, as a whole not just in here, and there's very little sympathy for Kirsten"

The tide appears to be turning. I've honestly seen plenty of support for Kirsten when people actually think about what happened:

Bernadette lured Kirsten out of her house under false pretenses. She concocted a ruse by phoning Kirsten's house and lying to Kirsten's mother about a sorority dinner.

Bernadette seems to have freaked out because Kirsten didn't appreciate that Bernadette lied to her to get her out of her house alone. Bernadette said in her taped confession that "All of the feelings I had about Kirsten came out". Bernadette appears to have been obsessed with Kirsten, so can you imagine the things Bernadette probably said when "all of her feelings came out"? She probably told Kirsten that she admired her and other things alluding to a crush, so I'm not surprised Kirsten ran from Bernadette's car.

Kirsten ran to a strangers house to get away from Bernadette and Bernadette followed her.

When the stranger drove Kirsten home, Bernadette was riding his bumper with her car. It's a shame the stranger didn't stop the car and tell Bernadette to cut it out.

Bernadette followed Kirsten to Kirsten's neighbour's porch. Kirsten was banging her fists on the neighbour's door, which suggests she was panicked. Bernadette then stabbed Kirsten from behind and continued to stab Kirsten when Kirsten was on the ground suffering from her wounds and screaming. Two wounds were two feet long, so she not only stabbed Kirsten, she sliced.

She coolly took a walk with her mother after she killed Kirsten

Bernadette was so detached from killing Kirsten that she attended Kirsten’s funeral. She had the unconscionable gall to not only attend Kirsten’s funeral knowing she was responsible for putting Kirsten in her coffin, but also had the cold nerve to be in the presence of and be able to look at Kirsten’s family whose sadness and grief would have been heart wrenchingly palpable.

Bernadette was so detached from killing Kirsten that she was able to discuss Kirsten's murder in class with classmates, some of which included Kirsten's friends.

Bernadette was so detached from killing Kirsten that she was able to watch as two innocent girls were blamed for Kirsten's murder and harassed by the community.

Bernadette was so detached from killing Kirsten that her behaviour was reported to not have changed after she killed Kirsten (She was described as her usual smiley self). She could block it out of her mind (her words).

Bernadette was so detached from killing Kirsten that she was able to fool people for 6 months after Kirsten's murder.

Bernadette doesn't appear to have been the hapless, pathetic character in the movie, "death of a cheerleader". She was described as popular in her own way, she was a good student, she had friends who loved her, and she was in a sorority group that was suggested to be exclusive and comprised of the popular girls in the school, yet "she didn't fit in"?

I think Bernadette was very jealous and obsessed with Kirsten. I think Bernadette killed Kirsten because Kirsten thought Bernadette was a lesbian and had a crush on her and she didn't want her to say that to anyone else.
At January 26, 2017 at 1:48 PM , Karen : ) said...: Hi Alma,

Thank you for the pictures.

I also have pictures that can't be found on the web. Maybe I can send them to you.
At January 26, 2017 at 1:53 PM , Karen : ) said...: Hi Jen,

I left something out of my previous point.

If Kirsten bullied Bernadette, why would Bernadette be so desperate (concocting a ruse to get someone out of their house is very desperate) to get her alone? Surely bully victims can't stand the sight of their bullies?

Bernadette couldn't give examples of Kirsten bullying her at the trial, which surely would have strengthened her case.
At January 26, 2017 at 2:09 PM , Al said...: This comment has been removed by the author.
At January 26, 2017 at 2:18 PM , Al said...: Art. 4, part 1
Parents of slain girl end seclusion (Orinda family believes killer is student whose friends are covering up identity)
D. Alcott, J. Cheevers, M. Gottschalk (The Tribune)
Sept 5, 1984

When a well-liked, high-achieving teenage girl was lured to her death June 23 by a killer who knew intimate family details, shocked neighbors in this affluent suburb called the knife attack on Kirsten Costas "savage" and "bizzare beyond belief."
Yesterday the 15-year-old victim's father and mother gave up their two-month-long, heartbroken seclusion to hold a news conference to reveal, with bowed heads and breaking voices, what they think happened.
They said they think a group of girls, angry about the establishment "in-group" that Kirsten belonged to, planned some kind of ambush "that got out of hand."
Now, said Arthur and Barit Costas, the identity of the murderer is being covered up. The parents said they believe the killer is another Miramonte High School student.
Costas said he came out of seclusion because school is starting and he wanted to discuss whether he thinks the killer is back at school.
"There may be some kids who don't show today," Costas said.
But law enforcement and school authorities told The Tribune they haven't drawn the same conclusion as had Costas.
Contra Costa Sheriff's Dept. Capt. Stan Garvin said he didn't think Kirsten's murder was a planned homicide.
Miramonte Principal Bran Yaich said he wasn't convinced the killer was a student.
Grant Weaver, a 15-year-old sophomore, said he doesn't think the killer will be caught.
He added, "Some of the girls were affraid to come back to school this year."
Another student, Lane Sickles, 15, confirmed that the rumor about the killer comming from the campus has made the rounds.
"Many Miramonte students," he said, "think it was someone at school, and they're covering it up."
Another student, a 15-year-old sophomore girl who requeste anonymity, asserted, "Everyone thinks that the suspect is on campus. It has to be a student."
The rumor may have arisen from nearly 1,000 telephone "tips" to police that poured in to a special hotline number. Police have said those calls finnaly boiled down to two girls who were investigated and cleared for lack of evidence.
That lack of evidence turned out to be a surprise in the case because there was a witness to the slaying and police began the investigation with a good description of the killer and her car.
At January 26, 2017 at 2:20 PM , Al said...: Art. 4, part 2
Both the victims's father and sheriff's officials said initially they expected a a quick arrest.
But Garvin said that despite the calls, he has no evidence either to support or refute Arthur Costas' theory.
Garvin agreed, however that "it's possible that someone could have organized it. If it was an organized effort, the others could have decided against it later."
Costas admitted, "We don't know who did it....(but) I feel something is going to break. Kirsten knew too many people in this area."
At the news conference in the Costas' backyard patio on Orchard Road, Barit Costas kept her head bowed as her husband spoke, but she lifted it to say, "They (the killers) knew too much (about the family). It has to stem from the community."
The victim's father said, "There is no doubt in my mind that someone is covering up...because of the way it came..."
"The planning, the way they set us up. They got Kirsten out of the house. They had to know the area, they had to know Kirsten."
Costas added, "I feel a group of girls was involved...to set this up. Then it got out of hand."
He referred to the fact that his daughter was chosen to be a varsity cheerleader and a member of Bob-O-Links, or Bobbies, an exclusive volunteer hospital auxiliary, this year.
"I don't know if it was jealousy or anti-establishment. Kirsten may have represented the establishment."
The victim had just made the school's varsity swim team. She also played soccer and baseball and worked in the school's office.
Her fellow students described the curly haired Costas as vivacious, bubbly, happy, full of personality, neatly dressed and "cute as a bug's ear." They said she was always surrounded by friends.
After the killing, students said life in Orinda was now "scary for all of us" and one student said she thought that the killer was making a statement that they hated Orinda.
The killer got away when the adult gave up chase and turned back to aid the dying teenager, who died within a few feet of the home the Costas bought the year she was born.
At January 26, 2017 at 2:57 PM , Al said...: Art. 5
Reward in Orinda girl's slaying rises to $50,000
By Jack Cheevers (The Tribune)

A reward fund set up to help find the killer of 15-year-old Kirsten Costas has swelled to $50,000, thanks to a $30,000 gift from an anonymous donor.
Art Hilman, an organizer of the Kirsten Costas Fund, said he was contacted by a San Francisco lawyer representing the donor, whose identity Hillman said he doesn't know.
"The attorney contacted me and indicated he had a client interested in assisting in the reward fund and the client wanted to remain totally and completed anonymous," Hillman said.
The donor arranged for a $30,000 letter of credit to be established at a San Francisco bank. The bank will pay out the money only if information provided leads to the arrest and conviction of Costas' murder, he said.
Meanwhile, Contra Costa sheriff's investigators said yesterday they are still pursuing the case but have made little additional progress on it.
"We're still tracking down leads, but we're not any closer than we have been," said Sheriff's Sgt. George Ward.
Investigators have printed color posters of the suspect's car - a battered, yellow or mustard-colored Ford Pinto - for distribution to car dealers, body shops and other businesses that may have had contact with the car's driver.
At January 26, 2017 at 2:59 PM , Al said...: Art. 6
All leads fail in slaying of teenager
By Frank Wootten (The Tribune)
Oct. 6, 1984

Four deputies working full time and two more working part time have followed 800 separate leads without finding a clue in the murder of Kirsten Costas, the Orinda high school sophomore slain June 23.
"All it has led to is frustration," Contra Costa County Sheriff's Capt. Stanley Garvin said yesterday.
Garvin, who leads the investigation division, made a plea to anyone for information that might help, adding, "To have any succes we're going to have to get a break."
Garvin said, " There may be people who, because of their knowledge, would feel they could get involved if they call us. I would suggest that they contact an attorney or report to us anonymously."
"The sheriff's hotline, 372-2470, is open around the clock," he said.
A $50,000 reward awaits the person with information that brings an arrest and conviction.
Investigators have talked to hundreds of witnesses, among them, all the students who had any contact with Costas at Miramonte High School in Orinda, where she was a cheerleader.
"The crime itself was not only the thrust of the knife that killed her," said Garvin.
"It was a long event that lasted from 9 p.m to 10:15 p.m., with witnesses along the way."
Costas reportedly was picked up at her home at 9 p.m. by a young woman driving a dilapidated, mustard-colored Ford Pinto. The woman is thought to have stabbed her at 10:15 p.m. in front of a neighbor's home in Orinda.
The trail leads to the parking lot of the Moraga Valley Presbyterian Church in Moraga, where Costas got out of the Pinto, to a nearby home in Moraga where she got a ride home.
"We got a lot of information, but nothing of value," Garvin said.
A week ago, Costas' classmates planted a 12-foot high magnolia tree in front of the school as a memorial to her.
At January 27, 2017 at 12:23 PM , Al said...: Art. 7, part 1
The arrest of Orinda girl
By Paul Grabowicz (The Tribune)
Dec. 13, 1984

A 16-year-old Orinda girl has been arrested for the June 23 murder of popular Miramonte High School student Kirsten Costas, the Contra Costa County Sheriff's office announced yesterday.
Sheriff Richard K. Rainey said the suspect, who also was a Miramonte student and knew Costas, admitted the killing to police Tuesday.
Rainey refused to discuss the motive for the killing, saying, "It's not absolutely clear to us what it was."
But sources familiar with the investigation told The Tribune that the suspect aparently was jealous of Costas, who was very involved in community organisations such as the Bob-O-Links (or Bobbies), a prestigious volunteer auxiliary at the Mt. Diablo Rehabilitation Center in Pleasant Hill.
Authorities refused to release the suspect's name because she is a juvenile.
But several people who knew the suspect said she too was a popular student and a member of the Bobbies.
"She is a very generous, kind, trusting girl," said an Orinda couple that had employed the suspect as a babysitter.
People familiar with the suspect said she had failed in a tryout last year for the Miramonte cheerleading team of which Costas was a member, and also was unsuccessful in an attempt to join the staff of the school's yearbook.
Costas' parents said yesterday that they were relieved their six-month ordeal was over.
"I don't feel good, I'll tel you that," Arthur Costas said. "But i do feel relieved - my wife feels the same way."
The key to cracking the case, Rainey said, was a computerized personality profile system developed four years ago by the FBI to identify crime suspects.
The computer provided a personality profile for Costas' killer that fit the suspect.
The profile also indicated the killer would show no remorse.
The girl taken into custody Tuesday had been interviewed by police at least four times and appeared to be calm and undisturbed by the interrogation, Rainey said.
"We thought she may be involved," said Capt. Stanley Garvin, head of the sheriff's investigation division. "But this (the profile information that she would show no remorse) more than anything else...put it all together."
The girl and her parents were called into the sheriff's office for another interview last Friday, police said, but she did not admit to any involvement in Costas' killing.
They returned on their own Tuesday, however, and the girl said she wanted to talk to the FBI agent who previously had interviewed her.
"She knew we were getting so close she thought it was only a matter of time before she would be arrested," Rainey said.
One person who talked to the suspect several hours before she turned herself in Tuesday, said she had "really acted calm."
Rainey said the suspect's parents were "very nice people and they have been cooperative."
"It's too bad," Rainey said, "It's a very sad thing."
The suspect comes from a large family and is the youngest member.
At January 27, 2017 at 12:26 PM , Al said...: Art. 7, part 2
The neighbors said the suspect enjoyed being a member of the school's track and swimming teams.
Students at Miramonte expressed disbelief at the arrest, which was announced by the principal over the school's public addres system yesterday morning.
"Some people were just real upset about it today and some were crying," said a sophomore girl who asked not to be identified.
Announcement of the arrest was made at a press conference with Rainey, Garvin and Robert S. Gast II, special agent in charge of the San Francisco FBI office.
Rainey said that the investigation was one of the most extensive in his department's history.
A $50,000 reward also had been offered in the case.
The murder weapon was a kitchen knife, sources said, that the suspect apparently took from her home and then returned after the killing.
Rainey said the meager description police obtained of the young woman fit that of the suspect arrested Tuesday.
Garvin said officers had found the yellow Pinto parked in a driveway in Lafayette eight days after the crime, but no evidence was found then to link it to the murder.
Officers followed up on 1,000 other leads, Rainey said, and conducted more than 300 interviews, including those of 100 girls at the high school.
"Investigators have probed the victim's school, social and community activities and examined her involvement as a cheerleader, a member of the swim team and as an applicant for the Bob-O-Links," Rainey said.
Deputy District Attorney Dennis Murphy is preparing a criminal complaint against the suspect, which he said will be filed today in the juvenile division of Superior Court.
Costas' parents said they had not a chance to sort through their feelings about what should happen to their daughter's killer.
"I wouldn't feel good if she went to prison and go out in a very short time," Arthur Costas said. "I've thought of a number of things, but I can't seem to come up with any good conclusion because we've lost our daughter and she's gone and i don't know if I'll ever be able to lose that (feeling)."
The suspect's first court appearance will be at 8:30 a.m. tomorrow, and her name probably will be released then.
But some students at Miramonte said they still can't accept the fact that someone in their midst committed the crime.
"Even when they release the name, I won't believe it," said one student who asked not to be named. "I can't believe someone from Miramonte would do it."
At January 29, 2017 at 11:42 AM , Al said...: Art. 8, part 1
Psychological profile by FBI led to suspect
By Mike Libbey (The Tribune)
Dec. 13, 1984

An FBI psychological profile of the personality of Kirsten Costas' killer provided the single biggest break in the arrest of a suspect, authorities said yesterday.
"The FBI profile was extremely important," said Contra Costa Sheriff Richard K. Rainey.
"It really was the single thing - after the extreme amount of work done by our department - that brought us to this suspect."
"It was amazingly accurate," said FBI agent Duke Dedrich. "It's amazing what they can do."
The key clue in the profile was a statement that the suspect would show no emotion or remorse for the killing.
"That was very enlightening to us," said sheriff's Capt. Stanley Garvin.
The suspect, a 16-year-old girl, had been among dozens of potential suspects interviewed after the June 23 crime, and had displayed no feeling about it.
"We thought that a young offender would display a lot of emotion when confronted with this type of crime," Garvin said.
That threw investigators off the track, even though the girl drove a car that matched the one reported at the crime scene.
The only possible tipoff, Garvin said, came in one early interview when the girl asked, "Do you think I did it?"
The profile - a 10-page document of great detail - took months to produce at the Behavioral Science Unit at the FBI Academy in Quantico, Va.
Because it is such a time-consuming process, a profile is only done in selected cases, such as those that have been unsolved for a lenghty period or have unusual aspects.
"The more bizarre the crime, the more it lends itself to profiling," an FBI spokesman said.
The profile was written by an FBI team of psychologists and behavioral experts who have been developing the art of matching killers and rapists to certain personality characteristics.
Some agents have interviewed convicted killers in prison and matched their personalities to the particular types of crimes they committed.
The prisoners are asked to answer 57 pages of questions, and the information eventually is analyzed and stored in the Quantico computers.
The profiling can reveal age, race, sex, marital status, intelligence, scholastic achievement, lifestyle, rearing environment, employment - whether blue collar or white collar, inside work or outside work - work habits, type of sexual perversion, prior criminal history and a motive.
The information on many killings around the country is being put into the computerized files to fine-tune the art of developing profiles.
At January 29, 2017 at 11:44 AM , Al said...: Art. 8, part 2
The most famous use of an FBI profile was in the arrest of Wayne Williams in the series of murders of children in Atlanta several years ago.
The FBI experts can even describe a killer's personality based on the type of weapon used.
An FBI profile expert in San Francisco said a killer who uses a knife tends to be a lot more angry than one who kills with a gun.
"There's a lot of anger there, or very strong emotion that drives them," he said. "Whereas, if you shoot somebody from a distance, there's not as much emotion involved."
As for evidence of no emotion, he said it would show that a killer "didn't care that much about the victim as a human being. They are not going to care. They have no feelings."
The sheriff's department had filled out a detailed questionnaire about Kirsten and precise details about her stabbing.
The FBI's profile of her killer arrived at the sheriff's office in late October.
"It painted a picture of a female, about the same age as the victim and probably known to her," said Robert S. Gast II, special agent-in-charge of the FBI San Francisco office.
Investigators began pouring over their extensive list of suspects.
Using the profile as an "overlay," Gast said, they pared the list down, eventually to one suspect. The girl was called in for an extensive interview last Friday.
Helping out were FBI agents specially trained in interviewing techniques, Gast said.
No admissions were made in that interview, but the girl apparently "knew we were getting very close," Rainey said.
"I think she felt it was only a matter of time," he said.
"On Tuesday, the girl called the department and asked to meet with one of the FBI agents. She and her parents came to the office, where she confessed to the murder," Rainey said.
In the course of the meeting, she finnaly showed some emotion, Garvin said. She cried.
At January 30, 2017 at 10:23 AM , Al said...: Art. 9
The arrest of Orinda girl a second blow to the town
By Mike Libbey (The Tribune)
Dec. 14, 1984

The arrest of the murder suspect in the killing of Kirsten Costas has been a tremendous relief for this community - and a terrible blow.
Charges filed against a 16-year-old girl who officers said admitted the six-month-old crime has been tempered by the knowledge that the accused killer was one of their own.
There was also a widespread sense of guilt among students and parents who had pointed fingers at several girls they believed, apparently wrongly, had stabbed Kirsten to death.
The reason they were singled out was that they just happened to fit the law enforcement description of the killer, a chunky girl with long blonde hair.
The handful of girls who felt they had been tried and convicted by gossip were seen holding their heads higher yesterday, but the damage had been done.
One girl in particular was singled out, and she had to transfer out of Miramonte High School to a private school to escape the rumors.
"Some people were positive it was her," said a Miramonte sophomore, "and nobody should have suspected anybody."
The girl herself said she couldn't understand why she was the focus of rumors since she doesn't even drive a car, as Kirsten's killer did.
"For six months, these girls went through hell," said another Miramonte student. "I think everyone in Orinda should apologize to them."
One mother said her daughter, a Miramonte sophomore, refused to even talk about the Costas case when the arrest of a suspect was made public this week.
"Mom, please don't ask me to talk about it," the daughter said. "I just can't."
It was the horror of a violent killing in this small suburban enclave - average household income, $60,700 - that fueled rumors, disbelief and fear.
Facing the knowledge that a young member of the community might have killed another was especially troubling for the kids, said a local counselor.
"It disrupts the way they view their world," said Bill Ames, director of the Lafayette Center for Living Skills, where kids get counseling in communication skills and selfesteem.
"The main thing we've seen is almost the double loss for them," he said.
"At one point they lose a great person in Kirsten Costas, and then they're faced with the dislocation of having a student they knew (allegedly) involved with it.
"It touches the kids very deeply, and so they will talk about it more. The emotional reaction is strong, and it forces people to have to deal with it. One thing that is dislocating," Ames said, "is that no one can explain it. There's no explanation to put the mind to rest."
He said he hopes there will be a positive outcome, a strengthening of the community.
"One of the things I've seen is compassion for the family of the girl who was arrested. It's a very human and compassionate response instead of what could have been an angry one."
The father of the arrested girl even told authorities he'd like to do anything he can do to help relieve the pain of the Costas family.
There were other signs that the small community - population 16,100 - was beginning to pull together and close ranks.
Newspaper reporters who were knocking on doors yesterday and visiting the campus for insight into what had happened were treated cooly by many of those interviewed - in contrast to earlier forays.
A reporter for another newspaper was booed by groups of Miramonte students. A Tribune reporter was berated by a store owner for asking questions about the suspect's background.
It appeared the residents of Orinda wanted to join hands and begin to heal the wounds caused by the horrifying death of one of their brightest young stars, and the impending murder trial of another.
At January 30, 2017 at 10:27 AM , Al said...: Art. 10
Slain girl's parens didn't know suspect
By Bob Loomis (The Tribune)
Dec. 14, 1984

The biggest shock for the parents of slain Kirsten Costas was what when at last they had the name of the girl arrested they "didn't know who she was," the victim's father said yesterday.
"She knew Kirsten, but they were not friends," said Arthur Costas, indicating that his daughter and the suspect, Bernadette Protti, 16, had mutual acquaintances and one particularly close mutual friend.
Costas said he and his wife, Berit, had learned the identity of the suspect through a reporter who called late Wednesday. The couple talked about it "a lot" into the early morning hours, Costas said.
"We do know that she is supposedly a normal person," said Costas. "I always thought it would be an unusual person. I felt (the person wasn't) in school. I was surprised about that."
Costas, who said Wednesday that the news of an arrest was a "tremendous relief" to him, his wife and their son, Peter, 13, also said that he was "amazed" that a suspect could continue going to school and function in the community for six months without anyone knowing.
"I'm just pleased they got her," the 3M Co. regional sales manager Costas said of Protti's arrest. "I'm just waiting to see what happens next. You feel like striking out, but you know that won't do any good."
Meanwhile, four miles north across the Highway 24 freeway at their home near the Orinda Country Club, the Protti family went into seclusion, just as the Costases had done when their daughter was slain June 23.
The Prottis declined to talk to reporters, but Capt. Stanley Garvin of the Contra Costa County Sheriff's Office, emerged from a meeting with the family yesterday morning to discuss details of the juvenile justice process, and said he was impressed with their attitude.
"They seem to want to do whatever is appropriate to try to get their daughter's life going again," said Garvin. "They have expressed a high degree of sorrow for the victim's family and a willingness to do anything they can to help."
At February 1, 2017 at 10:51 PM , Al said...: Art. 11, part 1
Orinda suspect driven by fear of rejection, authorities say
By M. Libbey, P. Grabowicz (The Tribune)
Dec. 14, 1984

Sixteen-year-old Bernadette Protti, who will appear in juvenile court today on a charge of murdering schoolmate Kirsten Costas, was driven by a fear of teenage rejection when she allegedly committed the crime, authorities said yesterday.
The 15-year-old Costas, a popular cheerleader at Miramonte High School, represented everything the suspect wanted but couldn't have, according to sources familiar with the case.
Protti, who was arrested Tuesday after giving a statement to investigators, was caught up in the fierce struggle for social status in this wealthy suburban enclave, the sources said.
"It's a very competitive society in Orinda," said one law enforcement official.
The jockeying for status extended to Miramonte High School, were the popular Costas and the more "average" Protti were classmates.
On June 23, the night Costas was stabbed to death, Protti was consummed with feelings of rejection by her peers, authorities said.
"Kirsten in some way was a symbol of that rejection," said one source familiar with the case.
Costas had recently been picked for the cheerleading team, while Protti had just missed being selected, one of their acquaintances said.
Costas also had just made the school's varsity swim team. Protti too was a swimmer, but she wasn't a star on the swim team," according to one of her teammates.
While Costas played soccer, Protti was a member of the track team. But there she left such a minor impression that some friends didn't even know she was on the team.
"To me, she's just like a nice, average high school girl," said an Orinda woman who knew her. "She didn't stand out."
"She hung around with the average crowd," said another student.
Protti nonetheless impressed many people as a studious, polite and friendly girl.
She lived with her parents, a brother and three sisters in a quiet neighborhood of spacious secluded homes nestled against a hill on the Orinda Village side of the freeway.
Her parents were devout Catholics, and she had a "pretty straight upbringing," according to one neighbor.
Protti attended a parochial school before transfering to Miramonte, and her father was an engineer who taught Christianity to classes of high school students in his spared time.
The youngest child in her family, Protti spent many of her evenings babysitting for neighbors, who were left with a very favorable impression of her.
At February 1, 2017 at 10:54 PM , Al said...: Part 2

Protti was popular enough to be invited into the Bobbies - known formally as the Bob-O-Links - an exclusive social group at Miramonte to which Costas also belonged.
It was that common link that allegedly allowed Protti to lure Costas into a car the night of the killing, supposedly to go to one of the group's meetings.
The two girls talked for about 40 minutes in the yellow Pinto, sources said, but Costas then became fearful, left the car and asked a nearby resident for a ride home.
While declining to reveal the nature of the conversation between the two girls, sources said Protti couldn't stand the thought that Costas might tell others about what they had discussed.
The fear of disclosure also played a part in Protti's lack of emotion when detectives interrogated her after the crime, sources said.
"There was no remorse exhibited," one source said. "At least outwardly, this person appeared to be unexcited. Totally casual. Even overly casual.
"In her mind , the act was justified," said the source.
Officials said a psychological profile the FBI developed on the possible killer indicated that she would show emotion only about the possibility of being caught - not about having committed a crime.
Officials used that knowledge when they questioned Protti last Friday.
Protti made no admissions then, authorities said, but on Tuesday she called her parents from school and asked them to take her back to the sheriff's department.
It was there, in a one-on-one meeting with an FBI agent skilled in interviewing, that she told her story.
Protti will appear today in a small courtroom in Juvenille Hall in Martinez for a detention hearing to determine if she will be held or released.
She is scheduled for arraignment next Wednesday on the murder charge that was filed yesterday by the Contra Costa District Attorney.
A date for her trial will be set at Wednesday's arraignment.
Normally, criminal cases involving a juvenile are confidential. But in serios offenses like murder, the judge may decide to make them public.
If convicted, Protti's maximum punishment would be placement in the custody of the California Youth Authority until she reaches the age of 25.
At February 1, 2017 at 10:56 PM , Al said...: Art. 12
Teenager formally charged with murder of classmate.
By Frank Wootten (The Tribune)
Dec. 15, 1984

Clinging tightly to her mother's hand, 16-year-old Bernadette Protti was charged with murder yesterday in the killing of her schoolmate, Kirsten Costas.
The detention hearing lasted only three minutes.
Protti, a Miramonte High School junior, was arrested Tuesday when she appeared at the Contra Costa County Sheriff's Office and confessed to stabbing Costas June 23.
One law enforcement officer attributed the killing to a fear of rejection in a competitive struggle for status. Both girls were popular at Miramonte High School, Protti didn't stand out as Costas did, the source said.
Protti, wearing jeans and a bright pink sweatshirt, was flanked by her parents, Raymon and Elaine Protti, and two of her three sisters during the hearing.
Juvenile Court Referee Michael Coleman advised the family that Bernadette would be held ar Juvenile Hall at the request of the probation department until her arraignment at 10:30 a.m. Wednesday, when her trial date will be set.
Charles James, the chief public defender, who represented the young woman, said he may ask for a continuance next week to study the case.
Deputy District Attorney Dennis Murphy said it will be up to the defense to determine whether there will be a contest, as a juvenile court trial is called.
"There could be a trial or there could be an admission," Murphy said.
James said the parents are doing fine under the circumstances.
"It's a tragedy for them. It's a tragedy for two families," he said. "Obviously, they are very fine people."
At February 6, 2017 at 10:30 AM , Al said...: Art. 13
Trial delayed in slaying of Orinda girl
By Frank Wootten (The Tribune)
Feb. 1, 1985

One minute laughing with a sister and the next clutching her mother's hand, 16-year-old Bernadette Protti sat in court here yesterday awating a resetting of her trial on charges of killing Orinda schoolmate Kirsten Costas, 15.
The trial date was changed from Monday to March 11 in order to allow her attorney, Chief Deputy Public Defender Charles James, time to prepare for the trial.
The press was excluded from the brief hearing but James and the judge were in disagreement over whether the press also should be excluded from the trial.
Contra Costa County Superior Court Judge Edward L. Merrill said he granted James' request to close yesterday's hearing because Protti was very upset and he did not want her anymore upset.
"The trial will be a different matter," he said after the hearing. "It will be open."
James, thought, said, "In my opinion the trial should be closed and probably will be closed" because of her age.
Protti was 15 when she allegedly stabbed Costas with a knife on June 23.
She appeared paler yesterday than during her two juvenile court appearances in December.
And for the first time she showed jovial moments, but they were brief. Frequently she hugged her parents and two sisters and for a few moments rested her sad face on her sister's sholder.
Sheriff's officers said that Protti came to the sheriff's office here Dec. 11 with her parents and admitted she had killed her Miramonte High School classmate.
Protti entered a plea of innocent in juvenile court, which will bring a trial that James said is necessary to "determine if this is the proper person."
At February 6, 2017 at 10:33 AM , Al said...: Art. 14, part 1
Jury trial denied for girl, 16, in Orinda slaying
(Judge rules juvenile court proceeding precludes even having advisory panel)
(James mantained that the need to shield the juvenile no longer exists now that most juvenile proceedings are open to the public)
By F. Wootten, A. Jokelson (The Tribune)
Feb. 15, 1985

Bernadette Protti, 16, accused of stabbing an Orinda classmate to death, was denied a plea yesterday to have her fate determined by a jury trial.
Superior Court Judge Edward L. Merrill said he don't think he had the authority to grant a jury trial, nor allow an advisory jury to sit in on the juvenile murder case to make recommendations to the court.
His decision rekindled a 60-year-old legal dispute over whether juveniles have the same constitutional rights as adults to be tried by a jury.
The unusual requests were made by Charles James, Contra Costa County's chief deputy public defender in a brief hearing attented by the quiet, sad-faced defendant and her parents.
Protti was arrested in December and charged with luring Kirsten Costas, 15, a popular Miramonte High School cheerleader, from her home last June to attend a meeting of the Bob-O-Links, then killing her on a neighbor's porch.
Both girls belonged to the Bob-O-Links, a prestigious campus group, but authorities charged Protti was consumed with jealousy over Kirsten's vivacity.
They said she admitted the stabbing.
She has pleaded not guilty, and the case, scheduled for March 11, has, so fat, evolved on how to try her.
James asked Merrill for an open jury trial yesterday to provide community participation in the decision-making of a case which has attracted a lot of media attention. He presented the judge with a pile of newspaper clippings to show the extend of the coverage.
Juvenile cases have been tried by judges or juvenile referees since a California State Supreme Court ruling in 1924 that juveniles do not have a constitutional right to a trial by a jury.
Outside the court, James maintained that the need to shield the juvenile no longer exists now that most juvenile proceedings are open to the public. Protti's trial will be open, and there is no way he can have it closed to the public, James said.
He said he based his petition for a jury trial on an appellate court opinion last September that suggested the State Supreme Court should reconsider its 1924 ruling. The court refused.
James told Merrill that the right to jury trials as a safeguard against, among other things, a weak or biased judge amd to inject community values into the decision-making.
He said the judge has the power, if he wishes, to ignore the 1924 decision and to interpret the meaning of the constitution.
At February 6, 2017 at 10:35 AM , Al said...: Art. 14, part 2

The Supreme Court expressed no opinion on the merit of the issue one way or another, James said.
"I ask you to take a look at it as it exists. Minors have a very serious disadvantage if they do not have the right to a jury trial," he said.
"I disagree with you," Merrill said. "I do not believe I have the authority to do that."
James theb asked for the impaneling if an advisory jury. He said the case meets all criteria necessary for such an action. There are, he said, the seriousness of the charge, the number of witnesses (which will be 15 or 16), the nature of the evidence, the statement (confession), the circumstantial evidence, media coveraj, the long term faced and the number of days of the trial, estimated as four.
Deputy District Attorney John Oda opposed James' request.
"This will be a straightforward trial and I don't see any need for an advisory panel to review the facts for the judge," he said.
James said he didn't know whether he would appeal.
Advisory juries have heard juvenile trials in several California counties, including Los Angeles County, Jamea said.
The U.S. Supreme Court, in 1971, left it up to states to determine whether they would allow jury trials in juvenile court, but refused to require them.
Most states, including California, bar jury trials for juveniles in juvenile court.
Carol Babington, a Pleasant Hill attorney who often represents juveniles, said the emphasys in the juvenile justice system has shifted increasingly to "protecting the community, rather than rehabilitating the minor," so a jury trial for juveniles is "an appropiate safeguard" for the suspect.
But Howard Jameson, a Martinez attorney who often represents juveniles, said allowing jury trials in juvenile court would be "too burdensome on the court. And 90 percent of juvenile court cases are not really serious offenses in the sense that the punishment they're going to mete our kids is not anywhere near" what adults would receive for comparable crimes, he said.
Stephen Sugarman, a law professor at the Univeristy of California's Boalt Hall law school in Berleley, said "if, any time, you could invoke adult treatment in juvenile court, then it wouldn't be a juvenile court any more."
Jameson said "advisory juries are a "copout" and don't really lend themselves to a good function in this type of a situation."
At February 19, 2017 at 12:40 PM , Al said...: Art. 15, part 1
Orinda society goes on trial with murder defendant
By Eric Schwarz (The Tribune)
Mar. 10, 1985

When 16-year-old Bernadette Protti goes on trial tomorrow for the stabbing murder of her popular Miramonte High School classmate, Kirsten Costas, this town and its prestigious social (missing word) may be cast as a factor that contributed to the crime.
Protti will not contest committing the murder, which occurred last June 23, but will merely try to lessen the "degree of guilt," according to het attorney, Charles James, Contra Costa County chief deputy public defender.
The purpose of such a defense is to reduce the charge to second-degree murder or involuntarily manslaughter. And other area attorneys say it inevitably will rely on showing that academic and social pressure exerted on Orinda's young people caused Protti's allegedly consuming jealousy and let to the murder.
These expected developments in the trial, and months of national attention to the bizzare murder have placed the spotlight on residents in this town of 17,720, where the average household income is $70,000.
Now, on the eve of the trial, a debate over the issues raised by the crime is coming to the fore in Orinda. Psychiatrists, school officials, society leaders and students here all hold strong opinions on the crime and it's backdrop - Orinda's social and academic fabric.
Miramonte High School Principal Bran Yaich's comments seem to catch the tone of community sentiment: "People are just groping in the dark. Everyone wanted whatever caused that (the murder) to be related to jealousy or, quote, Orinda society. Did anyone ever consider maybe it's just a sick kid? We don't have a monopoly in healthy kids here."
When Protti allegedly confessed the murder and was arrested on Dec. 11, speculation by law enforcement officers and students centered on the idea that she felt overshadowed by Costas, upset at not making the Miramonte cheerleading team to which Costas belonged, and beset by a severe case of teenage jealousy.
Debby Rose, 19, a former Miramonte cheerleader and Moraga debutante, says there is strong competition to become a cheerleader or member of the prestigious fund-raising societies such as the Bobbies or Ailanthus.
Of Protti, she says, "I guess ahe felt under tremendous pressure. Everything she wanted the other girl got." But the students Rose has talked with view the murder as "a fluke," not a symptom of a wider problem. And she says there is "less pressure" at Miramonte than at other area schools.
"I know people who have lost everything they tried for since 7th grade - school offices, the Bobbies, cheerleading, guys - and they are still all together. They bounced right back," says Rose, now a sophomore at St. Mary's College in Moraga.
But Chris, a friend of the suspect who wanted to be identified only by his first name, says social pressure is indeed a factor that weighs heavily on Central Contra Costa students.
"Trying to make it socially is such a hard thing to do," Chris says, adding that "being beaten time and time again" in the quest for recognition can become "too hard to handle."
Dr. Stephen Heisler, an Orinda resident, Miramonte parent and the director of psychiatric programs at the East Bay Hospital in Richmond, thinks pressures faced by students in Orinda are similar to those felt by other, less-wealthy Richmond youths.
At February 19, 2017 at 12:42 PM , Al said...: Art. 15, part 2

"To understand bizzare crimes you have to look at mental illness...Outside sociological factors are usually only significant in terms of how an adolescent releases their pressure. Orinda society had hardly produced a tremendous amount of murderers."
The last homicide in Orinda was in September 1982, according to John Snell of the county sheriff's crime analysis division. Violent crimes here are "almost non-existent," he says.
This town is more often associated with cotillions, prestigious parties and dance classes. The two Eastbay cotillions, the Winter Ball and Holiday Cotillion, draw more girls from Orinda than any other community, organizers say. Community pride runs strong. Just this week, voters approved incorporation, making Orinda the county's 18th city.
Miramonte High boasts two philanthropic social clubs, the Bobbies and Ailanthus branch, not one like at some other area high schools. And social events generally draw widespread participation among area youth of all ages. The Country Cotillion, for example, an annual series of seven formal dances, drew an unwieldy mass of 200 7th graders this winter.
"There are so many different activities available for all the kids," says Mary Alice Townsend, an Orinda resident since 1959 and former organizer of the annual Winter Ball.
"There's not much difference between the 'haves' and the 'have nots' here. To say society caused the murder is hogwash." But there has been fallout from the murder.
Heisler says school officials beefed up counseling programs at the school after the Protti arrest. For a time, says Miramonte guidance coordinator Harry Tutton, the school retained a full-time psychiatrist in addition to two counsellors. Usually, only a half-time psychiatrist is on duty.
The Bobbies, a fund-raising auxiliary for the Mt. Diablo Rehabilitation Center in Pleasant Hill with more than 40 members at Miramonte, folded shortly after Protti's arrest.
"They freaked out," says Rose. "The club got so much bad publicity."
But for the most part, according to Harriet Ainsworth, a 35-year Orinda resident who works for the American Cancer Society in Walnut Creek, the murder "certainly didn't change the pattern of society" in the area.
In court, Protti's defense will likely rely on establishing that complicated legal standards like "heat of passion" and " reasonable provocation " applied to her mental state at the time of the slaying. If she has even partial success in establishing these points, this would "mitigate the malice" in the case, says Carol Babington, a Pleasant Hill defense attorney who often represents juveniles.
"This is a situation that involves community pressures and huge expectations for young people," adds Babington. "On the face of it you say 'of course it's not justified.' But historically, when juries and judges have looked at all the factors and the pressures on the defendant they have often found some mitigation of malice."
Protti will be tried without a jury by Superior Court Judge Edward L. Merrill. The most severe sentence she could receive is incarceration with the California Youth Authority until she is 25 years old.
Deputy District Attorney John Ofa, who will represent the state in the trial, said he expects 12 to 14 witnesses to testify in the three- or four-day proceeding.
At February 19, 2017 at 12:43 PM , Al said...: Art. 16
Orinda student murder trial starts
Mar. 11, 1986

Bernadette Protti, 16, will go on trial in Contra Costa County Superior Court today, charged with murder in the stabbing of a 15-year-old classmate.
Protti pleaded innocent in December to the charge that she fatally stabbed Kirsten Costas in Orinda on June 23, 1984.
The case will be heard without a jury by Superior Judge Edward L. Merrill. It is expected to last three days.
At February 22, 2017 at 1:32 PM , Anonymous said...: Orinda is a great neighborhood, and a great place to grow up in. Miramonte is a great school to go to, and yes there's a lot of expectations there as well, it's competitive as well. But the movie deplored it a lot different than reality, the movie was in favor of Bernadette and pro Bernadette and Anti Kirsten. So don't go by all the movie phases, to start with Kirsten was bouncy, cute and funny and was loved by everyone, a real social butterfly. Yes she could be mean to those she didn't like, but mostly she liked everybody. She was the most popular and Bernadette wanted to be, and couldn't accept the fact she was a Bobbie member, she wanted it all. That was a time a sad time in our lives over Kirsten's murder, we were all so scared, there was a killer loose, we knew nothing of who it was, there were 6 suspects of girls but only 2 were outed and blamed the most, they were blamed so badly and mistreated they had to leave Miramonte. One girl Kirsten use to pick on and we figured she freaked out and killed Kirsten, cause there was an episode where she said if you don't leave me alone I swear I will freakin kill you , and, not think twice about it, we were sure it was her. Another use to,fit the social scene, but she changed her image and she would do weird drug talk a lot, we figured it was a ritual on her part because she became so gothic. The other was gothic and in some occult I believe as well. They fit the jealous scene of Kirsten. No one ever imagined Bernadette, she was so nice, and, very quiet and in the social scene, she was a Bob o Link, she had' plenty of friends , she had no reason to be jealous of Kirsten., she had one close friend we all spent the night at one another s houses during that time, we were scared to be alone, Bernadette stayed with her BFF one night several consecutive nights in a row, while the girls parents were out of town. The goth girl the one Kirsten picked on, she was never popular, in fact, she was never socially accepted, it was a pattern in her life, I felt sorry for her,t he way kids treated her, I imagined it's always been that way for her as well, they did the other goth girl the same way, the one once in the social scene. They both took their parts, and gave it back to the students, the one Kirsten picked on she'd fight back boys or girls, but they still didn't respect her enough to back off her. Bernadette was so quiet in class and just never made a snide remark about anything or anyone. She should of accepted the Bobbies and not wanted more. She was popular enough really she was. Miramonte is a place to where if you don't fit in, you will be ran out, Bernadette was scared that would happen to her, if a Kirsten told their little secret, so she had to silence her from it. You all would of loved Kirsten, she was the bomb, Miramonte was never the same again, after her murder. We were never the same. As for Bernadette, Orinda doesn't miss her, we will never miss her. She can stay right where she's at, I think if someone from Orinda saw her they'd intimidate her all over again. They haven't changed their feelings towards her, and they never will, I'm surprised her family stays there, and sister works at a bank. I bet Virginia helped her clean out the car, they were close.
At February 23, 2017 at 9:12 PM , Anonymous said...: Hi Stef. Your fantasies amuse me. What classes did you share with Bernadette and Kirsten?
At February 24, 2017 at 7:17 PM , Anonymous said...: I am not Stef, not at all, I knew both girls, like it or leave it. You don't know me, or one thing about me, if so, you wouldn't refer to me as Stef. Worlds a small place and there are Orinda people who get on here and read more than you know. So do not doubt that! It's true. The movie was deplored and in favor of Bernadette Protti / Anti Kirsten Costas, they made it look as she was the reason why she got murdered, when, in reality that was so far fetched, so far from the truth. I won't use my real name, cause Bernadette will know exactly who I am. I don't want her stalking me, you think what you want, you believe what you desire to believe, but you haven't a clue who I am, neither does Bernadette. No one cares where she's at, or cares to ever see her again. She caused enough pain and trouble for a lot of people including the Costas family. They were wonderful people of Orinda, down to earth like thier daughter.
At February 24, 2017 at 7:30 PM , Anonymous said...: I wasn't in the Bobbies, had friends who were, Bobbies was an all exclusive club, Bernadette had a friend who had a good friend who was the President of the Bobbie's club. Her struggles in that movie was so not so. She was a popular girl who didn't struggle except the fact she wanted so badly to be Kirsten Costas, and, she felt if she murdered Kirsten, she would get her cheerleading spot (which by the way she didn't) and she got her spot in the Bobbie's Secretary Treasurer, and hung with a lot of the popular Bobbie girls, so she didn't struggle near as bad as the movie made it sound. The 2 girls blamed, one once was popular, and was asked to join the Bobbies, she rejected the invitation, the other she was bullied a lot, she blamed Kirsten for her unpopularity, cause Kirsten did make fun of her, she dressed differently, she could be a smart aleck also, she cussed a lot, and talked dirty, no one wants to hear dirty talk, I was in science with that girl and Kirsten both, and had some with Bernadette. So wanna know anything else post it, and I will tell you. I know all about what went down at Miramonte during that time frame.
At February 25, 2017 at 9:39 AM , Anonymous said...: Stephanie, whoever you are, you should of kept the anonymous posting, and, not give out your name, you gave the world you're identity, now everyone knows all about you, that wasn't to smart on your part. Cause every negative post they believe is coming from you, including the above postings. You shouldn't of gotten on there and confessed who you were, not to bright.
At February 25, 2017 at 2:36 PM , Al said...: Art. 17, part 1

Orinda girl's slaying trial opens - mother tells of confession letter
By Jack Cheevers (The Tribune)
Mar. 12, 1985

Five months after attending the funeral of a murdered Orinda cheerleader, 16-year-old Bernadette Protti wrote her own parents a letter saying she was the killer, Protti's mother testified yesterday.
In a soft, quavering voice, Elaine Protti said that after she read the letter from her daughter, she and her husband drove Bernadette to the Contra Costa sheriff's department, where the girl admitted knifing to death 15-year-old Kirsten Costas on June 23 in Orinda.
"Please don't say how could you or why, because I don't understand this and I don't know why." Bernadette Protti told her parents in the letter. "I need so much help and love I don't know what to do."
The letter, part of which was read by Protti's lawyer, Contra Costa Assistant Public Defender Charles James, was introduced on the first day of her trial on first-degree murder charges in the slaying of Costas, a schoolmate of Protti's at Miramonte High School in Orinda.
Protti, who was 15 at the time of the murder, has pleaded not guilty and is being tried without a jury before Contra Costa Superior Court Judge Edward L. Merrill.
Yesterday's proceedings were watched by Costas' father, Arthur, and her mother, Berrit, who occasionally daubed her reddened eyes with a handkerchief.
So many students, friends and neighbors appeared for the trial that Merrill asked about 20 spectators to leave the packed courtroom.
In opening arguments, prosecutor John Oda said the killing indicated "preparation and deliberation" by Protti, and that she had "chosen" Costas as a victim.
Protti, Oda charged, "was able to put aside this horrible killing as if nothing had happened," discussing the murder with Miramonte classmates and attending meetings of the Bob-O-Links.
James characterized Protti as a "naive, unsophisticated" girl and who felt deep remorse over the killing and had "self-destructive" impulses afterwards.
James also quoted from an FBI psychological profile of the killer saying the murder was impulsive and disorganized, implying a lack of premeditation.
A first-degree murder requires premeditation, and the defense strategy is to eliminate that element and win a less severe verdict of second-degree murder or manslaughter.
Throughout the day, the pale-looking Protti was conforted by her mother and three sisters, who stroked her hair and wiped her eyes with tissue.
At February 25, 2017 at 2:42 PM , Al said...: Art. 17, part 2

Under questioning by Oda, Elaine Protti said that several days after the Costas murder, she and Bernadette attended Costas' funeral along with two Protti family friends.
She said that months later, on Dec. 11, Bernadette said she had written her parents a letter, but that her mother shouldn't read it for 30 minutes, untill Bernadette left for summer school.
Elaine Protti said she set a kitchen timer for 30 minutes, did some "Bible homework," and then read the letter, which was adressed, "Dear Mom and Dad."
Horrified by its contents, she ran to her husband in their bedroom and later picked up Bernadette from Miramonte to drive her to the sheriff's office in Martinez, where Bernadette confessed to deputies.
Earlier, FBI agent Gerald Diederich testified that Protti's father, Raymond, told him Bernadette was "quite upset" about not making the Miramonte varsity cheerleading squad, and that she thought some girls who had made the team "were not as deserving."
Costas did make the cheerleading team, and had just completed a week-long cheerleading camp at St. Mary's College in Moraga the day before she was killed.
Diederich said he also was told by Raymond Protti that his daughter was jealous of other Orinda girls who were wealthier than she, and that she wished she had more friends.
Raymond Protti testified his daughter was undergoing counseling prior to the murder, and that she had "times of feeling despondent."
He said at the time of the murder, Bernadette, a "candy-striper" volunteer at John Muir Hospital in Walnut Creek, had been taking classes to be confirmed in the Catholic Church.
Protti said his daughter was confirmed last November, an event Oda said may have led to her confession.
The trial's first witness was Berit Costas, who said she took her daugter to a swim meet in Moraga and latter helped her buy a pair of shoes on the day of the murder.
Outside court, Oda said he plans to introduce Protti's taped confession to police when the trial resumes today at 10 a.m.
At February 25, 2017 at 7:17 PM , Anonymous said...: Bernadette, I don't see how she deal's with herself, if she would of confessed immediately, I'd understand it a little more than I do. The fact she allowed 2 girls to take the wrap, sat there the whole time, and not bat an eye show's she s guilty and no remorse. I don't see how her sisters supported her actions, I beleive she planned on killing Kirsten all along, always believed that. In court everyone believed that as well, all except the moron judge she had, he didn't have a lick of sense. People will never let her live it down regardless of where she goes. She should come forth and tell the story on why she lied to police, why she let the other girls take the blame without batting an eye, and why she had a knife in her dads car to start with. She won't come forth, she's. Not that bold, Karen Severson at least came forth and told her story, and Laura Doyle, they did their time to, they should of gotten life, so should Bernadette. She was still posed as a danger before she got released, if she is a Christian why is she on here telling people they will go to Hell and she hopes they get repeatedly raped by Satan. I believe it's her doing that. She gets on here and shows her true self when she s mad, and described herself as a life hacker on Facebook, does that sound like someone who s reformed and rehabilitated. She'd more than likely murder again, if given the chance, or, if she got mad again.
At February 27, 2017 at 1:35 PM , Al said...: Art. 18, part 1

Excerpts of confession in Orinda slaying
By Jack Cheevers (The Tribune)
Mar. 13, 1985

The following are excerpts from the Dec. 11 taped confession of Bernadette Protti in the slaying of 15-year-old Kirsten Costas, as played in court yesterday during the second day of Protti's murder trial.
Protti, 16, is being interviewed by FBI agent Ronald Hilley and Sgt. Richard Weckel of the Contra Costa Sheriff's Department. Some excerpts have being condensed. They are not all in chronological order.
Protti describes how she and Costas drove in Protti's family Pinto to a Moraga church parking lot, where they talked for about 30 minutes.
Protti: "We just talked...(but) she made me feel really dumb...All the feelings I had towards her came out...she thought I'd be weird and I was upset."
After Costas became alarmed by Protti and sought help from a nearby resident who drove her home, Protti says she followed the pair back to Costas' neighborhood.
Hilley: "Were you really angry?"
Protti: " I guess I was. I don't really know."
Protti describes how she pulled up behind the car carrying Costas, grabbed a knife in her Pinto, and strode up to Costas on a neighbor's front porch.
Protti: " I just got out of the car and she started telling me to go away...and I just got angry and I did it... I didn't know what I was doing, really. And afterwards, I was just horrified. I was so sick."
Protti tells the officers that Costas symbolized her failures and rejections in high school, such as not making the cheerleading squad or the yearbook staff, "things that are stupid."
Weckel: "I don't think they're stupid."
Protti: "They don't look important but they are."
In contrast to the pretty, vivacious Costas, Protti says she is only "typical." She dated one boy since she was allowed to begin dating two months earlier, but the relationship foundered.
At February 27, 2017 at 1:40 PM , Al said...: Art. 18, part 2

Protti: "I'm not one of the really popular ones (at Miramonte). I don't have a lot of guys hanging around...but I'm sure I'd get asked to the junior prom."
Protti tells of her fear of having Costas tell their schoolmates about their talk in the Pinto.
Protti: "I was afraid she was gonna tell everybody I was really weird. I thought, 'Oh my God, everything's going wrong - she's gonna tell everybody.'
"She is so outspoken, and I think she would just say, 'Oh my God, you wouldn't believe what happened with Bernadette - she's just so weird.' And that would stay in their minds."
Protti relates how a friend from Miramonte said Costas' killer should be punished by having her name announced to all the students and be forced to attend classes with them for a week.
Protti: "Can you imagine what that would be like? That would be a fate worse than death... I have to go to the bathroom - I think I'm gonna be sick."
Protti says that after the murder, she considered suicide but decided against it after a class discussion in which a teacher said suicide was "the easy way out."
Protti: (sobbing) "I thought if I killed myself... I was going to cause a lot of hurt and pain (to both her and Costas' families)...and I decided I had caused everyone enough hurt and pain, and I didn't want to hurt anyone anymore."
Hilley: "Did you intend to kill her?"
Protti: "No. I wanted to hurt her, but I was thinking, I wonder what happened to her... I thought for sure she was still alive."
Weckel: "How do you feel about Kirsten now?"
Protti: "Um, I sort of apologized to her in my mind, you know, like, I think she's in heaven now."
Weckel: "You think she's in heaven?"
Protti: (sobbing) "Yes."
Hilley: "Do you feel like you're really sorry you did it?"
Protti: "I remember that I had dreams about her and I remember the mean things about her...(but) I don't think there's any reason in the world that justifies killing someone."
At February 28, 2017 at 1:37 PM , Al said...: Art. 19, part 1

Orinda girl convicted of 2nd-degree murder
By Jack Cheevers (The Tribune)
Mar. 14, 1985

Saying he hoped her trial had served a purpose other than "entertainment value", the judge yesterday found 16-year-old Bernadette Protti guilty of second-degree murder for fatally knifing Orinda cheerleader Kirsten Costas.
Contra Costa County Superior Court Judge Edward Merrill rejected a prosecutor's argument that Protti should be convicted of first-degree murder for stabbing the 15-year-old Costas five times with a kitchen knife last June 23.
The judge's comments rekindled controversy over the prosecutor's rejection of a pretrial offer from Protti's lawyer for her to plead guilty to second-degree murder, making the trial unnecessary.
The verdict had little visible effect on Protti and her family, or on Costas' mother and father, who had watched the three-day non-jury trial from front row seats in the crowded courtroom.
Merrill made his ruling after public defender Charles James rested his case without calling any witnesses, saying he would rely on Protti's emotional, taped confession and other evidence presented by prosecutor John Oda.
Speaking to both Oda and James, Merrill said he had been "bothered" by the trial, which unfolded each day before capacity audiences of Orinda-area teenagers and parents.
"I'm really wondering what we accomplished here in these three days," said Merrill. "And I ask myself, has this (trial) been of service to these grieving families? And I really can't say it has."
"Frankly, gentlemen, this bothers me. I just hope, I just hope that this isn't here for some entertainment value of some kind."
Merrill said regardless of whether a murder verdict is first- or second-degree against a juvenile under age 16, the maximum sentence is the same - incarceration until age 25 by the California Youth Authority.
Protti was 15 when she killed Costas.
Prosecutor Oda, in a courthouse hallway after the trial, defended the decision to turn down Protti's plea-bargain offer several weeks ago.
He said the Protti case needed to be aired publicly, and he had presented "strong evidence" to support a first-degree conviction.
Oda said that the Contra Costa district attorney's office has a standing no-plea-bargaining policy, and even in juvenile cases, prosecutors bring all "serious" cases to trial.
At February 28, 2017 at 1:40 PM , Al said...: Art. 19, part 2

"It had to be brought out in the open," he said. "The community of Orinda would not have understood, the Costases would not have understood. They would have thought they were being sold down the river."
Contra Costa County District Attorney Gary Yancey said although the degree of a murder has no bearing on a juvenile's maximum sentence, it would male some difference in Protti's parole date.
Oda said Costas' parents didn't want to accept the plea-bargain, and wanted him to seek a first-degree conviction.
Arthur Costas, the slain girl's father, said he wasn't "thrilled or pleased" with the verdict, although he felt "justice or law has been served."
The judge's verdict came after closing arguments by Oda and then James, who said competitive social pressures in upscale Orinda were "a factor" in Protti's actions.
In her taped confession, played Tuesday, Protti spoke of how Costas, a popular cheerleader and swimmer at Miramonte High School in Orinda, had come to symbolize her rejections at the school.
Protti said she had failed to make the Miramonte cheerleader squad, the yearbook staff and a school club during her sophomore year, and those failures had given her feelings of inferiority.
"In Orinda, everybody is expected to be beautiful, successful and popular - they've got to be perfect," said James.
"There are no low expectations at Miramonte. Nobody's studying to be a hod-carrier there."
Oda argued that the element of premeditation - needed for a first-degree conviction - wasn't present.
He said it was indicated in the way Protti lured Costas from her home to attend a phony initiation dinner the night she was slain, and how Protti had taken a 15-inch knife from her family's kitchen into her car when she went to pick up Costas.
Oda described how, as the already wounded Costas collapsed during the knife attack, Protti stabbed her twice in the back, an image that lead Arthur Costas to angrily mutter, "pig."
But the judge repeatedly interrupted Oda to ask him to clarify his points, and later characterized the prosecution case as a "lot of circumstantial evidence."
Earlier, both lawyers stipulated the prosecutor had received reports from two witnesses who saw Costas snorting cocaine at a party, an apparent attempt to buttress Protti's claim that Costas had smoked marijuana with her in Protti's car before she stabbed her.
Judge Merrill set April 1 for sentencing Protti to the youth authority.
At March 1, 2017 at 2:18 PM , Al said...: Art. 20, part 1

The Protti trial was a circus
("Watching the trial, I was unable to shake the feeling of watching a small boy pull the wings of a fly.")
By Jack Cheevers (The Tribune)
Mar. 21, 1985

Let's get one thing straight right off: I don't have much sympathy for murderers. And I'm especially short on sympathy for a murderer who says she was jealous of her victim for making the cheerleader squad.
Still, i had a hard time seeing the point in Bernadette Protti's murder trial last week.
I sat through the trial for three days, covering it for The Tribune. It was a popular event. Each day, would-be spectators began lining up an hour or more before the courtroom doors opened. They chatted and laughed in the hallway; most were women and teenage girls.
But there were more spectators than seats in the small courtroom, and each day a bailiff shooed 25 or 30 people away. On the afternoon that Protti's melancholy confession tape was to be played, spectators practically stampeded into the courtroom. Grunting and grimacing, they crashed through the doors, looking like they were being squeezed out of a meatgrinder. Once inside, they raced for the nearest chair.
For the families of both victim and defendant, the trial was an agony. But for the rest of us it was, well, good theater. It was a soap opera that happened to be real.
Aside from its entertainment value, though, was the Protti trial necessary?
Several weeks before the trial started, the defense offered a plea bargain: Protti would cop to second-degree murder. Prosecutor John Oda declined, saying he had a first-degree case. But the judge found Protti guilty of second-degree murder anyway. The prosecutor thus gained absolutely nothing from the trial.
Undeterred, Oda said later that the case needed to be aired publicly, that the Costases and the rest of Orinda deserved to know how and why Kirsten Costas died. He believed he had a strong case for a first-degree conviction. In this he was backed up by his boss, District Attorney Gary Yancey, who said a first-degree conviction would affect Protti's parole date, presumably by extending it.
At March 1, 2017 at 2:21 PM , Al said...: Art. 20, part 2

But let's examine these claims.
The fact is, most of Protti's motives for killing Costas were well known to the public months before the trial, due to extensive news coverage following her arrest last December. The trial added surprisingly little of any substance to those accounts.
Having witnessed the trial myself, I find Oda's claim that there was a first-degree case against Protti a bit ridiculous. The public defender, tellingly, rested his case without calling a single witness, saying the prosecution's case was in effect the defense case. Oda didn't come within shouting distance of proving premeditation beyond a reasonable doubt. The judge, after a lunch recess, returned to the bench and rendered an immediate verdict, apparently digesting the prosecutor's arguments faster than his noon meal.
Yancey's claim that a first-degree conviction would keep Protti in prison longer is not correct. According to a California Youth Authority spokesman, juveniles convicted of murder spend an average of four years in prison, regardless of the degree. Moreover, CYA's maximum sentences for first- and second-degree murder are identical: incarceration until age of 25.
So why was the Protti case brought to trial?
In part, I suspect, the motivation was political. Yancey was appointed district attorney only last December, and he must stand for election for the first time next year. To have buried the Protti case with a plea bargain would have won him few friends among the influential citizens of Orinda.
Of course, it can be argued that putting Bernadette Protti on trial was a good thing. That people - especially relatives of murder victims - need to see justice done in person.
But watching the trial, I was unable to shake the uncomfortable feeling of watching a small boy pull the wings off a fly. Did we really need to hear Protti's shy, adolescent voice telling of her pathetic craving for friends and acceptance in Orinda? Did we need to know that being seen as "weird" was her deepest fear? Did we need to watch her mother cry and pray for three days?
I think not. The Protti trial made Peeping Toms of us all. It had no legal justification. It was a circus, lacking only a fat man hawking corndogs.
At March 2, 2017 at 6:24 AM , Anonymous said...: It's time to update the blog. Thank you Alma for posting the comments. You are wonderful.
At March 2, 2017 at 1:38 PM , Al said...: Thank you very much, anonymous :)
At March 2, 2017 at 1:39 PM , Al said...: Art. 21

Protti gets 9 years in state youth facility
By Frank Wootten (The Tribune)
Apr. 2, 1985

Sixteen-year-old Bernadette Protti was sentenced yesterday to nine years in California Youth Authority for the fatal stabbing of Kirsten Costas, a schoolmate at Miramonte High in Orinda.
The sentence on the second-degree murder conviction came after Costas' mother, Berit, made an emotional statement to Contra Costa County Superior Court Judge Edward L. Merrill.
"Kirsten's hopes and ideals were shattered on June 23, 1984," Berit Costas said. "She was attacked by Bernadette Protti and left in the street to die. That night is so etched in my mind, I'll never forget it."
Costas' death came only a few weeks before her 16th birthday.
After the sentencing, Protti, who had sat through the brief proceedings with her head bent, was embraced by her tearful parents and two of her sisters.
In contrast to the three-day trial in mid-March, when Orinda ternagers and adults packed the courtroom, not a single Orinda resident other than family members of Costas and Protti appeared for the sentencing. Representatives of the media, however, nearly filled the courtroom yesterday.
The California Youth Authority will place Protti in the Ventura School for Girls, the state's only institution for juvenile females.
Merrill said that the sentence he handed down was the only one he could make by law.
Law enforcement officials have speculated that Protti could be released within six years.
Any decision to release her before her 25th birthday would have to be made by the youth authority board. Merrill said that before a release could be considered, opinions would be sought from the community.
Protti was made a ward of the court yesterday, and her parents were ordered to reimburse the county for the 100 hours put in by the public defender's office in representing her. They also must pay the county for the expense of detaining her in juvenile hall for 111 days.
The county sets its costs for attorneys in juvenile cases at $31.80 an hour and for incarceration at juvenile hall at $8,56 a day. Those rates would make the bill $4,130.16.
Chief Public Defender Charles James contended that Protti will not get enough counseling at the Ventura facility, which he described as a penal institution for hard-core delinquents that places a major emphasis on controlling behavior.
The school does provide inmates with an education up through the second year of college, he said.
The judge told Protti she has the right to a rehearing and an appeal of her conviction. If she appeals, she must do so within 60 days.
Merrill asked Protti if she understood her appeal rights, and she replied with a barely audible, "Yes."
After the court appearance, Costas' father, Arthur, said, "It's kind of a sad state of affairs - this girl will be out in a few years - it's absolutely unbelievable."
At March 3, 2017 at 3:12 AM , Karen : ) said...: I agree with Anonymous, Alma. Thank you for taking the time to post the newspaper articles.
At March 3, 2017 at 1:51 PM , Al said...: No problem, Purple haze. They are indeed very interesting.
At March 3, 2017 at 1:54 PM , Al said...: Art. 22

Parents of slain student sue Bernadette Protti, her family
By Marina Gottschalk (The Tribune)
Jun. 18, 1985

The parents of a Miramonte High School girl stabbed to death by a classmate last June filed suit yesterday against her assailant and her assailant's parents.
The Contra Costa County Superior Court suit was brought by Arthur and Berit Costas, of Orinda, parents of Kirsten Costas.
They charge that Raymond and Elaine Protti failed to properly supervise their 15-year-old daughter Bernadette and failed to warn the public of her dangerous tendencies.
The amount of money sought was not specified.
Bernadette, now 16, turned herself into the Sheriff's Department last December after confessing to the murder in a letter to her parents.
She was convicted in March of second-degree murder and sentenced to nine years at the Ventura School for Girls, an institution run by the California Youth Authority.
Thr Costas contend that the Prottis were careless and negligent in their supervision of their daughter. They should have known of her dangerous tendencies and the threat of bodily harm she presented to others, including Kirsten, the suit alleges.
It also claims that the Prottis failed to warn those so endangered.
The Prottis provided Bernadette with acces to "various instrumentalities" (the knife), according to the suit, and afforded her opportunities to endanger the lives and safety of others.
The suit asks for unspecified general damages for wrongful death, funeral and burial expenses, general damages for emotional distress, medical and related expenses for themselves and for Kirsten, and punitive and exemplary damages.
The Protti family could not be reached for comment.
At March 4, 2017 at 1:40 PM , Al said...: Art. 23

Slayer of classmate recommended for parole
Nov. 30, 1990

The California Youth Authority is recommending that Bernadette Protti, 22, who fatally stabbed a classmate in Orinda in 1984, will be released on parole next week.
Protti's parole will be considered Monday by a three-member state Youthful Offender Parole Board panel at the minimum-security Ventura School for Girls in Camarillo, where Protti has spent the last five years.
Allison Zajac, information officer at the school, said the parole recommendation was based on opinion of a staff group including Protti's teachers, case worker, counselors and school administrators. Protti was convicted in March 1985 of second-degree murder for stabbing 15-year-old Kirsten Costas to death on a neighbor's porch the night of June 23, 1984. Costas was a cheerleader at Miramonte High School.
Protti confessed six months later to the crime. Her confession suggested that Protti envied Kirsten's popularity and success in school.
Although the term of second-degree murder is 15 years to life in prison, Protti was sentenced to up to nine years because she was 15 years old when she committed the crime.
At March 5, 2017 at 1:05 PM , Al said...: Art. 24

Parole denied 2nd time for young student killer
By Marina Gottschalk (The Tribune)
Jun. 14, 1991

Bernadette Protti, 22, convicted of killing a Miramonte High School classmate seven years ago, yesterday was denied parole for the second time because she still poses a risk to the community.
Protti, who was denied parole six months ago, has served six years of a nine-year-sentence at the Ventura School in Camarillo. The three-member Youthful Offender Parole Board determined she should remain incarcerated at least another six months.
Sarah Andrade, an information officer with the California Youth Authority, said the additional time was recommended so that Protti could receive the psychiatric counseling she needs to focus her jealousy, possessiveness and social rejection.
The panel also recommended that the full seven-member board meet next month to discuss extending the term beyond December.
Protti was convicted in March 1985 of second-degree murder in the stabbing to death of 15-year-old Kirsten Costas.
Art and Berit Costas, the young victims's parents, vehemently opposed parole for Protti and sent a videotape to the hearing panel expressing their views.
Protti's parents attended the hearing and spoke in support of their daughter's release.
According to a board report of yesterday's hearing, the panel took into account an incident that occurred at the school's visiting hall this January which "indicates that (the) ward still has a major problem in handling her rage and feelings of jealousy and rejection. These are the major issues involved in the committing offense."
Protti is "still emotionally unstable and still represents a risk for the community," the report said.
The board indicated she had made progress in many areas, "but is still not parole-ready."
The details of the January incident were not released.
"We're encouraged by the recommendation," said Jack Waddell, senior deputy district attorney of Contra Costa County, who is chief of the juvenile division.
Waddell did not attend yesterday's hearing but sent a written objection to parole for Protti.
"We feel that there are still substantial issues involved - anger, jealousy, rage - that have not yet been addressed that would warrant her remaining in custody," said Waddell yesterday.
"I feel there is a real good chance of recidivism. It's one thing when you're in a controlled situation, another when you're out in the real world," he said. "I think it's appropriate that she remain there until the end of the time proscribed by law."
The adult term for second-degree murder is 15 years to life in prison. Protti was sentenced to a maximum of nine years because she was 15 years old when she committed the crime. The Youth Authority can keep people in custody until they reach age 25.
Protti has undergone psychotherapy and has worked as a reservation agent for an airline, handling bookings channeled to the school by phone.
At March 6, 2017 at 8:55 AM , Anonymous said...: Thanks Alma.
At March 6, 2017 at 1:41 PM , Al said...: You're very welcome :)
At March 6, 2017 at 1:43 PM , Al said...: Art. 25

Murderer of Orinda teenager gets parole after eight years
By Tribune news service
Jun. 26, 1992

A classmate who killed a popular cheerleader in a slaying that stunned this affluent community eight years ago has been paroled and may be living in Oklahoma.
The victim's parents reacted with disbelief at the release of Bernadette Protti, now 23, according to a report in the Contra Costa Times: "It clearly shows to us that Bernadette Protti got away with murder in California," said Arthur Costas, father of Kirsten Costas, who was stabbed to death. Costas and his wife, Berit, moved to Hawaii in 1986.
"I'm devastated," said the mother, who asked: "Does anyone believe in punishment?"
A panel from the state Youthful Offender Parole Board released Protti on June 10 in a 2-1 ruling at CYA's Ventura School in Camarillo.
Dissenting board member Victor Wiseharr said Protti still "fails to explain why she selected Kirsten and then killed her."
CYA spokesman Tony Cimarusti said "she is out of state," but would not say where.
John Butler, a parole agent at the Ventura School, said he believes she's been placed in Oklahoma, "so I imagine she has a relative residing there."
Protti and her family could not be reached for comment. The family no longer lives in Contra Costa County.
CYA jurisdiction over Protti ends when she turns 25 on Sept. 20, 1993. After that, "she'll be as free as any other citizen" and can live wherever she wants, said John Monday, executive officer of the board.
Bob Kochly, a senior deputy district attorney for Contra Costa County, said "the nature of the crime itself should have demanded longer incarceration."
At March 8, 2017 at 1:34 PM , Al said...: Art. 26

Classmate murderer released
From Staff Reports
Sep. 22, 1993

A woman who fatally stabbed her Miramonte High School classmate has been released after serving less than 10 years in the California Youth Authority.
Bernadette Protti was set free Monday because she turned 25 years old, the age limit for CYA incarceration.
"The jurisdiction on her case has ended," said CYA spokeswoman Sarah Andrade.
Protti was convicted of second-degree murder for the 1984 slaying of Kirsten Costas. Protti, then 15, said she feared the popular girl was going to tell classmates that Protti was "really weird." She later told investigators that Costas, a cheerleader and athlete, was a symbol for her own failures.
CYA officials said Protti has been a model prisoner, earning her high school diploma and a community college degree while behind bars. A parole board gave her high marks in a July review.
Two years earlier, in June 1991, Protti was denied parole, the second time her case had come up for review. Andrade said at that time that the young woman would receive additional psychiatric counseling for problems with jealousy, possessiveness and social rejection.
At March 11, 2017 at 3:46 AM , Anonymous said...: Thank you, Alma.
At March 11, 2017 at 2:37 PM , Al said...: You are very welcome :)
At March 20, 2017 at 1:39 AM , Anonymous said...: I wonder what was said that night in the car? I hope Bernadette didn't think Kirsten would be ok just sitting in a car park at night with someone she had no interest in being friends with. Kirsten wasn't obligated to be friends with bernadette. I do however understand why Kirsten would think Bernadette was weird. I still think when Bernadette opened up to Kirsten about what she felt then Kirsten was thinking Bernadette was trying to make a pass at her. I still do not believe the whole knife in the car to cut vegetables. I believe coheartedly that Bernadette took the knife from the kitchen and when she confessed to her parents then they contacted the sister and she came up with some ridiculous excuse as to try and get Bernadette off or for a lesser sentence. It's horrible that Kirsten had to die all because someone was insanely obsessive over her and jealous.
At March 25, 2017 at 11:02 AM , Anonymous said...: Bernadette may of changed, that will never bring Kirsten back, and I hear she shows her true colors on here when she is mad. I don't care she has changed, can't change what she did.
At April 3, 2017 at 3:17 PM , Anonymous said...: I would like to read this one-sided article by Randall Sullivan. Where can it be found or can someone email it to me?
At April 3, 2017 at 7:30 PM , Anonymous said...: Are you the person above who claims to have known Kirsten and Bernadette?
At April 3, 2017 at 7:43 PM , Anonymous said...: If your asking me, no I'm not I don't know either girl or any other party involved I am just interested in this case. Im like everyone else on here trying to wrap my head around what happened or try to fit the pieces of the puzzle together.
At April 4, 2017 at 3:35 PM , Anonymous said...: Stephanie, due to your terrible behavior, I would never do you any favors. V (you're British, so you know what the "V" means.)
At April 7, 2017 at 6:19 PM , Anonymous said...: LOL!
At April 24, 2017 at 5:14 AM , Anonymous said...: Just out of curiosity, can you tell an American what "v" means?
At April 24, 2017 at 5:27 AM , Anonymous said...: My name is Sara. I have been on here once before but due to work, taking care of family and reaching a class of college students part time then yeah I have been swamped. I would like to say due to your digusting remark then I would like to say v right back at you. Please do not be ugly to me because I was asking a question. Thanks. I'm not this Stephanie either, but you should really make sure that it is before you piss someone off seriously. I don't usually use vile language but you really didn't have to go there with me!
At April 24, 2017 at 5:30 AM , Anonymous said...: Before you reply back to with a childish, useless comment just gonna say I can prove who the hell I am so don't try to start a fight with me on here either!
At April 24, 2017 at 5:38 AM , Anonymous said...: Do you have a stupidity leak? This is for the person who said "V" which makes no sense whatsoever.
At April 24, 2017 at 6:19 AM , Anonymous said...: Get lost, Stephanie, you English fool. V is known as the victory sign in America, but as you know since you are a Brit, it is used in England to tell a person to fuck off.

Stupidity leak? Another stupid quote from a movie.

'don't try to start a fight with me on here either!'

You are about as intimidating as a plastic bag blowing in the wind.
At April 24, 2017 at 6:26 AM , Anonymous said...: If you are not Stephanie, there is no need for your angry responses above, is there?
At April 24, 2017 at 9:55 AM , Anonymous said...: "V" is the reverse of the peace sign and means up yours.
At April 26, 2017 at 8:31 AM , Anonymous said...: There is an article in the Sentinel on April 11, 1985 by John Wetzel "Did Straight Pressure Prompt Orinda Murder?" He contends that Bernadette/Jeannette harbored gay feelings for her victim and murdered her when the secret was exposed.
At April 26, 2017 at 9:55 AM , Anonymous said...: I agree with that. I think she had a crush on Kirsten.
At April 27, 2017 at 8:32 PM , Anonymous said...: I think Kirsten was a stuck up bitch watched the movie and I'm surprised she didn't get killed along time ago
At April 28, 2017 at 12:04 AM , Anonymous said...: Hi Deanna,

You appear to be a teenage girl, so I’ll try not to be rude.

At the beginning of the movie (Death of a Cheerleader) it states: This story is inspired by true events and certain scenes and events were dramatized. That means the story isn’t factual. It’s a dramatized account of what happened. The characters in the movie loosely based on Kirsten and Bernadette are just movie characters.

If Kirsten did bully Bernadette, why didn’t Bernadette mention it at her trial and give examples? It might have strengthened her case, which would have affected her sentence, which would then affect her chances of parole. It wouldn’t make sense not to mention something important like that, so no, I don’t believe that Kirsten bullied Bernadette.

Do you think she should have been killed because she didn't want to befriend Bernadette? Everyone has a right to choose who they want to be friends with. Bernadette used the sorority (the bobbies) to get Kirsten out of her house under false pretences. A lot of people would not respond well to or want to be friends with someone they barely knew who lied to them to get them out of their house alone. Bernadette then drove to a church car-park and whatever happened in that car park scared Kirsten so much that she ran to the house of a stranger and got a ride home by a stranger. Should Kirsten have been killed for running away from Bernadette’s car?

If you look into other sources other than a fictional movie, you will discover:

Kirsten wasn’t the Stacey Lockwood character in the movie, Death of a Cheerleader.

Bernadette wasn’t the Angela Delvecchio character in the movie, Death of a Cheerleader.

Kirsten and Bernadette barely interacted with each other.

Bernadette had plenty of positives in her life.

Bernadette had jealousy issues which she was getting counselling for.

Bernadette had an unhealthy obsession with Kirsten.

Bernadette had jealousy and rage issues and was
denied parole twice because of her inability to deal with them.

It was stated by the FBI agent who interviewed Bernadette that she had no remorse for killing Kirsten. She only cared about herself.

Bernadette was so detached from killing Kirsten; she was able to talk about the murder in class with classmates, some of which included Kirsten’s friends.

Bernadette allowed two innocent girls were blamed for Kirsten’s murder.

Bernadette couldn’t give a straight answer as to why she killed Kirsten. If she was tormented by Kirsten, surely she would have said so. However, there is no evidence for that, which is why the motive for Kirsten’s murder still remains unanswered.
At April 29, 2017 at 10:22 PM , Anonymous said...: Did Bernadette Protti and Cinnamon Brown know each other from CYA?
At April 30, 2017 at 2:38 AM , Anonymous said...: They were there at the same time, so it's possible.
At May 4, 2017 at 5:34 AM , Anonymous said...: The older girls lived in a dorm called El Toyon at Ventura School. Once the get over age 18 they are separated from the younger inmates, so they probably were together.
At May 10, 2017 at 3:59 AM , Anonymous said...: Creepy.
At June 14, 2017 at 6:52 PM , Kennys blog said...: I just don't get the point of this blog I'm mean you do understand if Bernadette didn't feel any remorse for killing the girl she would have just kept her mouth shut and nobody would probably ever would have found out I mean what happened was tragic yes and senseless but she did serve her time and and at the the end of the day she was the one who told on her self
At June 14, 2017 at 6:54 PM , Kennys blog said...: I just don't get the point of this blog I'm mean you do understand if Bernadette didn't feel any remorse for killing the girl she would have just kept her mouth shut and nobody would probably ever would have found out I mean what happened was tragic yes and senseless but she did serve her time and and at the the end of the day she was the one who told on her self
At June 27, 2017 at 2:01 AM , Unknown said...: "If Kirsten did bully Bernadette, why didn’t Bernadette mention it at her trial and give examples? It might have strengthened her case, which would have affected her sentence, which would then affect her chances of parole."

Its pretty obvious that bernadette just wanted the whole thing to go away. Get the slap on the wrist over with and move on with her life.

If what happened in the car is worse than anyone knows, it doesn't help bernadette to try and explain ANYTHING...even if by some miracle it could help her. The more she talks, the more likely something unknown is to slip out and dig her hole even deeper.
At June 28, 2017 at 8:00 PM , Karen : ) said...: Hi Tracy,

I agree.

That's why she was intentionally evasive in her FBI interview.
At June 28, 2017 at 8:16 PM , Karen : ) said...: Hi Kenny,

Your questions have been answered numerous times under different articles on this blog. i'm sure they were even answered under this article

What is the point?

This is a blog that discusses the case and supports Kirsten, the victim. People discuss this case in an attempt to try and make sense of such a senseless, savage and tragic crime. The questions this case raises: How did Bernadette get away with it for as long as she did considering the very clear description of the murderer? Why was Bernadette's alibi not checked out? What induced Bernadette’s murderous rage? Did she exhibit signs of being dangerous and unhinged before the murder? Can analysing this crime help people to detect dangerous signs in others? Can a person who commits such a savage and monstrous crime ever be truly rehabilitated?...amongst many other questions.

" if Bernadette didn't feel any remorse for killing the girl she would have just kept her mouth shut and nobody would probably ever would have found out"

She confessed because she knew she was caught. Read about the FBI profile of the killer. It was remarkably accurate. The FBI were closing in and she had no choice, but to confess. However, she didn't tell the FBI why she killed Kirsten, which is why so many questions still go unanswered.

I don't believe she had any remorse. Bernadette was so detached from killing Kirsten that she was able to discuss Kirsten's murder in class with classmates, some of which included Kirsten's friends. Bernadette was so detached from killing Kirsten that she was able to watch as two innocent girls were blamed for Kirsten's murder. Bernadette was so detached from killing Kirsten that her behaviour was reported to not have changed after she killed Kirsten (She was described as her usual smiley self). If Bernadette was able to block out and detach herself from Kirsten's murder when she was a teenager, it's possible that she can block out and detach herself from Kirsten's murder now as an adult.

Quotes from the case:
Detective Oda said: "Protti was determined to kill Costas if Kirsten did not agree to be her friend and get her into the in-crowd.” “He called Protti’s confession to authorities ”self-serving” and said that she was without remorse until she realized her arrest was imminent.”

“Asked what Kirsten had done to make her angry, Bernadette said: “I have a lot of inferiority feelings — and I really have bad feelings about myself. I lost for cheerleader. I didn’t get into the club I wanted to. I didn’t get on yearbook. So, I don’t know, I just felt bad.”

Bernadette said "she was really good at blocking [what had happened] out of her mind, and I still am,” she said later. “That’s why I can live through every day, because it doesn’t seem real.”
It appears that she wasn't sorry that she killed Kirsten and was only sorry that she was caught.

"but she did serve her time and and at the the end of the day"

That's debatable. Bernadette lured Kirsten out of her house under false pretences to a non existent sorority dinner and when Kirsten discovered that Bernadette lied to her, she ran from Bernadette’s car and wanted to be left alone, yet Bernadette stalked Kirsten to her house and killed her. Bernadette ambushed Kirsten from behind with a 15/18 inch knife, inflicted Kirsten with two wounds down her back that were two feet long and continued to stab Kirsten in the stomach when she was suffering on the ground with her wounds. I don't agree that 7 years in a juvenile facility, the ability to complete HS education, study college courses, get a name change and have the murder stricken from her record is time served for such a brutal murder.
At June 28, 2017 at 8:24 PM , Karen : ) said...: Tracy,

I think if there were examples of Kirsten bullying Bernadette, it would have been mentioned. Her sister was in law school, so I'm sure she was coached.
At July 17, 2017 at 9:25 AM , Anonymous said...: I came very late to this case after having just seen the movie. Realize this thread is inactive, but just in case anyone checks in and can give some insight??

After reading the articles above, a few questions:

1. Seeing as the vivid descriptions given of the car (loud, dilapidated, mustard Pinto) and the girl (15-16 , chunky, blonde stringy hair, yellow Tee, faded red sweats) and her parents seeing her that night, knowing she was out that night , knowing she had the car, knowing she had been disturbed and in counseling, knowing she was a Bobbie): Surely her parents HAD to have been extremely suspicious that it was she who killed the girl? How could they not have been?

2. In the Lifetime movie the parked car scene lasted about 5 minutes. The articles say the 2 girls sat and talked for 30-40 minutes. That is a LONG time. What on earth were they discussing that long? What about the party? Or does this indicate Bernadette stuck to the dinner story? Did she claim others would meet them there? Were they supposedly waiting for someone? Why did Kirsten stay so long?

3. I see from the articles several other girls had received the phony Bobbies story calls. Does this indicate premeditation? Why were these girls called?

4. It seems the man who gave Kirsten the ride home saw the stabbing , knife, and blood. Why did many articles say he thought he saw merely a fist fight?

Thanks and best regards.
At July 17, 2017 at 9:53 AM , SM Kovalinsky said...: This comment has been removed by the author.
At August 27, 2017 at 3:47 PM , Anonymous said...: Hello
At August 29, 2017 at 1:06 PM , Anonymous said...: This wasn't a case of bullying, it was a case of obsession, Bernadette wanted to be everything Kirsten was, but couldn't be. Then she freaked out on fear of what Kirsten would tell others about her, so, she murdered her. It was more of fear what people thought than bullying. If it was actual bullying, she'd mention it, instead of telling she was afraid she'd tell people She was weird.
At August 30, 2017 at 3:03 PM , Anonymous said...: I agree. She was dangerously obsessed.
At September 2, 2017 at 9:24 AM , Anonymous said...: I wonder if she was a lesbian, or, just wanted to be in with the in crowd group? Cause she said she couldn't let her tell the secret, and didn't want some sort of secret out? Whatever it was it would of exposed Bernadette and cost her reputation, which did anyway.
At September 2, 2017 at 12:37 PM , Anonymous said...: I can't understand why there was no blood in her car, or why it wasn't discovered, there had to of been blood on her somewhere along the way, and she changed her clothes and threw her bloody clothes in a dumpster at Sleeping Hollow swim resort where they all got to swim. The way I understood it, she changed and threw her clothes away, why didn't someone who found the clothes confiscate them for the police to collect as DNA, they sure didn't have good police detectives, took them 6 long months to discover it was Bernadette. Finally the FBI closed in on her, everyone else was getting blamed for it, but finally they closed in on her, forced her to confess, so scared it'd get out she was the killer, she was more worried about what the public thought, than to realize what she did was unforgivable. I hear she only confessed cause she had no other way out, and she would of let the others take the blame, even today, if possible. I don't see how she's been rehabilitated, the correctional officer was hesitant to let her out, due to the fact she was still a danger. Once a danger, always a danger, and a leopard don't change it's spots.
At October 18, 2017 at 5:10 PM , Anonymous said...: Bernadette was on a documentary and telling all her failures, BS, if that's the case how did she become a Bobbie's member? It wasn't actually her, it was a documentary re enacted and they talked about her, a girl portrayed her. She was deranged, and Kirsten was going to out her over it, and it would ruin her chances of ever being socially accepted. Bobbie' s were the most popular girls in school, the one's who get all the dates, the ones who are elected to the homecoming court, or even homecoming Queen or Prom Queen. That movie portrayed Bernadette as a desperate wanna bee that was struggling for popularity. That was Pro Bernadette, and Anti Kirsten. That movie was not even right. There were lots of girls there at Miramonte that wasn't socially accepted, and the popular girls snubbed them, and made fun of them. that still didn't give Bernadette the right to take a life. Teen age girls will always be teen age girls, yes they are catty and witty and snooty, most teenage girls are, we were all teens once, and we had moments. I wasn't popular like I Kirsten, but I got along, and accepted what I had going for me. I had a lot of friends we had fun and giggled like any normal teenage girl, it is what it is. Kirsten was at the top of her game, a nice girl, so she may of made snide remarks to the less popular, but that's part of being a teenager, and we do grow up, and grow out of it as we get older. Kirsten was robbed of her chance to grow up, and, grow out of it, her life was taken way to short. To the gal who wrote on one of the documentaries that Kirsten got what she deserved, shame on you, how would you like it to be your daughter? I bet you had your moments when you were a teenager, most girls do, and yes we can all get mean, I did my share of making fun of other's not proud if it, I was against overweight people and was cruel to them, now I'm big and fat myself.
At October 24, 2017 at 9:21 AM , Unknown said...: "The articles say the 2 girls sat and talked for 30-40 minutes. That is a LONG time. What on earth were they discussing that long?"

You're right..it IS a long time. Even longer when you take into consideration it was all a ruse and Kirsten didn't even want to be there.

The length of time in that car(and what happened immediately afterwards) is one of the reasons I believe Kirsten was sexually assaulted or an attempt was made before fleeing.

Her extreme overreaction by killing Kirsten with extreme prejudice makes more sense if you factor in an assault that Bernadette cannot allow Kirsten to expose.
At October 24, 2017 at 6:56 PM , Anonymous said...: I think Kirsten knew something on Bernadette that could of easily destroyed her at Miramonte, I think Bernadette made a move on Kirsten, and Kirsten freaked out and ran to a neighbors. She probaly tried to kiss her and tell her she loved her. Bernadette was in the Bobbies, and her family wasn't as poor as the movie deplored her family to be, and the struggles Bernadette faced in the movie, wasn't true, she allowed the blame to rest on 2 innocent girls, one came forward and told , the other was never talked about, maybe the other one doesn't want to think about it, to painful to remember, the one use to be part of that group, then she went goth. Being bullied, and being accussed of murder can destroy a person and thier self worth. I know a girl with a glass eye, she was bullied all her life, even in her 40 s she still has t forgotten it, and put it all behind. Sometimes you can't, maybe that other girl blamed has issues today dealing with it. It goes to show people, before they judge, get all the facts first.
At October 24, 2017 at 11:41 PM , Unknown said...: "Bernadette was in the Bobbies..."

Out of all the unknown aspects of this tragedy, very high on my list of things I'd like more details on is Bernadette's history(however brief) with the Bobbies. There's more to this part of the story than just the ruse she created to get Kirsten alone.

A red flag that indicates more to the story is how a couple other girls claimed to have received similar phone calls. This doesn't fit with the overall story so it is usually glossed over.

I also believe there is more history between the two girls than the official story implies. It basically goes from Kirsten teasing her about skis, couple other incidents, to the mysterious episode in the car, and then Kirsten's murder.

Something is missing.

A LOT is missing...

and its what helps make this tragedy so fascinating. The puzzle pieces do not fit.

I never watched the movie but you're right...

There is a false narrative throughout this story, 'Bernadette the poor white trash on the wrong side of the tracks-Kirsten the mega rich mean girl' that is an obstacle to seeking out the truth.
At October 25, 2017 at 12:23 AM , Unknown said...: Here's a list of things we need more info on if we're ever going to find out what was REALLY going on...not just that night but in the weeks/months leading up to her murder.

-Genesis. How did this whole dynamic begin...and more importantly, why.

-Bernadette's relationship with the Bobbies in general

-Bernadette-Kirsten's-Bobbies interactions concerning the cheerleading fiasco

-Bernadette-Kirsten's-Bobbies interactions concerning the yearbook issue. Are they both linked?

-Their social lives outside school. I believe this to be one of the still hidden layers of the tragedy.

-related to above...Bobbies parties, who's attending, who's not, why, and what's the frequency of these parties.

-While I consider the marijuana issue the night of her murder irrelevant, how much did alcohol and/or drugs factor into these parties and each of the girls lives.

-Initiations/hazing. Were there any inappropriate incidents involving the Bobbies?

-Dating. The Bobbies are elite. They have the pick of the litter. Who are they going out with? Do they have steady boyfriends? If so, how bad is the relationship drama? Is it creating any tension with other Bobbies?

-Bobbies totem pole. Who's running the show? How well does she run the show? Is the leader of the pack a drama queen who likes stirring up a little Bobbies hornets nest?

-Tension. Is there any tension in the group or among a specific set of girls leading up to Kirsten's murder?

-Sleepovers/slumber parties. I'd like to know how many, if any of these the girls had and which girls participated.

-Cheerleading camp. What REALLY went on here? Kirsten's murder is in the process of being set up before this even ends. Why? How many of the Bobbies interacted during this critical timeframe?
At October 25, 2017 at 8:09 AM , Anonymous said...: Tracy, it supposedly began with a comment Kirsten made about Bernadette's ski's during a ski trip they're Sophmore year, Kirsten said her ski's were crummy. Bernadette had a good friend who had a good friend who was the leader of the Bobbie's so they got invited automatically. Bernadette was dissapointed she did not making the Miramonte cheerleading squad, and she was highly upset over not making the yearbook staff, Kirsten got to be included in everything, and Bernadette was full of resentment and envy. In Sorry for the wait article Bernadette had plenty of friends, even got invited to a movie the night Kirsten was murdered, told them she had to babysit, but instead planned on meeting Kirsten, she should of gone to the movies. I don't know about Bobbie parties or any social organization outside the Bobbies, but I imagine they had parties and all were included, and for inintiations, they went with mayonaise and eggs in thier hair and stopped people in cars at stop lights and kissed them and ran back to thier car. Took leaves and went in stores and bought stuff. Had to sing a song under varsity guys windows they had crushes on, it was a fun group, they had to get drunk and stoned so they'd be able to go through and pass to become a Bobbie. I don't think any hazing took place. The Bobbie's all had boyfriends, Kirsten had the most, Bernadette had one, but it fizzled out. The one girl who ran the show was a Senior and had other Senior and Juniors to initiate the Sophmores, that's how Bernadette and friend got an invite, cause throne running it was her BFFs good friend. The tension was Bernadette felt she could never measure up to Kirsten, and be in her group, when Bernadette was popular and accepted enough, she wanted everything Kirsten had. Bernadette and Kirsten were friends, something went horribly wrong that night. The movie that deplored Bernadette white trash and Kirsten super mega rich, was not so, Bernadette's family had a lot of money as well as Kirsten's, in some articles I read Bernadette was as well off as Kirsten, sleepover and slumber parties in Sorry for the wait, Kirsten had a lot of them, in fact, a group of girls snuck out and went swimming at Sleepy Hollow club, I do t think Bernadette was there, I don't think she was invited, and that led up to her inferior complex. Bernadette knew Kirsten was at camp, so she called Kirsten's mother, and, set up a secret Bobbies initiation meeting for the new Bobbies, cause they had just became Bobbies, so, They were sending out a lot of invitations for the Bobbie's and Bernadette took it to her advantage. Hope this is helpful Tracy B.
At October 25, 2017 at 8:11 AM , Anonymous said...: Tracy read Sorry for the wait, it tells all about it on here the time frames, have to stroll on down to part 1 and it will tell you all about it, also watch 1980 s the deadliest decades.
At October 25, 2017 at 9:44 AM , Unknown said...: Thanks for the reply. Over the years I've read the articles, and you covered most of the things I've read before.

You did hit on some key areas though...

"Bernadette and Kirsten were friends.."

Now we're getting somewhere. That fact should be obvious but it goes in the opposite direction of the official narrative. Just the fact both girls were going into the Bobbies shows that there's some form of friendship there initially. They're not gonna bring in two girls who loathe each other.

Even if there's some tension between the two, there is at least a stalemate in place, even if only for the greater good.

So where does it go wrong? The incident over the skis does not come close to being a good enough explanation. That could explain bernadette starting to have some negative feelings towards Kirsten but its not even close to being the straw that broke the camel's back.

We're missing the middle of the story, for starters. bernadette should pretty much be a lock for both cheerleader and yearbook staff due to her association with the Bobbies. What happened? It appears that for reasons unknown, they may have reached a point where they are excluding her from some activities. Again...why?

"they had to get drunk and stoned so they'd be able to go through and pass to become a Bobbie."

This doesn't surprise me in the least. Having said that, it's a complete 180 from the official narrative.

THis is what frustrates me about this case. They NEVER tried getting to the bottom of what was going on in these girls' lives that would lead to such tragedy. I don't know if its because they got the killer, out of respect for the victim and her family, or just plain laziness on LE's part.

"but I imagine they had parties and all were included.."

I imagine they were too...including Bernadette, which is my point. She's in their clique. This isn't some odd duckling worshiping Kirsten from afar and develops a fatal attraction. She's right there with Kirsten and the other Bobbies.

"The tension was Bernadette felt she could never measure up to Kirsten, and be in her group,"

This is where narratives start to clash. She IS in her group. Maybe not best friends but there's a common bond.

"in fact, a group of girls snuck out and went swimming at Sleepy Hollow club,"

Another minor reveal. This clique goes out on little adventures. What else did they do besides swimming?

"I don't think she was invited, and that led up to her inferior complex. Bernadette knew Kirsten was at camp, so she called Kirsten's mother.."

That's going from point D to point Z. Like I said earlier, we're missing huge chunks of this story.

There has to be legitimate stressors to light the fuse. The story is lacking one. Some could say what unfolds in the car is the trigger. It's not. This was premeditated so something has to happen to give Bernadette the idea that Kirsten has to be killed NOW. You have to realize...no time was wasted. Kirsten comes home from camp, Kirsten gets killed.

Bernadette meant serious business.

I'd also like to know why bernadette called other girls with a similar ruse. It doesn't help her in any way with what she has planned for Kirsten. If anything, she's risking exposure by insinuating others could be drawn into her net.

The only thing she could technically achieve by doing that is sending a "message" to the other Bobbies, but this is nowhere in the official narrative.

If she was sending a message to the other girls in the process of killing Kirsten, it changes everything about this case.
At October 25, 2017 at 10:18 AM , Unknown said...: Onw more thing that always bothered me...

The six months her murder went unsolved. It should've been solved in hours or days.

NO loose lips were willing to step up and sink ships.

That whole group had to have an inkling regarding who murdered her.

Maybe the message WAS sent...
At October 25, 2017 at 6:10 PM , Anonymous said...: One close friend of Bernadette's had a best friend who was a recruiter for the Bobbies, and she automatically got an invite, and she had her initiate Bernadette in, and Bernadette got accepted by the other girls, some of her good friends were already friends with Kirsten to start with, so Bernadette and Kirsten got aquainted that way, and Bernadette invited other Bobbies along with Kirsten, I think she wanted to climb high as she could on the social ladder and be right with Kirsten, she may of wanted Kirsten's approval so bad that she said something to set Kirsten off, and Kirsten said she would expose her weirdness, and, Bernadette decided to silence her forever,or, she wanted Kirsten's friendship and if Kirsten didn't agree to it she was going to murder her. A lot of unanswered questions here, I think something went terribly wrong in the car during a conversation, and, Bernadette was scared Kirsten would make her a laughing stock, which she initially became anyway, it's possible she wanted a close friendship with Kirsten, and Kirsten didn't want any of it, and said she would tell people how weird she is, and Bernadette carried the knife just in case something went wrong, or, she was going to force Kirsten to be her friend and if Kirsten said no she wouldn't let her live. It was Kirsten's house where they had slumber parties, Kirsten may of liked Bernadette, but not enough to consider her a close friend, as I stated earlier Kirsten and Bernadette had some of the same friends, and hung out in the same groups. They were both popular, Kirsten was more popular. Bernadette probaly didn't make cheerleading and yearbook staff probaly only a certain amount were accepted on it, and maybe next year she woukd of made cheerleading if she didn't murder. The 2 girls blamed were social misfits, and there were a lot of girls at Miramonte not socially accepted to start with it's a prestige community, with a lot of competition from what I read, it's a rich community. Bobbies were full of a lot of rich girls even Bernadette.
At October 25, 2017 at 11:48 PM , Unknown said...: "A lot of unanswered questions here.."

Indeed.

"I think something went terribly wrong in the car during a conversation...."

I agree...but this where it hits a brick wall and possible motives get skewed and it confuses the issue(s) even more.

Let's back up a bit. Remember, there's premeditation here. Car or no car, the plan has been set in motion. Kirsten is up poop creek without a paddle long before she gets into the car.

They are two seperate issues and there may be two motives converging into one in this tragedy. The original motive which sets the wheels in motion, and then the chaos in the car that sends everything spiraling out of control and neither girl can come up for air and give the other any breathing room. It really points out how dire the situation in the car must have been.

I think she was going to kill/hurt Kirsten, and MAYBE someone else, no matter what...but wanted to get Kirsten alone in the car to assault her before the attack.

I have two problems with this specific part of the timeline...

Kirsten minimizing the danger of the threat.

She's not in fear for her life. She acts as if its no big deal that bernadette is tailgating them all the way home. When she has a chance to get escorted to her door, she simply walks away from him/the car. Is she worried about a witness overhearing a potential exchange between her and Bernadette? She knows Bernadette is there obviously and is unlikely to remain silent.

Mere seconds later, we've got a problem. She now knows that she's really in danger. The threat can no longer be minimized. She's in trouble. She tells Bernadette to get away from her and she starts beating on her neighbor's door, clearly in distress. THis is BEFORE the knife attack. Is there an unknown verbal exchange between the two girls at this point which lets Kirsten know a tragedy is now unfolding?

A minute ago, she was playing down what happened. Now her life is in danger and she knows it.

My other problem is this...

Bernadette's claim that she expected Kirsten to be alive when she left. Yeah I know...she could easily be trying to play down her role in the murder. Having said that, if you take this into account with the fact she had called some other girls with the same ruse, it starts to paint a different picture of what may have happened, what led to it, that it may not have all revolved around Kirsten but around the Bobbies, and unknown elements of the crime may have been unknowingly thwarted.

"Kirsten may of liked Bernadette, but not enough to consider her a close friend, as I stated earlier Kirsten and Bernadette had some of the same friends, and hung out in the same groups. They were both popular.."

And this is why I have serious problems with the official story. It doesn't hold up to closer scrutiny. Once you get past scratching the surface, the official story starts falling apart and it makes no sense.

"Bernadette probaly didn't make cheerleading and yearbook staff probaly only a certain amount were accepted on it.."

Of course there were limits. It doesn't change the fact that by Bernadette simply being a Bobbie, it places her at or near the top of the list of candidates in any group she's trying out for.

"The 2 girls blamed were social misfits.."

I would like to know how the clique surrounding Kirsten and Bernadette acted in the aftermath of the murder. I'd also like to know how they really felt about these other two girls being accused of murdering her when there is a crystal clear and more obvious suspect literally standing right next to them every day.

Even if they are blind, it should be obvious to them that her murder is related to the Bobbies. A Bobbie was targeted and several more were called with similar offers for "dinner".
At October 26, 2017 at 8:28 AM , Anonymous said...: I think in the car, Bernadette didn't appear as a threat at first, just weird and unstable, she may of just begged Kirsten to be her best friend, and told her something weird like how she admires her, and Kirsten doesn't consider it a threat, and she was probaly planning on killing her, but Kirsten got away to quickly, ran and sought help, right away. Then she followed them home to finish what she started to do. Kirsten didn't pick it up immediately. The 2 blamed were the chief suspects, one Kirsten use to pick on and everyone assumed she freaked out and killed her, the other was once in that group, but changed her image cause she was bored with the clique, there were other unpopular girls blamed to as well, but those 2 were the top one's blamed. I hear the 2 girls blamed they started talking to them again, at least one of them, a student replied how can we make up for 6 months of Hell. They ran them both out of school, one of the girls gets on interviews and tells of it, the other is mentioned at all, the one can tell you all about it, she's interviewed on 1980s deadliest decade the cheerleader murder, tells all about the crime. You can google it Via: 1980s the deadliest decade. The cheerleader murder, has a lot of interesting facts. Bernadette being a Bobbie should of placed her at the top of whatever she wanted like cheerleading, and the yearbook staff. She was at the top of the social ladder, she didn't realize it though till it was to late, even if then. She probaly didn't make cheerleading like I said, there were only a limited amount accepted, and they probaly included Kirsten and her friends, and as for yearbook staff I can't really answer that one, I is didn't know the people there don't even know where Orinda is located only 30 miles North of San Francisco , I been to San Francisco once many years ago on a vacation just passed through there, saw Fishermans ward, that was back in the 70s I was still a kid. It would help if a student on this site from Orinda would get on here and give us some insight on what really happened, some students have in the past got on here, or they claimed to be students from Orinda and got on here, then they were accussed of perpetrating other students on here, I can't really be sure, maybe someone will really come forth on here from Orinda and we will have a clear more understanding. No one can figure out why ,and what really went down.
At October 27, 2017 at 7:31 AM , Anonymous said...: The aftermath of the murder left the clique and everyone else not being able to trust anyone. The 2 girls blamed they were so sorry and remorseful they blamed the wrong girls. That was the aftermath of it all, Kirsten's parent's moved to Hawaii shortly after. Things were never the same for the Costas family, Kirsten's friends and Miramonte school after all this, things were never the same for the Protti family either.
At November 10, 2017 at 1:13 PM , Anonymous said...: what happened to the lady who was running this??? We need updates !!
At November 24, 2017 at 5:31 PM , Anonymous said...: CHARLES MANSON DIED.
At November 27, 2017 at 3:19 PM , Anonymous said...: The world weeps......
At March 14, 2018 at 10:09 AM , Anonymous said...: Did she really wear those ugly ski clothes? Or was that part of the story fabricated?
At March 16, 2018 at 8:04 AM , Anonymous said...: This website/blog is such a sad way to honor Kirsten. Rest in Peace Girl. I'm sorry your memory has been tainted with all this hate. Unfortunately I came across it when I Googled your name.
At March 20, 2018 at 5:52 AM , Anonymous said...: When I try to find old movies on youtube this one seems to always come up! I wonder if Protti has received any backlash since she has been outed.
At April 14, 2018 at 6:38 PM , Anonymous said...: The only people who are trying to taint Kirsten's name are the idiots who insist she bullied Jeannette or that the movie is accurate. If you think the people who constantly try to defend Kirsten have tainted her name, there is something wrong with you.
At August 11, 2018 at 5:13 PM , Anonymous said...: I wonder if Nicolle Wallace knew the Costas family, she was from that area as well.
At August 15, 2018 at 8:24 PM , Anonymous said...: Did Kirsten know Sophia petrillo
At February 3, 2019 at 3:35 AM , Unknown said...: yes It should be discussed and i when you take a life you should lose all liberties and freedom for life.
At March 15, 2019 at 7:35 PM , Unknown said...: I Think She Still Is Capable Of Doing Something Dangerous.
At May 12, 2019 at 3:07 PM , Anonymous said...: I knew both gals, was friends with both of them. They were both popular, and so was Stacy and Diane, Carolyn and Karen and Carrie. We were the loudies we were known everywhere. I loved Diane so much fun, not seen her since high school, not seen any of them since high school.. Bernadette was obsessed with being liked, and Kirsten liking her. It was so silly and so childish.
At June 22, 2019 at 8:42 PM , Garret 1962 said...: This comment has been removed by the author.
At June 30, 2019 at 9:29 AM , Anonymous said...: Kirsten had the sweetest, and most beloved smile. Finny and so.cute. Love her and miss her. Anyone else want to post a memory of Kirsten that knew her?
At July 21, 2019 at 3:54 PM , Anonymous said...: In 2 days Kirsten would of been 51.
At July 23, 2019 at 5:20 AM , Garret 1962 said...: This comment has been removed by the author.
At July 23, 2019 at 9:41 AM , Anonymous said...: Happy Birthday Kirsten. May you Rest In Peace.
At July 23, 2019 at 10:50 AM , Anonymous said...: Happy Birthday Sweet Angel.
At February 11, 2020 at 7:53 AM , Garret 1962 said...: This comment has been removed by the author.
At February 19, 2020 at 10:38 PM , Komodo said...: How?
At February 19, 2020 at 10:39 PM , Komodo said...: Who?
At February 20, 2020 at 2:55 AM , Garret 1962 said...: This comment has been removed by the author.
At February 20, 2020 at 12:12 PM , Garret 1962 said...: This comment has been removed by the author.
At June 24, 2020 at 4:05 AM , Anonymous said...: RIP Kirsten
At July 23, 2020 at 4:06 PM , Anonymous said...: Happy Birthday Kirsten
At July 31, 2020 at 6:42 PM , Unknown said...: Me and my family were returning home back to the state of Oregon after visiting family in SoCal. As we were on Interstate 5 near the Sacramento Airport, I reminded myself that the murder of Kirsten Costas happened to the west in the bay area. I got creeped out and thought of all what happened that night. It was around 3 in the morning.
At August 27, 2021 at 5:30 PM , Unknown said...: RIP SWEET CHILD 🙏🙏💓💓MY BFF LORRIE ANN DEMKO THURMAN IN PA WAS STABBED AND STRANGELED BY HER OWN SON JACOB TALLEFERRO JUNE 6 2016 I LIVE WITH THE MEMORY OF HOW MY BFF DIED AND THE FACT OUR SON BRAD WAS BFF WITH JACOB TALLEFERRO SINCE GRADESCHOOL. JACOB WAS 17 GOT LIFE IN PRISON AND THIS BERNADETTE SHOULD OF GOT LIFE IN JAIL TOO. THERE IS NO EXCUSE FOR SUCH A CRUEL VICIOUS KILLING RIP KRISTEN 🙏🙏💓💓PRAYERS FOR YOUR FAMILY
At October 26, 2021 at 5:34 PM , Anonymous said...: I'm sorry for your loss, unknown.
At May 13, 2022 at 12:17 PM , Anonymous said...: Beautiful wonderful girl. May you always keep her memory alive. We are here for you even though I don’t know you. I’m a mother too.
At March 14, 2023 at 2:12 PM , Anonymous said...: So sad

Bernadette Protti IS Jeannette Tomanka

Thursday, August 11, 2016

Happy belated Birthday Kirsten!!

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