Woman, 71, Tearfully Recalls Bond With Famalaro

SANTA ANA — A woman who developed a surrogate mother-son relationship with convicted murderer John J. Famalaro in the mid-1980s grew emotional Thursday when testifying about the defendant, whom she had hired to clean her house.

“I care about John,” a tearful Laura Jean Becker said. “I just connected with him early on. I just appreciated his help.”

The woman’s tears led the 39-year-old defendant to shed some of his own, just as he had this week when his brother and sister testified during the penalty phase of his trial.

Becker was among the witnesses called by the defense Thursday to present a series of vignettes from the life of Famalaro, who was convicted last month of kidnapping, sexually assaulting and murdering Newport Beach resident Denise Huber. The jury must now decide whether Famalaro should be executed for the crimes.

A 71-year-old resident of Tustin, Becker testified that she hired Famalaro in 1984 and over time, the two grew close. She spoke fondly of the defendant, recalling talks they’d had and favors he had done for her. She also lent him money, which she said he paid back with interest. The two lost touch by 1990.

“I wish I had helped him more,” Becker said through tears.

The defense has attempted to portray Famalaro in a sympathetic light, in contrast to the brutal slaying of Huber, whose body Famalaro stored inside a freezer for three years. Witnesses this week have said that Famalaro was a nervous, sickly and troubled child who displayed the characteristics of manic depression as an adult.

“He would become very depressed and unable to work or talk to anyone,” former girlfriend Nancy Rommel testified Thursday. “He would remain that way for a week or two weeks.”

At other times, Rommel said, Famalaro would stay up all night working for several days in a row.

Rommel had broken up with Famalaro shortly before Huber’s murder on June 3, 1991. Famalaro had contacted a suicide and prayer hotline about a week before the crime.

Under cross-examination by Deputy Dist. Atty. Christopher Evans, Rommel acknowledged she broke up with Famalaro because she was sick of the relationship and agreed with Evans’ characterization of Famalaro as a “manipulator” and “smooth talker.”

Marie Ebiner never dated Famalaro but testified that they became friends in 1988. She eventually stopped socializing with him because she sensed Famalaro wanted the relationship to become romantic.

“He did do odd things,” she said. “I sometimes worried about him, wondered if there were things he could use some help on.”

Among the “odd things” was the time when Famalaro pulled over to the side of the road while driving home from Palm Springs because he wanted to look for snakes, she said. Another time he inhaled helium from a balloon at a wedding in an effort to entertain people.

“I remember mentioning that he was hyper and a little different, but he was a nice person,” she said.

Another witness testified about Famalaro’s worsening business troubles in 1991 and said the defendant was having disputes with employees in his painting business and getting complaints from customers.

The defense, which has eliminated 11 of its witnesses, could be finished presenting its case by the end of next week, Deputy Public Defender Leonard Gumlia said.