Breaking News: Copple pleads guilty to two Napa murders

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Eric Copple waits in Napa County Superior Court during a recent hearing. Greg Hess/Register | Buy photos

Tuesday, December 05, 2006

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Napa resident Eric Copple pleaded guilty Tuesday morning to two counts of first degree murder in the Nov. 1, 2004, slayings of Adriane Insogna and Leslie Ann Mazzara in a west Napa home.

Copple, 27, agreed to a sentence of life in prison without the possibility of parole at a Napa County Superior Court hearing, and waived his rights of appeal.

The case drew national attention in 2004, after the bodies of Insogna and Mazzara were found in their bedrooms of a rented home on Dorset St. in quiet west Napa.

Insogna, a Napa Valley native, worked for the Napa Sanitation District at the time of her death. Mazzara, a native of South Carolina who had only recently moved to California at the time of the slayings, worked for the Niebaum-Coppola Estate Winery, now known as Rubicon Estate.

A nationwide search for suspects, including DNA testing of dozens of people who were believed to know one or both of the victims, proved fruitless. But in 2005, the Napa Police Department released information that DNA matching blood at the scene of the crime matched the DNA found on cigarette butts outside the home. The butts were from an unusual brand, Camel Turkish Blend.

In September 2005, shortly after the revelation, Copple, a Napa resident and Vintage High School graduate, turned himself in to police.

Copple’s wife, Lily Prudhomme Copple, was a close of friend of Insogna.

No weapon has been discovered, but law enforcement authorities say Copple has told them that he threw away the weapon and burned the clothes he wore on the night of the crime.

Under the terms of the plea agreement, Copple has agreed that he cannot challenge his prison sentence under any circumstances. Earlier this week, Napa Police Chief Richard Melton said no one has come forward to claim a $100,000 reward posted by community members in 2004 for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the killer.

26 comment(s)

Relieved wrote on Dec 5, 2006 11:41 AM:

" It is about time! I still am wondering where in our justice system that a man who turns himself in for a crime and has been formally charged, needs to have a trial at all! If it has been shown by evidence that he is indeed the perpetrator and has himself said "Yes, it was me," WHY on Earth do anything other than a sentencing phase? "

allenflygal wrote on Dec 5, 2006 12:14 PM:

" I was wondering the other day, whatever happened to that guy who killed those girls and there he is!! No god, or religious figure would accept his behavior for killing those girls. IT'S A SHAME THAT HE DIDN'T GET THE DEATH PENALTY. Those poor girls, and may god rest their soul. "

Can't see? wrote on Dec 5, 2006 1:06 PM:

" The picture of Copple is placed write over the text so I can't see the whole article. "

Ed wrote on Dec 5, 2006 1:12 PM:

" If the photo runs over the text you need to upgrade your internet browser. Get Firefox or IE7 "

Ron wrote on Dec 5, 2006 1:52 PM:

" IMO his actions are commendable. He could have denied it from the beginning and at minimum cost tax payers a fortune. We also would have never known for sure what happened even if he were found guilty. It could have taken years. Finally, he could possibly have gotten away with it. It is unfortunate that anyone decides to murder another human being, but for those who do I wish they would follow Copple's example. Allenflygal, the death penalty never brought any one back from the dead, costs tax payers and enormous amount of money, and imo is immoral. As far as the reward goes, the only one that is eligible, in my mind, turned himself in and plead guilty to the murders. "

Best possible outcome wrote on Dec 5, 2006 2:01 PM:

" This is the best resolution possible. Not only does it spare the families the drawn-out trial and media circus, but will save the local taxpayers millions in the cost of prosecuting (and probably defending.) There would likely have been a change of venue, adding more to the cost. I've got nothing against the death penalty, but this outcome makes sense... "

Why? wrote on Dec 5, 2006 4:07 PM:

" Why did he do this? What was his motive? "

corey wrote on Dec 5, 2006 4:44 PM:

" Finally Justice for my friend who was murdered by this man!! "

Exasperated wrote on Dec 5, 2006 5:08 PM:

" They should have gone for the death penalty. "

What she would have wanted: wrote on Dec 5, 2006 6:53 PM:

" Mazzara didn't belive in the death penalty and I do belive that things happen in weird ways. Mazzara was a an amazing person who deserved so much more out of life. This is for you Leslie. We will never forget you!!!!!! xoxoxoxoxooxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoo "

Thankful! wrote on Dec 5, 2006 7:05 PM:

" I am so thankful and over joyed that there is finally an end to this case for the family and friends (like me). I still do want to know why, but if I never find out I can sleep at night knowing that Adriane can rest peacefully now that her murderer will be living in prison for the crimes he commited agianst her. I am also thankful that Eric did the right thing and pled gulty saving tax payers money and the famlies the heart ache of a trial. "

why wrote on Dec 5, 2006 7:14 PM:

" Ron, are you out of your mind??? Eric Copple's actions are not commendable!!! The commendable thing would have been to go home and sleep it off!!! He had lots of opportunities to make other choices and choose to make a bad one, which cost my friend her life, her family endless amounts of anguish, and her friends and acquaintences years of grief! You suggest that we should be excited that he owned up to what he did? Forgive me if I don't jump up and down because he turned himself in when he was about to be caught anyway, and then took a year to officially admit guilt! Oh, and the investigation and staying in prision for life will save the state a bundle! "

Death Penalty comment wrote on Dec 5, 2006 7:45 PM:

" For those who are in favor of the death penalty, how is it ever right to kill another human being? How can you say it's wrong to kill someone and be FOR the death penalty. If it's wrong to kill, then it's wrong to kill, no matter what the circumstance. "

Kevin wrote on Dec 5, 2006 9:09 PM:

" The DA should never have accepted a plea like this. He confessed! The death penalty was invented for jerks like this. God forbid he kills a guard or another prisoner while he is serving his life sentence. Their blood will be on the DA's hands. Of course with our 9th Circus Court of Appeals, Copple could even end up a free man... "

Relieved wrote on Dec 5, 2006 11:37 PM:

" I agree with "Why" regarding the comment to "Ron". Commendable would have been to make the right decision in the first place. I only knew Adrianne for less than a year, but she was truly a beautiful soul and will be missed until we meet in the after-life. I also agree that life doesn't necessarily save money over the death penalty. He is a rather healthy looking man, and may live to be 100. If he shows himself to be a trouble-maker in prison, that will cost even more money. There are sooo many 'ifs' when discussing long term vs. death penalty...no one can say for sure. And as far as doing the right thing by pleading guilty?!? He was about to be caught anyway, the DNA evidence singled him out, and oh yeah...HE TURNED HIMSELF IN. How could he NOT plead guilty other than insanity, which no one would believe? "

To the second Why from Ron wrote on Dec 6, 2006 6:32 AM:

" You are stretching my comments a long way in order to suggest that I am saying his actions of murder are commendable. That is just plain idiodic! He did something terribly stupid, when the trail was pointing toward him, he turned himself in, and plead guilty. That is commendable, you don't see that very often. He could have denied it from the beginning, clear to the end, even if convicted. We may have been left guessing, "did he really do it?" forever. "

To Relieved wrote on Dec 6, 2006 9:27 AM:

" "How could he NOT plead guilty" apparently you missed the OJ trial. Supposedly we are a Christian nation, and yet debate the death penalty. I realize that there are many non Christians in our country, but what bothers me is that it is the ones who profess to be Christians that are pro death penalty. Perhaps they do not know Christ. "

Sally wrote on Dec 6, 2006 10:43 AM:

" If the DA wanted to move forward with the death penalty they would have to have a trial (I believe that is the law). I am very glad for Napa, his family and the victims families that he and his attorney made the right decision. "

Kevin wrote on Dec 6, 2006 12:24 PM:

" Wherever the death penalty has been applied, it has worked 100% of the time. There has never been an executed murderer who killed again. But there are a lot of "lifers" who have gone on to kill again and again and again... "

Relieved wrote on Dec 6, 2006 1:41 PM:

" In response to the comment toward me; comparing this to OJ Simpson is no fair comparision. OJ DID NOT turn himself in, NEVER said he did it; and still denied it all when so much pointed to him. Eric Copple DID turn himself in, he DID say he did it, and we were all spared the media circus that OJ put the nation through. "

To Kevin wrote on Dec 6, 2006 3:47 PM:

" You are probably right, although when a person is in prison with no possibilty to ever get out who is he going to kill? Wasn't that how Jeffery Dahmer met his fate? At any rate, a person on death row will live on death row many years, and if your argument is that a lifer can kill a prison gaurd, why would a death row inmate not have the same concern? I don't believe that human beings should kill other human beings. "

To Relieved wrote on Dec 6, 2006 5:02 PM:

" OK, let me try to clarify the comparison: OJ bad he did the wrong thing (denied the whole thing, retained the dream team and got away with murder) when the DNA evidence singled him out. Copple commendable he did the right thing (turned himself in, and plead guilty) when the DNA evidence singled him out. Of course we are talking after the fact, it would have been much more desirable had neither one of these been born. BTW, it is fact that life in prison cost much less than death row. "

Corey wrote on Dec 7, 2006 7:20 PM:

" Leslie, may you rest in peace. we miss you! ~NC former co-workers may copple rot in prison "

Anthony wrote on Dec 8, 2006 11:15 AM:

" For all of you that clamor how "Napa D.A. and police force have no clue on the Mr. Posey Case" let's hear some serious KUDOS to our local law enforcement. Napa did not sit around like Mayberry waiting and hoping to catch Copple. They asked for assistance,FBI,etc., remained diligent and did an OUTSTANDING job on this case. So those of you that love to complain about the Napa County D.A. or our Police Department show some respect, this case says volumes. Napa City Council and the financial mess currently in place, better get it right and keep our Law Enforcement and Fire Department well funded, we are going to need it in the coming decades. "

Brian wrote on Dec 9, 2006 2:01 PM:

" I'm all for the death penalty and Copple should have been sentence to death. The reason way it cost so much is becuase of all the bleeding hearts out there that thinks it's wrong and help drag the appeals out. Some of you need to read the Bible again. It's wrong to murder, it's OK to kill to protect the one's you love and to keep those from murdering again. "

RIP wrote on Dec 10, 2006 6:00 PM:

" God bless those beautiful young women, may they rest in peace. "

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