Lawyer Says He's Not a Suspect in Wife's Slaying

Jason Dearen
The Argus, CA
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Contra Costa, Ca (United States):
Criminal defense lawyer Daniel Horowitz said he has never been a prime suspect in the murder investigation of his wife, Pamela Vitale, whose body he reported finding Saturday. "I've been so discounted from day one. I have never been treated as a suspect, ever," he said, holed up with Vitale's son, Mario, and daughter, Marissa, in a Bay Area hotel. On Wednesday the Contra Costa County Sheriff's Department cleared the crime scene at Horowitz's Lafayette estate, where he and Vitale were finishing building their four-story dream home.
With the crime scene cleared, Horowitz can return to his land, but he has stated he will never live there again. The homicide investigation continues and is still "wide open," said sheriff's spokesman Jimmy Lee.
Horowitz called 9-1-1 Saturday about 6 p.m. after finding Vitale's body. She had received a blow to the head, and was clad only in panties and a T-shirt, Horowitz said. He said it appeared there was some kind of struggle.
But Vitale did not appear to have been raped or sexually assaulted. "She wasn't raped, or there was no attempted rape as far as I could see," Horowitz said. "I think I would have known if there had been." Horowitz said he does not expect authorities to clear his name publicly anytime soon, even though speculation about his possible involvement might increase every day authorities do not announce an arrest. "Their job is not to clear me, but to do an objective investigation," he said
Oct 20, 2005.