Ralph Gonzalez
There are certain cases that I write about that stick in my mind like glue. Those cases are the ones where you think and wonder if justice will ever come. Will a fugitive be caught? Will the victims and those they left behind ever have justice?
The case of Dr. Peter Normann is one of those cases.
Over the last year, I've been watching and waiting for justice in this case. When I first read about it, I would receive emails that Dr. Normann is in California and Germany. Comments on other sites would confirm that it was believed that Normann was in another country. At that point, it seemed unlikely that he would be caught, let alone extradicted to face his accusers.
Throughout the year, I would still see on my blog traffic reports that people were interested in this case. If there was a major peak, I would check for updates. Then, one email last month brought this whole case back into focus for me. The email was from a woman named Patti. She wanted to thank me for my original blog post on Peter Normann and wanted to let me know that he had been indicted on two counts of second-degree murder and one count of manslaughter. She also informed me that she was a good friend of Ralph Gonzalez. Ralph was the first alleged victim of Peter Normann that died. He died in December 2006.
I was excited about the recent development, although it meant that Peter Normann was being indicted in absentia. He was still, at that time, believed to be in Germany. Then reports that Normann had been arrested upon reentry to the United States on a flight from Germany gave more cause for celebration. The accused doctor, disgraced and stripped of his medical license in both Arizona and New York, was extradited back to Arizona to face charges. The video below shows Normann at his initial court appearance in Maricopa County. His latest court appearance was yesterday (11/06/08) and he has a Pre-Trial Conference scheduled on 12/08/08.
Shortly after receiving the email from Patti, I received another email from her sister-in-law,
Lisa Gartner. She wanted to express her thanks, as well. I learned that Ralph Gonzalez was a good family friend. For me, the interest in this case is one of wanting to see justice for the victims and those they left behind. For the friends of the victims, Lisa and Patti--it has a much deeper meaning. This is a person they knew and loved. Now that the alleged perpetrator is caught, the true victims can finally be heard.
Ralph Gonzalez (photo from the legacy.com guestbook)
He was known to his friends and family as "Ralphie". Lisa estimates that she met Ralph around 1993 when he moved from New York to Phoenix and began working with her husband as an electrician at RB Electric. The families became close, spending a lot of time together during holidays and other family gatherings. Ralph seemed to love Phoenix and was amazed at some of the things that he could do in the Arizona desert that just wasn't possible in his native New York.
"One time we took him out to the desert to shoot some guns and he just could not believe wecould just shoot them at a mountain, In New York that is not an optionat all. He was so excited that day."
In her email, Lisa relays that Ralph was the type of person who "would do anything for anyone, always had a smile on, and would give his last dollar if you needed it." He would always drop by at birthdays and give her kids money, something which naturally the kids would love. She says that Ralph loved to talk on the phone.
"...if the phone rang and it was Ralphie you knew you were going to be on the phone for awhile. "
Lisa spoke of a man who worked hard and eventually opened his own electrical business. He ran an excellent business and took good care of his clients. He knew his job, he knew it well, and people loved him. Lisa jokingly recalled the condition of Ralph's van, which he used for work.
"His van was the messiest conglomeration I ever saw, but he could pull out anything at any given time and knew just where everything was."
Ralph's helpful nature and willingness to go above and beyond wasn't only limited to his business. Just three days before his death, he was at Lisa's house helping her fix her spa. She had dropped the drain plug and it went under the spa. With water all around, Ralph reached under and pulled it out. It may not seem significant to some, but to Lisa, he was her hero that day. The next memory Lisa shared with me may bring to light the reason Ralph's willingness to get down in the water is significant. Lisa says it's one of her favorite memories of her friend.
"My husband and several of his friends went on a
four wheel drive trip to Crown King. Ralphie rode in this guy Steve's
blazer. Well the back window didn't roll up so all the dirt would come
in the back. I wasn't there, I was camping with my in laws, but when
Steve and Ralphie pulled up at my house Ralph was covered from head to toe in dirt, he was so mad at steve cuz apparently he had almost made them fall off the side of the mountain, he jumped out of the truck and just yelled "Never again, Never again". Ralph was the type of guy that dressed really nice and was never dirty."
Only days after the incident with Lisa's spa, she would be mourning the death of her friend "Ralphie". It was at the funeral that she had first met Ralph's mother, a woman who undoubtedly adored her son and was proud to share stories about him. Another person was at the funeral, a man that would go on to be accused of the murder of Ralph. His name, of course, is Peter Normann. At the time, no one knew the extent of his involvement.
The memories of Ralph's friends and family will never fade. That is one thing his alleged killer cannot take away from them-the memories of a wonderful man who made a difference in other people's lives. I didn't know Ralph, but I can say he made a difference in my life by bringing his friends to me and sharing their memories.
Sources: Legacy.com online obituaries/guestbooks
Video courtesy of Maricopa County Superior Court
*Special Thanks to Lisa Gartner*
The case of Dr. Peter Normann is one of those cases.
Over the last year, I've been watching and waiting for justice in this case. When I first read about it, I would receive emails that Dr. Normann is in California and Germany. Comments on other sites would confirm that it was believed that Normann was in another country. At that point, it seemed unlikely that he would be caught, let alone extradicted to face his accusers.
Throughout the year, I would still see on my blog traffic reports that people were interested in this case. If there was a major peak, I would check for updates. Then, one email last month brought this whole case back into focus for me. The email was from a woman named Patti. She wanted to thank me for my original blog post on Peter Normann and wanted to let me know that he had been indicted on two counts of second-degree murder and one count of manslaughter. She also informed me that she was a good friend of Ralph Gonzalez. Ralph was the first alleged victim of Peter Normann that died. He died in December 2006.
I was excited about the recent development, although it meant that Peter Normann was being indicted in absentia. He was still, at that time, believed to be in Germany. Then reports that Normann had been arrested upon reentry to the United States on a flight from Germany gave more cause for celebration. The accused doctor, disgraced and stripped of his medical license in both Arizona and New York, was extradited back to Arizona to face charges. The video below shows Normann at his initial court appearance in Maricopa County. His latest court appearance was yesterday (11/06/08) and he has a Pre-Trial Conference scheduled on 12/08/08.
Shortly after receiving the email from Patti, I received another email from her sister-in-law,
Lisa Gartner. She wanted to express her thanks, as well. I learned that Ralph Gonzalez was a good family friend. For me, the interest in this case is one of wanting to see justice for the victims and those they left behind. For the friends of the victims, Lisa and Patti--it has a much deeper meaning. This is a person they knew and loved. Now that the alleged perpetrator is caught, the true victims can finally be heard.
Ralph Gonzalez (photo from the legacy.com guestbook)He was known to his friends and family as "Ralphie". Lisa estimates that she met Ralph around 1993 when he moved from New York to Phoenix and began working with her husband as an electrician at RB Electric. The families became close, spending a lot of time together during holidays and other family gatherings. Ralph seemed to love Phoenix and was amazed at some of the things that he could do in the Arizona desert that just wasn't possible in his native New York.
"One time we took him out to the desert to shoot some guns and he just could not believe wecould just shoot them at a mountain, In New York that is not an optionat all. He was so excited that day."
In her email, Lisa relays that Ralph was the type of person who "would do anything for anyone, always had a smile on, and would give his last dollar if you needed it." He would always drop by at birthdays and give her kids money, something which naturally the kids would love. She says that Ralph loved to talk on the phone.
"...if the phone rang and it was Ralphie you knew you were going to be on the phone for awhile. "
Lisa spoke of a man who worked hard and eventually opened his own electrical business. He ran an excellent business and took good care of his clients. He knew his job, he knew it well, and people loved him. Lisa jokingly recalled the condition of Ralph's van, which he used for work.
"His van was the messiest conglomeration I ever saw, but he could pull out anything at any given time and knew just where everything was."
Ralph's helpful nature and willingness to go above and beyond wasn't only limited to his business. Just three days before his death, he was at Lisa's house helping her fix her spa. She had dropped the drain plug and it went under the spa. With water all around, Ralph reached under and pulled it out. It may not seem significant to some, but to Lisa, he was her hero that day. The next memory Lisa shared with me may bring to light the reason Ralph's willingness to get down in the water is significant. Lisa says it's one of her favorite memories of her friend.
"My husband and several of his friends went on a
four wheel drive trip to Crown King. Ralphie rode in this guy Steve's
blazer. Well the back window didn't roll up so all the dirt would come
in the back. I wasn't there, I was camping with my in laws, but when
Steve and Ralphie pulled up at my house Ralph was covered from head to toe in dirt, he was so mad at steve cuz apparently he had almost made them fall off the side of the mountain, he jumped out of the truck and just yelled "Never again, Never again". Ralph was the type of guy that dressed really nice and was never dirty."
Only days after the incident with Lisa's spa, she would be mourning the death of her friend "Ralphie". It was at the funeral that she had first met Ralph's mother, a woman who undoubtedly adored her son and was proud to share stories about him. Another person was at the funeral, a man that would go on to be accused of the murder of Ralph. His name, of course, is Peter Normann. At the time, no one knew the extent of his involvement.
The memories of Ralph's friends and family will never fade. That is one thing his alleged killer cannot take away from them-the memories of a wonderful man who made a difference in other people's lives. I didn't know Ralph, but I can say he made a difference in my life by bringing his friends to me and sharing their memories.
Sources: Legacy.com online obituaries/guestbooks
Video courtesy of Maricopa County Superior Court
*Special Thanks to Lisa Gartner*
Please feel free to comment on this case below. Thank you.
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