Previously: The team receives a mysterious call about a lead at Xavier Prep. Jeannie returns home.
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San Francisco Chronicle
Saturday, November 7, 2014
Academy Preparatory Student Found Dead in Presidio
San Francisco Chronicle Staff
One week ago on Saturday, November 1st, the body of Alexa Thomas — a senior at the exclusive Academy Preparatory school in Presidio Heights — was found dead in El Polin Spring in The Presidio. Re-tracing the teen’s steps, investigators have learned that on Friday, October 31st, she attended a Halloween party hosted by “Tripp” Hartman (James Edward, III) at his family’s residence on Presidio Terrace. (Tripp Hartman attends Xavier Preparatory.) Apparently the party at the Hartman home then migrated from Presidio Terrace up the hill into The Presidio “after hours”, wherein teens from multiple prominent high schools indulged in an array of alcohol and drugs at Inspiration Point until about 11:30 PM.
US Park Police officers were overwhelmed by incidents of mischief and disorderly conduct both within The Presidio and at its immediate borders on the the night of Halloween. Events on the night of the 31st were likewise amplified by celebrations for the SF Giants’ World Series Championship. Side shows and fireworks were reported at the both the Lyon Street Stairs (at Broadway and Lyon Streets), as well as the Lombard Gate of The Presidio. There was likewise a large gathering setting off fireworks at the Crissy Field parking lot. While there were patrols at Inspiration Point on Friday night, officers stated that they observed nothing out of the ordinary that night.
Witnesses say that the victim’s ex-boyfriend, Sebastian Podesta (who attends Xavier Prep), was using the occasion to reconnect with Alexa Thomas, to no avail. Sebastian Podesta won the Prep Basketball Championship in March of this year, along with his friend and fellow Xavier Prep senior, Dashiell Reilly. Together the pair are known on the basketball court as “Bash and Dash”. The same witness stated that Podesta was drinking heavily on Friday night, and has no memory of what may have happened to Thomas.
Tall and beautiful, 17-year old Alexa Thomas was known to be a smart, popular, creative student who excelled in varsity soccer and varsity swimming; she was not known to party often, and usually avoided alcohol. She was never known to partake in drugs of any kind. There is speculation that the teen was a victim of online bullying both on her Instagram account and on a mysterious, well-guarded chatroom site known as “Pr3pSF”. Investigators are mystified by the Pr3pSF website as access to the site is limited only to students of local San Francisco preparatory schools, effectively locking out investigators in their pursuit of answers in the matter. It remains unclear who may have been bullying the teen or why.
Investigators from the US Park Police along with the FBI and the SFPD are collaborating on a comprehensive investigation along with the cooperation of officials from Academy Prep, Xavier Prep and Holy Heart. Alexa Thomas’ parents, Spiro and Carole Thomas, have expressed their full confidence in the investigative team. Spiro Thomas works in venture capital and was recently moved to California from New York to focus on strategic partnerships in Silicon Valley. His wife, Carole Thomas, has a background in public relations in the art world, working for both museums and galleries on the East Coast. Alexa Thomas was Spiro Thomas’ daughter from his first marriage; Carole Thomas adopted Alexa when she and Spiro Thomas married ten years ago. They have two younger children. The Thomas family is bereft at the death of their daughter, and have offered no further comment.
CRIME NOTES
Multiple Agencies Lead Investigation into Death of Teen Girl
By Margaret Jones-Spector and Ward Tennyson
The investigation into the death of Alexa Thomas is unique in that three different law enforcement offices are collaborating on the case.
The death of the teen occurred in The Presidio which is a National Park, which makes it fall under the purview of the US Park Police. However, as the US Park Police San Francisco Field Office has a limited staff and limited experience with cases like this, they requested that the FBI lead the investigation. As the teen attended school within San Francisco, and many of the witnesses reside within the city, an officer from the SFPD is also supporting the investigation.
The Captain from Northern Station commented: “It isn’t unusual for the SFPD to support federal investigations or task forces. We are always happy to help our neighbors on federal land, and we are supporting this investigation in any way we can.”
The candidate from the SFPD is a new officer named Jean Hagen who graduated at the top of her Police Academy class earlier this year. Officer Hagen has a degree in Sociology from UC Berkeley, as well as a JD from Hastings; prior to joining the police, Officer Hagen worked on President Obama’s campaign and transition team.
US Park Police Officer William “Paco” Mayfield likewise graduated from UC Berkeley in Natural Resource Management and Public Policy. Officer Mayfield began his career with the US Park Police three years ago in Yosemite, followed by leading teams at Point Reyes and the Marin Headlands before leading the San Francisco Field Office in The Presidio. FBI Special Agent Mark Greenberg specializes in cybercrime, previously working on an anti-trafficking task force in New York City before being transferred to the Bay Area.
BUSINESS
Hartman Home Raided by Federal Agencies — Jim Hartman and Wife Cooperating
By Frederick Weber, Business Editor, and Staff
An early-morning raid on the home James Edward Hartman, Jr. (of the Hartman-Parisi-Swain law firm) surprised residents of San Francisco’s tawny Presidio Terrace neighborhood yesterday. The usually quiet circle between Presidio Heights and the Inner Richmond was overrun by official SUVs and utility vans belonging to multiple federal agencies including the IRS, DEA, and FBI. Officers in agency vests with badges and ID tags overran the property, eventually carting away boxes and bags of evidence.
Hartman-Parisi-Swain, LLC, or HPS, is known as one of the top firms in the Bay Area for family law, estate planning, and financial management. James Hartman, Jr. is known to be a discerning partner at the firm, dealing exclusively with some of the city’s most renown families. Hartman manages retirement funds, asset planning, wealth distribution, wills, and trusts. Hartman-Parisi-Swain was originally founded by James Edward Hartman, Sr. in 1967, in partnership with Angelo Parisi — a friend and classmate from St. Xavier, USF, and USF Law. The original partners of Hartman-Parisi passed the management of the firm on to their sons and a nephew in 1998 upon their retirement. In 2005, the firm welcomed the partnership of Eric Swain, renaming the firm to Hartman-Parisi-Swain, LLC. Eric Swain graduated from Santa Clara with a CPA-JD and has a background in tax and asset management.
Before sunrise on Friday, a warrant was provided to Mrs. Marilyn Hartman at 5:02 AM when she opened the front door to allow entry to the investigators. Mrs. Hartman, her husband, and their youngest son, James Edward Hartman, III (known as “Tripp”) were all forced to vacate the home while the it was searched until the early afternoon. What, exactly, the different agencies were seeking to find is still unknown.
A neighbor from Presidio Terrace who wished to remain anonymous stated: “There’s always something going on in that house. There was a big party on Friday night — completely overrun with kids. Always a lot of people going in and out.” When asked if they had a personal relationship with the Hartmans, the neighbor hinted at some tension in the exclusive enclave. “The Hartmans aren’t the most affable people. They don’t really interact with the street — they’ll barely even acknowledge you if you’re, say, working in the yard and they go driving by. It’s like they own the street and the rest of us are invisible. I’ve lived here for 17 years and had them to our holiday open house when they first moved in, but they’ve never returned the invitation. Actually, I can’t say as I’ve ever been inside that house.”
Meanwhile, the home was a known hub of teen activity going back to when the elder Hartman children were still in residence. Another neighbor said: “When my older son was in high school he was invited over there for a party one night and told me the Hartmans were openly providing alcohol to the kids. All the kids around here knew it was the party house of the neighborhood, but many kept their distance.”
The Hartmans have since returned to the residence and are not providing any comment to the press. Mr. Eric Swain, a partner at Mr. Hartman’s law firm, issued a brief statement on behalf of the family, saying: “While shocked by this flagrant affront to their home and privacy, the Hartman family is working in full cooperation with the authorities. They believe this is all a tremendous misunderstanding and will be cleared of any suspicion immediately.”
Late in the afternoon, a press conference at the US Park Police Headquarters mentioned the large Halloween party that occurred at the Hartman home on Friday night. The party originated in the house on Presidio Terrace around 8PM, and then migrated into The Presidio a little before 10PM where the party continued at the Inspiration Point area. Alexa Thomas, a senior at Academy Prep and a resident of The Presidio who attended this party was later found dead near Inspiration Point on Saturday morning.
Investigators at the press conference about the death of Alexa Thomas mentioned that the FBI had its own warrant to search at the Hartman home, however this warrant was entirely separate from those being executed by the two other agencies. Special Agent Mark Greenberg admitted that the FBI had probable cause for their search, but was adamant that he could offer no comment on the warrants executed by the DEA and IRS at the Hartman Home, and that he had no insight into those investigations.