This partnership is elaborated on by Detective Powers in an article entitled Daughter’s Work Helps Break Triple Homicide Case by Monica Torline and Kate McGinty in the October 18, 2009 issue of The Desert Sun.

         She managed to find documents and people tied to the case that no one else ever uncovered, said Riverside County sheriff's Det. John Powers, lead investigator on the case.

"Rachel uncovered a lot more that we didn't know about,” Powers said, declining to elaborate further on what new evidence surfaced. “She's very tenacious.”….  

Begley's independent investigation has been critical to today's case, Powers said.
People across the country have found her blog and personal videos online and reached out to her. Even relatives of Alvarez and Castro have contacted her through her site.

Begley became an information broker of sorts, getting some people to trust her enough to introduce them to Powers. He's met about a dozen of Begley's sources from across the nation who have ties to or a deeper knowledge of the case.

Powers considers her a partner in their ongoing work.

And their partnership isn't over yet, said Begley, who lives with her husband and four children outside Louisville.

“I've got the answers I was looking for, but it's more than that now. It's more of a moral issue,” she said.

“I think it comes down to my dad and friend (Fred) always telling me to do the right thing. I've got all this information, so I want to make sure something comes of it, something meaningful.”

On November 6, 2009 Rachel Begley issued a new press release entitled Florida Governor Charlie Crist's Office Stalls On Extradition of Jimmy Hughes Arrested on Murder Charges: “Octopus Murders.

The following are excerpts from that press release: 

Hughes has been held at Miami-Dade Metro West Detention Center since his arrest on 09/26/09. The extradition process involves a Governors Warrant being sent from the State of California to the office of Charlie Crist, Governor of Florida. During the time that the paperwork is being completed, Hughes is required to have a hearing approximately every 30 days. The State of Florida can hold Hughes up to 90 days while the paperwork is being completed, after which time, they reportedly must release him.

Upon learning the news of the second delay, Rachel Begley decided to take action to find the reason for the delay. During the course of the day, she was able to confirm that Governor Charlie Crist's Office has had the completed paperwork in their possession for over two weeks. She made multiple calls, left multiple voice mails, sent emails, and faxes to attempt to speed up the extradition of Jimmy Hughes.

Monica Torline of The Desert Sun wrote today, “Once we issue the warrant we are not involved in the extradition process as it moves through the court system,” Florida press secretary Sterling Ivey told The Desert Sun by e-mail Friday. Officials in the extradition unit of the Miami Dade County State Attorney's Office said in most cases, the governor's warrant is filed with the court during an extradition hearing.”

This extradition hearing has yet to take place. One must wonder how long the delays and stalling will take place. Will Jimmy Hughes be released due to the State of Florida's stalling techniques or a technicality?

This reporter requested information from the Miami-Dade County Police Department, Warrants Division to clarify the timing of the Governor’s warrant requesting the extradition of murder suspect Jimmy Hughes in order to determine whether the process has been affected by the politics alleged in the Begley press release.  The following is that request:

From: Virginia McCulloughvmccullough@comcast.net Sent: Wednesday, November 11, 2009 11:14 AM
To: l.adams@mdpd.com
Cc:
Subject: FW: Governor's Warrant on Hughes

Thank you for your time this morning. The email below and the attachments were kindly supplied to me by Ed Griffith, Miami SAO.  It involves a request for extradition from Calif. Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger to Florida Gov. Charlie Crist for James George Hughes

The first document you pull up on the attachment is a cover letter from Gov. Crist’s Extradition Coordinator

Susan L. Smith.  It is addressed to the Warrants Division of your department and it is dated Friday, October 16, 2009.  I am told that Gov. Crist received Gov. Schwarzenegger’s request for extradition on October 15, 2009 which then indicates a one-day turn around.  However, the Warrants Division stamp indicates it was not received until October 22, 2009.  I am assuming that the letter did not get mailed until the evening of the 16^th and was in transit on Saturday, the 17^th.  Therefore it was apparently received on the fourth working day after mailing.

My question is whether on not this time frame for mail between the Governor’s office and the Warrant Division is typical and, if not, could you supply an explanation for anything that might have been unusual about this particular request for extradition.

The following response was received:

Good afternoon Ms. McCullough:

In regards to your request, the Miami-Dade Police Department, Warrants Bureau has provided the following information;

Governor Crist signed the warrant on 10/16/09 (Friday); however, we do not know when it was put in the mail by the Governor's Office.   It was received at our mailroom on 10/21/09, then processed and delivered to the Warrants Bureau on 10/22/09 and served on 10/23/09.  In my opinion, there was not any unusual time delay in receiving the Governor's warrant.  On the contrary, California had up to 90 days to perfect the Governor's warrant.  Governor's warrant was received and served within 30 days.

Subject is presently in custody/no bond.  His attorney has requested a continuance in order to review the warrant, which is customary.  The 90 day time restraint is no longer a factor, once the subject has been served. 

Below is the clerk's docket screen: