Did Bad News Set Off Alleged Killer?

Twenty-seven hours before Wednesday's massacre at a Seal Beach beauty salon, accused killer Scott Dekraai and ex-wife Michelle Fournier spent nearly two hours in family court.

At issue was a court-ordered psychologist's report asking the judge to turn down Dekraai's request for nearly full custody of the couple's son, Dominic.

The confidential report, which was completed a week earlier, was to be the subject of a two-day trial in Dekraai's long-running custody feud with Michelle Fournier, according to her attorney David S. Cate Jr.

Cate said the psychologist concluded it would not be in the child's best interests to grant Dekraai's requests.

But no ruling was made that day. Attorneys for both sides agreed they needed more time to investigate the findings, and the hearing was postponed to December.

"If you're getting to what led to [the slayings], there was nothing that triggered it in court, per se," said Cate, who added that he felt sure Dekraai knew of the findings when the report was delivered a week earlier.

"What I think is more telling," Cate said, "is the report didn't recommend any of [his] requests. That, I believe, was what probably incensed him."

On Friday, the former tugboat captain and Long Beach Wilson High grad was charged with murdering eight people, including Fournier. He now faces the death penalty. Orange County District Attorney Tony Rackauckas held a news conference that morning and fought back tears when he shared an image seared in his mind—of young Dominic sitting in the principal's office after school Wednesday with no parent to pick him up.

If guilty, why would a father who reportedly adored his 8-year-old son knowingly leave him an orphan? Although that question might never be answered to anyone's satisfaction, Rackauckas called it revenge and hinted he expected an insanity defense. Dekraai's attorney in court mentioned his client was not taking his medication. And attorney Cate said Dekraai had been diagnosed with bipolar disorder.

Although Cate issued a statement Thursday stating Dekraai showed no sign of the unfathomable destruction to come the next day, he elaborated Friday with more detail about the case that pitted the onetime former boat captain against the hairdresser. He also said he wanted to clarify a few errors or false impressions he'd seen on television and in newspapers about his client.

For starters, a judge did not find Fournier had a drinking problem, as Dekraai had alleged. To try to settle things, the judge simply asked Fournier, "Are you willing to agree to not drink the day prior to and the time you are with your son?' " Cate said. "Michelle said, 'Sure, I can do that, no problem.' "

He also said Dekraai filed a long list of allegations in his February action to change their custody arrangement. Cate called the charges "a house of cards filled with outrageous claims."

Among the requests, Dekraai sought permanent primary custody, which would have left mother and son just one day together each week, based on what Dekraai called his ex-wife's heavy drinking. If that charge were true, it would be a violation of their prior court order, Cate explained, and grounds for her to pay his attorney fees.

Cate said Dekraai also sought full parental authority and wanted to move his son from the widely admired McGaugh Elementary School in Seal Beach, near his mother's workplace, closer to his Huntington Beach home. He paid $1,500 a month in support to his ex-wife, and earned at least $5,000 a month. Cate said Scott did not work. A tugboat accident had left him seriously disabled and in constant pain with the prospect that one leg might still need to be amputated, friends said. Cate said Dekraai's income might be from what was described as a "sizable settlement" in 2010 from the Foss Maritime accident.

As part of the psychologist's review, Michelle's two adult children were interviewed, Cate said, although they were not otherwise involved in the custody case.

Cate did not elaborate on the reasoning behind the recommendations in the custody evaluation. It was not clear when Dekraai learned of the report's findings but Cate felt certain he knew by Tuesday in court.

It seemed like another routine appearance, one that neither parent even had to make, Cate said, because it was already clear beforehand more time was needed. Dekraai came for even the most minor matters in court, so Cate felt Fournier should be there, too.

Shotgun Wedding

The couple married in 2003 after a short romance. His job on boats took him out to sea for 35 days, then home for a month, and while he was away Michelle learned she was pregnant, Cate said. Before Michelle had even met Dekraai's mother, Cate added, "they had a shotgun wedding."

Four years later, Dekraai filed for divorce. By then he was working at Foss Maritime, where a dockside accident changed his life forever. In 2007, Dekraai was involved in a gruesome mishap that killed deckhand Piper Cameron—cutting her in two as Dekraai tried to save her—and nearly severed Dekraai's legs, according to friends and news accounts. Most who knew Dekraai said the accident left him emotionally changed, and possibly caused post traumatic stress disorder. Court documents indicate his stepfather sought a domestic violence restraining order against him the year of the accident.

Cate said Fournier had custody of Dominic on Monday through Thursday afternoons, at which time his stepmom, Dekraai's third wife, usually picked the boy up from school. This way, Cate said, Fournier could work the busy weekend days at the salon. It was almost exactly 50-50 custody.

Just 4 years old when his parents divorced, Dominic grew up with them battling over how often they got to see him, although it wasn't clear if the boy ever witnessed the acrimony.

But others did.

Stalking Alleged

A friend named Mary who knew two of the slain salon stylists told Dawn Sasse-Southern on Thursday night that Dekraai was widely known to have stalked Fournier at the salon.

She said Dekraai drove by the salon almost daily, often very slowly, so Fournier would see him staring at her, "kind of like intimidating her," said Sasse-Southern. One of the victims, Victoria Ann Buzzo, would wedge herself between Dekraai and Fournier when he arrived and confronted her. "Victoria would go tell him to leave, that she wasn't afraid of him."

Sasse-Southern said Buzzo defended and cheered on Fournier. After the court hearing Tuesday, Fournier went straight to the salon.

"They were like her family," Sasse-Southern said. "She knew they would support her."

Philip Friedman and Martin Henderson contributed to this story.