Some Notes on the Marcy Conrad and Anthony Broussard Case
by Traciy Curry-Reyes
Background on Broussard
His mother died when he was just eight years old. His mother had mental problems, and his father seemed just like a regular guy. His mother's died according to some by committed suicide. Others say that she had a heart attack while she was showering and that Broussard discovered the body. They say this is when his problems began. At age sixteen he stands 6ft 4in tall, and he weighs 280 pounds. Broussard was big and creepy. He had a reputation for being "weird." Other words to describe him are antisocial and strange. Broussard had a problem with drinking even as a teen.
Background on Marcy Conrad
Marcy Renee Conrad was born February 5, 1967. She was originally from Bloomer, Wisconsin. At the time of her murder her family had been living on Pinewood Way in Milpitas, California for about ten years. Everyone who knew her considered her to be a very nice and sweet young lady. No one had anything bad to say about her. At some point she became friends and or lovers with classmate Anthony Jaques Broussard aka Jacques Broussard. There is a discrepancy about the real nature of her relationship with Broussard. Family and friends claim that she never dated Broussard. Others have stated that they did indeed have an intimate relationship, but that she wanted to keep it away from her close family and friends, most importantly her mother. Her mother did not condone the relationship between Anthony Broussard and her daughter Marcy. Marcy was warned by several others to stay away from him as well. The friends who never believed that Marcy was Broussard's girlfriend say that she had a kind heart, and that she only wanted to be nice to Jacque.
The Murder
On November 3, 198, (Milpitas, California) Marcy Conrad is murdered by strangulation. She has also been violated by Anthony Broussard. After the murder, he disposes of the body in the hills. In the days following the murder, Jacque Broussard bragged to anyone who would listen that he killed Marcy. When his friends did not believe him, he showed them the body as proof. Several classmates went to the location and viewed the body. They poked the body, someone threw rocks at it, and another person covered the body over with leaves. No one reported it. Some did not believe that the body was real. It was not until an 18 year old worker, Mike Irvin, who had friends at the school, overheard a conversation about the murder that it was reported. The worker actually went to the hills to see if was really a mannequin as some suggested, but when he viewed the body, he noted that it was pale white and stiff to the touch. He knew immediately that the body was real. Irvin, along with another friend, reported the murder immediately. He was quite shocked when his friends turned against him for doing the right thing. Broussard is arrested and held in jail until his hearing.
January 1982
Extra charges were added because it was uncovered that he had assaulted a 13 and a 15 year old girl.
Feb 1982
Kirk Rasmussen is found guilty of being an accessory after the fact. He helped hide her body by covering over with leaves. He claimed that he did this out of respect for Marcy, others state that he did it to help his friend Broussard.
July 1982
Broussard stops his trial cold, when he enters a plea of guilty after the judge was going to permit the testimony of his cellmate about his plans to kill Marcy's family, including her brother and her mother. While undergoing psychological examinations he stated that he would not even be in jail if had not been for his friends who he considers dead now. Broussard was so afraid that he would be sentenced to life in prison. He didn't feel that he deserved life because he did not mean to kill her.He was sentenced to 25 years to life with parole possible after 16 years and eight months. Some of the charges were dropped after the plea bargain. He was quiet as the sentence was read.
1986
This film
River's Edge debuts. The writer mixed in other teen murder cases from around the United States. It is considered a fictionalized account of the murder of Marcy Conrad. It was advertised as loosely based on the case. The writer of the screenplay got the idea of the movie after hearing about the murder and reading about it in the newspaper. He deliberately left out certain facts of the movie. When the movie came out the community was outraged. They did not want a movie to be made about this case. The mayor did his best to stop the movie from being shown in his city. People who went to the school state that the movie was not even close to the true story. They say Marcy was liked by everyone, and that she was not Broussard's girlfriend. Even some of the detectives who originally worked the case state that the movie version is just that...a movie, not a factual account.
Tidbits
The real killer was mixed with African American and White (not sure which parent was which)
As of December 2011 Anthony Broussard is still incarcerated in the California Department of Corrections. He has been denied parole every time thus far.
His friends stated that they did not report the murder because they were intimidated by Anthony Broussard, and they were afraid for themselves. Others state that there was a code of silence that was respected amongst the young group.
Broussard is not considered one of the tough guys in prison. He is in protected custody.
You'll find some pictures of the location at this blog. It may not be the exact ravine where her body was found, but it looks like ones of these ravines in the same area. It will give you a feel of how deserted the place looks. It was also a regular hangout for teens.
http://www.tommangan.net/index.php/2004/08/26/a-fatal-turn-down-the-road/
