Man charged with two killings turns himself in
A 21-year-old double homicide suspect walked with his attorney into the Public Safety Building Thursday and turned himself in to face two charges of second-degree murder.
Warrants were signed last week charging John E. Lipinski with the August 2004 death of 19-year-old Melissa Saldivar, who was seven months pregnant with Lipinski’s daughter.
Saldivar died Aug. 11 from injuries consistent with being pushed from a car the day before, according to court records. Doctors restarted her heart and kept her on life support so they could deliver Mataya Shanelle Saldivar, who only weighed 2 pounds, 13 ounces.
Mataya, who was brain dead, died on Oct. 1 after Lipinski made the decision to remove his daughter from life-support machines.
On Thursday, Lipinski turned himself in at about 1:30 p.m. with his attorney Scott Hill, Spokane Police spokesman Dick Cottam said.
Hill said his client had been living and working in Delaware. The arrest warrants were signed last Wednesday and Hill said he couldn’t reach Lipinski by telephone until Saturday.
Lipinski drove across the country to turn himself in, Hill said. “He’s got family back there. He had a job. He finished things up and we turned him in” Thursday, Hill said.
Lipinski currently has a $750,000 bond, Cottam said. In Delaware, Lipinski had been working in some capacity at the New Castle County juvenile facility, Cottam said.
The investigation began at 4 a.m. Aug. 10 when Lipinski dropped off Saldivar at Sacred Heart Medical Center. She had a fractured skull and her heart was not beating, according to court records.
Lipinski – who was charged with domestic violence assault against Saldivar in July 2003 – told police three different versions of how Saldivar was injured. He never showed detectives where Saldivar’s body hit the pavement, so detectives were forced to investigate a homicide without the benefit of a crime scene.
Lipinski is expected to appear in Spokane County Superior Court today for his initial court appearance, Hill said.