Request to Lower Bail in Slaying Denied

A judge Monday refused to lower the $400,000 bail set for Navy Lt. Cmdr. Leonard Eddington, who is being held on suspicion of murder in the 1987 death of his wife, Vickie, 29.

Tom Warwick, the attorney for Eddington, who appeared in his Navy uniform in San Diego Municipal Court, sought to have Judge David Danielsen either reduce the bail or waive the requirement that property used as collateral must double the amount of bail.

At the same time, Deputy Dist. Atty. Jeff Dusek unsuccessfully requested to increase the bail to $1 million.

Eddington, 43, whose arraignment has been delayed, is accused of killing his wife, who left for her job at Grossmont Hospital. Her car was found July 31, 1987, on California 94 about 4 miles from the family’s Jamul home.

Her disappearance was solved when her skeleton was found 10 days ago beneath 10 feet of dirt at the couple’s home. The cause of death has been determined to be a blow to the head with a blunt object.