Can't empty trash, error code 8003

I get a "operation can't complete, unexpected error code- 8003" Cannot empty the trash. I've tried Secure-Empty and Option-Empty, restarting, and repairing permissions. Nada. When I disconnect the USB external drives, the files disappear. There are multiple folders and files from previous back-ups.

What do I try now?

iMac, osx 10.6.8, not upgraded the OS as I have software that works best here.