North County Times

Actor's lawyer says slain wife solicited money

LOS ANGELES (AP) -- When Bonny Bakley married actor Robert Blake, it seemed the culmination of a celebrity-obsessed woman's long quest for entry into the world of stars.

Information surfacing in the wake of her killing showed that Bakley had other famous names in her past. She claimed a child by rock 'n' roll legend Jerry Lee Lewis and a sexual liaison with Christian Brando.

Attorney Harland Braun said that Bakley kept a scrapbook about her celebrity encounters and collected famous autographs which were sometimes sent to her by men with whom she corresponded.

That was part of a lonely hearts business she ran, according to Braun. It was that business which has complicated the search for who might have killed her. She had corresponded with so many men.

Braun said that documents found in Bakley's home showed she would rent post office boxes in assorted names, place ads in personals columns of newspapers and suggest she was available for sexual relationships. She would send respondents a form letter often saying she was down on her luck and needed rent money.

Sometimes, Braun said, the letter sought funds for a plane ticket, a bus ticket or a motel room, indicating she was coming to meet her pen pal. She never did.

Sometimes they sent her money -- usually less than $100, although at least one man sent her $2,500, the attorney said.

Bakley, working out of a cottage behind Blake's Studio City home, kept "meticulous" records of her alleged schemes to con lonely men out of money, and they sometimes sent celebrity autographs for her collection, Braun said Tuesday.

Bakley, 45, was shot to death Friday night while sitting in a car near a restaurant where she and Blake had just dined. Police continued to investigate but declined to release any details. Autopsy results also remained sealed.

Blake said the shooting occurred while he was returning to the restaurant alone to retrieve a handgun he had left behind.

Bakley's half brother, Peter Carlyon of Barlett, Tenn., said the woman had told her family that Blake threatened her and that he recently had started carrying a gun.

"She did not want him carrying the gun because he had been making threats against her," Carlyon said. "She told the entire family that if anything happened to her, he was behind it."

Braun, however, said that Blake's wife had asked the actor to carry the gun because she feared for her life.

"He didn't know what she was afraid of. He would not have carried a gun that night if she had not asked him," Braun said.

Police said the 1970s star of the television series "Baretta" is not a suspect in the slaying.

Blake, 67, remained in seclusion at his home while Braun and a private investigator continued to sift through boxes of material at Bakley's cottage.

"Someone out of her past may have come and killed her. We just don't know," Braun said. "We're looking for anything that might indicate motive."

Braun has admitted that Blake and his wife had an "acrimonious" relationship. He married her last fall after DNA tests showed that her 11-month-old daughter, Rose Lenore Sophia, was fathered by Blake. Bakley originally believed the father was Christian Brando, son of actor Marlon Brando.

The couple lived in separate houses and it was Blake who hired a nanny to care for the girl, Braun said.

"He was taking care of the child," the attorney said.

Bakley also had a 7-year-old daughter named Jeri Lee Lewis she contended was fathered by Jerry Lee Lewis.

The New York Daily News said police searching Bakley's home found dozens of envelopes from around the country that were stuffed with small bills.

Stu McNally of Van Nuys told the newspaper that two weeks ago he received a form letter that began "Hi single guy," in which Bakley claimed she had been kicked out of her apartment and needed $150 to $200 for rent.

"I'm into sex with the right man who I want to have a relationship with. I do hope it's going to be you," the letter said. McNally said he never sent any money.

Blake learned about the scheme after he married her and "tried to get her to stop," Braun said. But he apparently never notified police.

Lt. Horace Frank said he could not confirm the newspaper account but said homicide investigators will pursue "any leads or any legitimate angles."

He did not know of any separate investigation into the alleged lonely hearts scheme.

"It's kind of unfair," he added of the allegations. "Here's a person who's been murdered and now they start painting her as a bad person."

"The focus of the investigation is not on her past," he said. "We have to focus on one thing: Who killed her?"

Braun earlier had said the couple had signed a prenuptial agreement that stated Bakley couldn't engage in any criminal activity. However, the attorney said Tuesday that it was a draft agreement and never was signed. Instead, Bakley agreed to a more standard version that denied her any of Blake's property if they divorced.

Associated Press writer Woody Baird in Memphis, Tenn., contributed to this report.

Guitarist's 9-year-old son drowns

CALABASAS (AP) -- The 9-year-old son of Elton John lead guitarist David Johnstone drowned in the family swimming pool, investigators said Tuesday.

Oliver Johnstone's body was discovered at 6:44 p.m. Monday in the pool on Mountain Shadows Road by a nanny caring for the boy, said Deputy Rich Pena of the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department.

Johnstone and his wife, Kay, were in Chicago on a concert tour with John and Billy Joel.

The nanny pulled the boy out of the pool and arriving deputies and paramedics were unable to revive him, Pena said. It wasn't known how long the youngster was in the pool.

Paramedics took the boy to West Hills Medical Center, where he was dead on arrival.

"It is with heartfelt sympathy that we announce the sudden death yesterday of Davey Johnstone's 9-year old son, Oliver. Our love, thoughts and prayers go to Davey, Kay and the family," John said in a statement posted on his Web site Tuesday.

Johnstone and his wife returned to their home, about 35 miles northwest of downtown Los Angeles.

"We haven't been given any information," John spokeswoman Lisa Welford said. The Elton John/Billy Joel concerts continue in Chicago this week, she said.

Man arrested for allegedly beating horse to death

MUSCOY (AP) -- Witnesses said a drunken man whipped, beat and kicked a horse to death in front of startled neighbors.

Severiano Baltazar, 36, was arrested and booked for investigation of felony cruelty to an animal resulting in death, narcotics possession and being under the influence while riding a horse. Bail was set at $15,000.

"It's very unusual, but you can get a DUI on a horse," said California Highway Patrol Officer Ivan Jackson, who arrived Sunday afternoon to find an apparently intoxicated man, a dented car and a dead horse.

Neighbors in the rural area northwest of San Bernardino were having a barbecue when Baltazar rode up and began using a whip and spurs on the horse and the animal slumped onto a Volkswagen Passat parked on the street, Jackson said.

"It collapsed, and he continued to whip it and kick it until it stopped moving," Jackson said. A necropsy was planned.

"The horse fell down and then whip, whip, whip," said Michelle Deaton, who lives at the home where the barbecue took place.

Baltazar, who told officers the horse belonged to a friend, was arrested after he was also found to be in possession of an undisclosed narcotic, Jackson said. He offered no explanation for the beating, the officer said.

The name of the horse, believed to be about 12 years old, and identity of the owner weren't disclosed.

Police call off raid on movie set's 'meth' lab

SAN DIEGO (AP) -- The abandoned house had the right equipment for an illegal drug lab. It was even in an ideal location, on a remote dirt road near the U.S.-Mexico border.

Indeed, the house looked so much like a methamphetamine lab that San Diego police Tuesday called a narcotics task force to bust the place and a hazardous materials team to clean it up.

But this was no drug lab. It was a movie set.

Authorities were called to the scene by a building inspector who was checking the house for asbestos so the film crew could get a permit to burn the building as part of the movie.

But San Diego Police spokesman Bill Robinson said the inspector had no idea the house was a movie set and neither did the first officers who responded to the call.

As word spread of the meth lab, the traffic division, which was aware of the film project, alerted the rest of the department and called off the raid.

The house was part of the set for "The Gatekeeper," an independent film whose crew obtained all the right permits from the city and alerted the police department to their activities.

"Not everybody got the word," Robinson said.

"The Gatekeeper" is about a Border Patrol agent who goes undercover to infiltrate an immigrant smuggling organization and is held captive and forced to work in a meth lab, according to Kathy McCurdy, director of the San Diego Film Commission.

"It's a compliment to the art department on the film, that it looked that authentic," she said.

Family, friends question police account of shooting

HUNTINGTON BEACH (AP) -- Friends and family of an Orange County man killed after allegedly pointing a toy gun at authorities say they doubt the police account of the incident.

More than 60 protesters marched on the Huntington Beach City Hall and police headquarters Monday, charging racism in the shooting death of 18-year-old Antonio Saldivar.

Some carried signs that read: " We don't trust the H.B. Police any more."

Investigators said Saldivar ran from police Saturday when they approached him as he peered inside a pickup truck four blocks from his home.

Saldivar, a farm worker, was shot by police after he pointed what appeared to be a rifle at the officers, investigators said.

Police have refused to disclose the name of the officer who shot Saldivar despite a 1995 state appellate court ruling that found the public interest outweighs the rights of deputies to have their names withheld.

Huntington Beach City Attorney Gail Hutton said the officer's name was withheld because of "rumors" that local gang members had threatened the safety of officers in wake of the shooting.

"I am concerned about the life of the officer," she said.

During Monday's protest, Saldivar's friends and family disputed the police account of the shooting. They described Saldivar as a hard-working teen who did not cause trouble.

"We're not criminals," Saldivar's mother, Epifania Huertero, a hotel housekeeper told the Los Angeles Times. "The police are racists. It's not fair that the police kill. The police are supposed to help the youth, not kill them."

Paul Romanowski said he opened his door about 10 seconds after the shooting and heard police ordering Saldivar in Spanish and English to drop his weapon.

He said Saldivar was still conscious and pushed the toy gun away. He said police then handcuffed Saldivar, who was taken away by ambulance within minutes.

Romanowski said the toy gun was a Christmas gift to his 5-year-old son, and was left outside in the yard.

But many of Saldivar's friends and family don't believe he ever picked up the gun. The Mexican consul for Orange County also has questions about the police version of events.

"There are a lot of questions," said Consul Miguel Angel Isidro. "There was no indication that this man was committing any crimes."

Krebs sentencing phase goes to jury

MONTEREY (AP) -- The jury deciding the fate of double killer Rex Krebs began deliberating Tuesday.

The jury convicted Krebs, 35, more than a month ago of raping and murdering San Luis Obispo college students Rachel Newhouse and Aundria Crawford. It now must decide whether Krebs should be executed or spend the rest of his life in prison.

During closing arguments that wrapped up late Monday, prosecutors seeking the death penalty argued Krebs acted deliberately in the slayings. The defense contended Krebs suffers from a mental illness that makes it impossible for him to resist impulses to rape and kill.

The trial was moved from San Luis Obispo to Monterey because of extensive news coverage of the case.

Four killed in church van accident

JOLLY, Texas (AP) -- A church van carrying parishioners on a shopping trip suffered a blown tire and rolled over several times Tuesday morning, killing four people and injuring eight others.

The van, carrying 12 members of the First Assembly of God church in Burkburnett, crashed about 8:30 a.m. on U.S. 287 near Jolly, about 115 miles northwest of Dallas.

Seven people were taken to United Regional Health Care Center in Wichita Falls. One person was in surgery Tuesday afternoon, while three were in critical condition and three others were stable, said hospital spokeswoman Teresa Pontius.

Two others were transported to Clay County Hospital in Henrietta, where one was dead on arrival and the other was in stable condition. The other three people were dead at the scene, Pontius said.

The passengers, all women, ranged in age from 53 to 73, Pontius said. The group was heading from Burkburnett, which is near Wichita Falls, to Gainesville, roughly 90 miles to the east.

A team of investigators from the National Transportation Safety Board was sent to the scene, said Tom Vinger, a spokesman for the Texas Department of Public Safety.

France gets extradition request for murder suspect

PARIS (AP) -- The United States has submitted a request for the extradition of a man accused of the 1998 slaying of an abortion doctor in New York state, an American official confirmed Tuesday.

James Kopp, 46, was captured in the northwest French city of Dinan on March 29 after more than two years on the run.

Known as the "Atomic Dog" in anti-abortion circles, he became one of the FBI's most wanted fugitives after the shooting of Dr. Barnett Slepian of Buffalo, N.Y.

"I can tell you that the papers were filed with the Ministry of Justice," in France, U.S. Attorney Denise O'Donnell said by telephone on Tuesday from her office in Buffalo.

France's Justice Ministry received the request on Friday, Le Figaro newspaper reported. A court in the northwest city of Rennes has three months to decide whether Kopp will be extradited.

Kopp faces state and federal charges of murder and violating the federal Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances Act by using deadly force against an abortion doctor. He is in jail in Rennes.

French justice officials have said Kopp would not be extradited if he risks facing the death penalty in the United States, and have said they would seek guarantees from the federal government.

"The death penalty issue has not yet arisen in this case," O'Donnell said. "If the issue is raised, it would be raised by the French government in response to the request for extradition."

Slepian, a 52-year-old father of four, was killed by a sniper's bullet fired into his home on Oct. 23, 1998.

Missing Oregon woman found dead in Nevada

RENO, Nev. (AP) -- An Oregon mother who disappeared with her two young daughters a month ago was shot to death and dumped in the Nevada desert, but her baby and toddler remain missing, police said Tuesday.

"We are deeply concerned about the whereabouts of the two kids," Washoe County Sheriff Dennis Balaam said.

Kimyala Henson, 21, of Portland, Ore., last was seen April 5 in Northern California with the two young girls and a couple who since died in an apparent murder-suicide in Florida.

The couple is suspected in Henson's death, Balaam said Tuesday.

"We don't have a motive at this point," he said.

"Everybody that really has any information as far as our investigation goes is dead."

Balaam said the partially buried body found in the high desert north of Reno on April 29 had been positively identified as Henson.

The dead couple, Frank Oehring, 28, and Christina Mayer, 24, are the only suspects in Henson's death, he said.

Balaam said they searched 100 square miles around where Henson's body was discovered but turned up no trace of 4-month-old Shausa Kirkpatrick or 2-year-old Shaina Ashly Kirkpatrick.

The victim was found by a motorist who pulled off a two-lane highway to rest near Pyramid Lake about 37 miles north of Wadsworth, Nev.

Henson and the children had set out on a trip with Oehring and Mayer on April 4 and were last seen April 5 in Redding. Oehring and his girlfriend Mayer died at a rest stop in Collier County, Fla., April 20.

Oehring was believed to be "affiliated with satanic worship activities," the sheriff said. "Any possible connection with Oehring's satanic beliefs, and the death of Kimyala Henson and the disappearance of her children has not been established.

Mayer was a former childhood friend of Henson.

Florida authorities determined that Oehring, a Missouri fugitive wanted on a conspiracy to commit murder charge in the attempted strangulation of his ex-wife, shot Mayer with a .22-caliber rifle and then turned it on himself. Both died from gunshot wounds to the head.

Florida law enforcement officials found Henson's wallet and credit cards in a red car parked at the rest area and traced the transactions. Investigators suspect they were fraudulently signed by Mayer.

A diaper bag found in the car was the only sign of the missing children.

Before she left Oregon, Henson told her family she planned to travel with the couple to Alameda to get a copy of her birth certificate before heading north for a two-week trip in Canada.

Investigators said that someone picked up a copy of Henson's birth certificate in California on April 5. A copy of the certificate, ripped in half, was found in a trash can at the Florida rest area.

From April 6-9, two of Henson's credit cards were used in Nevada and then continuously used for gas and food purchases during a trip east. The Collier County, Fla., sheriff's office has verified that Mayer obtained a fraudulent Nevada identification card that depicted Mayer as Henson.

Investigators determined that Mayer and Oehring had traveled to Florida through Nevada, Utah, Colorado, New Mexico, Texas, Louisiana and Mississippi.

Balaam said a paper trail of credit card receipts had turned up in Reno, Fernley and Gardnerville, all within 50 miles of each other, and in Hawthorne and Las Vegas.

Woman embraces life without shoes

MADISON, Wis. (AP) -- Dana Burke doesn't care if bowling shoes or strappy pumps are the latest trend in footwear fashion. She prefers a more minimalist approach - her own bare feet.

Burke is among the shoeless masses who have joined an online community called the Society for Barefoot Living, which boasts more than 730 members in 36 countries and 47 states.

The society promotes barefoot acceptance by distributing calling cards and fliers outlining why going barefoot is better.

"I like being able to feel the difference between the way grass feels and the way concrete feels," said Burke, who joined the society a few years ago. "And you know what? I kind of like the attention."

Burke, 35, owns a desktop publishing company and works at home, but she sometimes attends meetings without her shoes.

"I like being that crazy barefoot woman," she said.

Couple wear duct tape to prom

RICHLAND, Wash. (AP) -- Rachel Call and her date Eric Edvalson found themselves in a sticky situation during their high school prom.

Rather than wear the customary formal attire, the 18-year-old seniors made their evening wear using more than a dozen 50-yard rolls of duct tape.

They spent 25 hours and $85 to make her gown and tiara and his tuxedo and top hat. Each outfit, made from pressing the sticky sides of tape together, weighed 4 pounds.

"The pants feel like you're wearing a space suit," said Edvalson.

The couple hope to win a nationwide contest, "Stuck at Prom," in which high school students are challenged to make and wear prom outfits using duct tape. The contest is sponsored by Duck Brand duct tape, which will award $2,500 scholarships to each member of the couple with the most creative outfits, and $2,500 in cash to the school hosting their dance.

Man takes painting on the road

TANNERSVILLE, Pa. (AP) -- A New York artist has taken his show on the road with plans to wheel his painting more than 3,000 miles across America.

Bert Esenherz left his Brooklyn, N.Y., studio on Wednesday hoping to reach San Francisco within 174 days.

Esenherz says he wants to dispute the myth that "real" art comes only from big cities with elite galleries and deep-pocketed patrons.

His canvas, a geometric design, is tied to a homemade wood and metal frame on wheels. The frame holds boxes of tools and oil paints, and maps and a water bottle are attached.

Already sunburned, Esenherz is depending on the kindness of strangers as he attempts to push his 4-by-5 foot canvas 20 miles a day.

"In a way, I force (people) to look at art. If I'm lucky, I really get to talk with them and explain it to them," he said.

Ten earthquakes rock El Salvador in half-hour

SAN SALVADOR, El Salvador (AP) -- At least 10 moderate earthquakes shook El Salvador in a half-hour on Tuesday, causing lawmakers to flee the Congress building and generating panic among residents, but causing no damage or injuries.

The Center for Geotechnical Investigations said the quakes, ranging from magnitude 3 to 4.8, started about 12 p.m. and were centered in the province of San Vicente, which was hit by a 6.6-magnitude temblor on Feb. 13.

At least 1,246 people were killed and 8,000 injured by that quake and another 7.6-magnitude quake on Jan. 13.

Tuesday's quakes were felt throughout the country and in neighboring Honduras. In the capital, San Salvador, Congress suspended its session and evacuated. Workers fled their office buildings.

The country has been rattled by more than 7,000 tremors of varying magnitudes since the deadly January and February quakes.

The U.S. Geological Survey in Golden, Colo., detected two of Tuesday's quakes, one of magnitude 5.3 at 12:02 p.m. and another of magnitude 5 about 13 minutes later.

Student's suicide echoes his role on stage

KEENE, N.H. (AP) -- High school junior Gregory Kochman had the lead role in a school play about a suicidal teen-ager who overcomes guilt over his older brother's death. Opening night was supposed to be Wednesday.

Instead, 17-year-old Gregory was buried Tuesday after taking his own life 19 months after the suicide of his older brother, also 17.

The shock has extended far beyond the school in neighboring Swanzey, population 6,200.

"When you're 17, what could possibly be the reason?" asked Ruth Pratt, a librarian whose grandchildren knew both brothers. "They had everything ahead of them."

Gregory's brother, Eric, committed suicide in 1999. He was a senior at Monadnock Regional Junior-Senior High School.

Gregory ranked third in his class academically and was on the track and soccer teams at Monadnock Regional. He had been accepted for an advanced studies program at St. Paul's preparatory school in Concord this summer and had applied to the U.S. Military Academy at West Point.

The few people willing to talk publicly say they saw no warning signs before he shot himself at his home Sunday. His family did not respond to requests for an interview.

Principal Daniel Stockwell said Gregory was "watched very closely" because of his brother's death but appeared to be doing well. He would only hint at other possible motives.

"I don't feel at all that there were pressures at school. We're talking about external things," he said.

He added: "The play puts a lot of pressure on a lot of kids. I don't think it made a difference what the play was. Having the starring role can put a lot of pressure on any individual. We know he was trying to excel academically at the same time."

The play, "Ordinary People," is about a family's slow disintegration after the accidental death of the eldest son and a suicide attempt by his younger brother.

In the 1980 movie version, starring Timothy Hutton, the younger son struggles with his guilt and rejection by his mother, who is icily determined to get on with her life. Helped by a psychiatrist and a supportive father, he succeeds.

Stockwell, who canceled the school production, said he and the drama instructor had no qualms about Gregory playing the role.

"We felt it would be very therapeutic for Greg and I think it was. I got no sense from anyone that it was anything less than therapeutic," he said.

Robert Bryant, a teen-age suicide expert with a youth support group in Lebanon called Second Start, said drama can help teen-agers identify and express emotions.

"Drama has a way of reaching people better than other media," he said. "Drama is a good tool."

Bryant was not surprised by the lack of signs that Gregory was in trouble.

"It is hard for high achievers, who appear that everything is fine, to admit they need help because they feel that seeking help will make them lose control, when actually the opposite is true," Bryant said. "Seeking help gives a person power."

At the request of Gregory's father, Stockwell released the school's 1,250 students before noon Tuesday so friends could attend the funeral. More than 1,000 people were attended.

Otherwise, Tuesday was outwardly normal at the school, which has grades seven through 12. Some tests were postponed, but there was no minute of silence, and no impromptu memorials appeared outside.

"The more structure, the better," Stockwell said. "There are a lot of lost kids."

Gang member faces murder charges

LOS ANGELES (City News Service) -- A "ruthless" gang member sought for the March 31 shooting death of a father of two during a fight outside a downtown Los Angeles eatery remained in custody Tuesday in Las Vegas.

Robert "Crazy Ace" Leon, 31, is accused of shooting Steven Sanchez, 31, shortly after midnight outside Little Pedro's at 901 E. First St., said Laura Bosley of the FBI.

Leon was arrested yesterday by members of the FBI's Fugitive Task Force, Bosley said.

"Leon will be afforded an initial appearance in federal court in Las Vegas, and will be extradited to Los Angeles shortly thereafter to face murder charges," Bosley said this afternoon.

Last Friday, investigators had identified Leon as a suspect in the crime and circulated his photograph.

"As a result of the media coverage, credible information was received and focused the Leon investigation on the Las Vegas area," Bosley said.

"In addition to effective investigation, the successful arrest of Leon can be attributed to the extensive coverage provided by the news media in Los Angeles," Bosley said.

At a news conference last Friday, the victim's father appealed for someone to come forward with information to help police.

"I want the shooter caught," Adolph Sanchez said. "(My son) left behind two boys who'll never see (their) father again …"

Another man had been arrested in connection with the fatal fight, but Leon allegedly fired the shots that killed Sanchez, Bosley said. CNS-05-8-2001 12:55

Boy takes stand after prosecution rests in teacher shooting

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (AP) -- A 14-year-old boy on trial for the shooting death of a middle school English teacher testified Tuesday that he didn't mean to harm the man.

Nathaniel Brazill was 13 when he was charged last year with firing a shot from a cheap pistol that killed Barry Grunow a few minutes before school let out for summer break last year.

"Are you a psycho?" defense attorney Robert Udell asked Brazill.

"No," Brazill said.

"Are you demented?"

"What does that mean?" Brazill asked.

"It means are you a cold-blooded killer?"

"No," Brazill said.

"Did you mean to harm Mr. Grunow?"

"No."

He answered questions about his background and testified that he worked hard in school and was close to his mother.

He took the stand after Circuit Judge Richard Wennet explained to him that he had the right not to testify. The boy calmly responded "yes" when the judge asked him if he understood.

Grunow, an English teacher, was shot to death on May 26, 2000, the last day of classes for the year at Lake Worth Middle School. Prosecutors said Brazill was angry because a school counselor had suspended him and sent him home earlier in the day.

Brazill, who is being tried as an adult, faces a life prison term without parole if convicted of first-degree murder. The boy, now 14, also could be found guilty of second-degree murder or manslaughter, and those charges carry lighter sentences.

The prosecution had rested earlier in the day after jurors watched the rest of a videotaped statement that Brazill gave after the shooting. On the tape, Brazill was crying because he had just been told Grunow, 35, was dead from the shooting. Brazill's mother, Polly Powell, wiped tears from her eyes as she watched the tape.

At one point, Detective Dan Boland asked Brazill why he cried after the shooting.

"Cause I made a stupid mistake," Brazill said. "And me and the teacher, we was good friends. I don't know what happened." He pointed the pistol at Grunow to scare the teacher into letting him say goodbye for the summer to two girls, he told police.

After the state rested, the judge denied the defense's motions for acquittals on charges of first-degree murder and aggravated assault with a firearm, the latter accusing Brazill of pointing the gun at math teacher John James as he fled.

The trial was interrupted for a time when a man who had obtained a media pass yelled, "Ladies and gentlemen, it's wrong to try a 13-year-old as an adult. This is wrong! This is wrong!"

The man, Wil Van Natta, was taken out of the courtroom by sheriff's deputies and instructed by a judge to stay off Palm Beach County Courthouse property. Wennet recalled the jurors and asked them whether the outburst could affect their impartiality. All said it would not.

Trial opens in 1991 murders

AUSTIN, Texas (AP) -- Nearly 10 years after four teen-age girls were slain at a yogurt shop in one of Austin's most sensational crimes, a man who prosecutors say confessed to taking part went on trial Tuesday.

Robert Burns Springsteen IV, 26, is the first of three defendants to go on trial. He could get life in prison or the death penalty.

Eliza Hope Thomas, 17, Amy Ayers, 13, and sisters Jennifer and Sarah Harbison, ages 17 and 15, were forced to strip, bound, gagged and shot in the head in 1991 in an apparent robbery at an I Can't Believe It's Yogurt shop where two of them worked. The store was then set on fire.

The crime horrified the community because of its random brutality and the youth of the victims.

Police pursued thousands of leads for several years before Springsteen and three other men were arrested in 1999. Charges against one of the men were dropped last year.

Springsteen is charged with killing Ayers, who was shot twice and strangled.

Prosecutor Robert Smith told the jury that Springsteen cased the store with plans for a robbery, and returned with his friends that night.

Smith acknowledged that no fingerprints, murder weapon or reliable DNA evidence link Springsteen to the crime. The crime scene was badly damaged by firefighters who were putting out the blaze before the bodies were discovered.

Prosecutors have Springsteen's statement, taken in 1999 at a police station in Charleston, W.Va. Police said he provided details only the killers would have known.

The video of the statement did not work properly and the audio is hard to hear, but Smith said prosecutors have used recording experts to make the tape clearer.

Springsteen has said police coerced a false confession. His attorney, Joe James Sawyer, questioned the tactics used by police.

"That's the nasty but true subtext: The sheer political pressure to solve the case," Sawyer said.

ACLU challenges school censoring of Confederate T-shirts

ALBANY, Ga. (AP) -- The American Civil Liberties Union is suing a school system on behalf of nine students who were forced to turn their Confederate T-shirts inside-out or face disciplinary action.

The First Amendment lawsuit, filed in federal court Monday against Seminole County school officials, is believed to be the first in Georgia challenging policies that discourage or bar students from wearing Confederate symbols.

"Basically, the Supreme Court has said time and again that kids have a right to express themselves freely in school unless it causes a disruption," Gerry Weber, the Georgia ACLU's legal director, said Tuesday. "These T-shirts are mostly about hunting and fishing and they just happen to have the Confederate flag in the background. They have worn them to school for years."

Georgia has had a series of clashes over Confederate T-shirts since the Legislature's sudden move in January to change the state flag, which had been dominated by the Confederate battle emblem since 1956.

This spring, seven students in Richmond Hill, south of Savannah, were suspended for a day for wearing shirts with the emblem.

Students wearing Confederate emblems also have been punished in recent years in Kentucky, North Carolina and Virginia.

Many blacks say the Confederate flag is offensive; flag supporters say it is a symbol of Southern pride. Educators say they have banned the symbol to prevent racial violence.

"In a world where violence in school is all too common, it is important that students be taught respect and civility for each other. Wearing inflammatory symbols does not promote this respect and tolerance," said Larry Bryant, superintendent of Seminole County schools.

He said black students and teachers had complained about the Confederate T-shirts. About half of the county's students are black.

The nine students are all 14- and 15-year-olds in eighth and ninth grade.

5/9/01

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