Banner Graphic, Volume 13, Number 99, Greencastle, Putnam County, 3 January 1983 — Page 1

The year's first birth at Putnam County Hospital, Sharon Renee Cash, was welcomed into the world by parents Rhonda and Paul Cash, Cloverdale. Sharon, weighing 8 pounds and 13 ounces and measuring 21 1 /2 inches long, was born at 2:08 a.m. Jan. 2. (Banner-Graphic photo by Barbara Carhart).

Address book, Indy homosexual deaths probed in Roach murder

By ERIC BERNSEE Banner-Graphic Managing Editor Is there a little black book that could link the murder of John Lee Roach, the 21-year-old Indianapolis male prostitute whose body was found last Tuesday in southern Putnam County, to another homicide in Vermillion County? Did Roach and the second stabbing victim found Tuesday near Newport--Steve Agan, 23, Terre Haute-know each other? ARE THEIR DEATHS related to a series of Indianapolis-related murders of supposed male prostitutes? Those are just some of the questions investigators from the Indiana State Police Post at Putnamville hoped to find answers to Monday as Det. Dick Rice and Det. Sgt. Frank Love headed for Indianapolis. “They’re going to be involved up there today (Monday) on the investigation of leads that developed over the weekend,” Investigator Jack Hanlon told the BannerGraphic Monday morning. ONE OF THE LEADS IS the disclosure by Roach’s girlfriend that the name of Agan. whose body was described by authorities as mutilated and almost “field dressed,” appears in Roach’s little black book. Police, however, have not been able to substantiate that fact. “We have nothing except what she saw.”

New Year life begins at 40 Clear and not so cold overnight, with low in the mid 20s. Mostly sunny and a little warmer on Tuesday. High Tuesday in the low 40s. Indiana Extended Forecast Mostly cloudy and cold Wednesday with lows in the 20s and highs in the mid 30s to mid 40s. Partly cloudy and warmer Thursday and Friday. Lows in the 30s to low 40s and highs in the 40s to mid 50s. Abby AS Bridge A 9 Calendar A 5 Classifieds A 9 Comics Afi Crossword AS Heloise A 5 Horoscope A!) Obituaries AlO People AS Sports AG.A7 TV A 6 Worry Clinic A »

Banner Graphic Putnam County, Monday, January 3, 1983, Vol. 13 No. 99 20 Cents

* v s -v L/>. ' \ *-> jr v - wr ' r V , # :; // , ' A *V, *_ ' / V ' *"■ ( J - \ - / \ \

Hanlon said. “We didn't recover a black book. “WE HAVE EVEN HAD reports that the two of them < Roach and Agan) were seen together,” Hanlon continued, not discounting the reports, but not placing his full faith in them either. “You get all this when you get a case like this, so we’re trying to check them out as much as possible.” Hanlon said the missing black book is purported to contain addresses and phone numbers of Roach’s acquaintances, girlfriends and possibly even names of his customers. One of Roach’s two Indianapolis roommates told police last Thursday that the victim was a part-time male prostitute, who frequented the downtown Indianapolis area. HOWEVER, HIS brother, Thomas J. Roach, 26, Indianapolis, said the prostitution “was just a way to get money.” He said the victim was not a homosexual. Police nonetheless are treating Roach’s murder as part of a series of male prostitution deaths. Investigators Rice and Love will confer with Indianapolis detectives, comparing information into the unsolved deaths of Delvoyd Lee Baker, 14; Michael S. Petree, 15, and Dennis A. Brotzge, 27, all of Indianapolis. Those three were also known to frequent downtown Indianapolis locations that ca-

Special education cooperative Series examines local program's background, function and objectives

Editor’s note: The following is the first in a series of three articles written by Susan Price, director, explaining the Put-nam-West Hendricks Special Education Cooperative. They were presented by Janett Boling, director of special programs, Greencastle Schools. In Indiana, local school corporations are organized to educate the community’s children. Each has its own K-12 educational program which adequately serves most of the students of its district. There are, however, children with special needs due to various handicapping conditions who cannot fulfill their learning potential through the resources of the regular classroom alone. While each corporation has only a small number of such children, laws permit several corporations to join forces and cooperatively develop financially efficient methods for delivery of special educational services. IN 1967 FIVE AREA school corporations agreed to join forces in order to provide

ter to male prostitution. However, their bodies were found in ditches in Marion County and southern Hamilton County, all north of Indianapolis. All have been killed since June 1980. ROACH'S BODY WAS found west of the Capital City, just off the Interstate 70 exit at Ind. 243, approximately five miles south of Putnamville. Found by hunters, the body was only 60 feet over a fence in a wooded area on the northeast side of the highway. Roach was covered to the neck by leaves, twigs and mud in an obvious attempt to conceal the body. Roach was apparently stabbed several times in the abdomen, mainly at waist level, and once in the back. Repeated thrusts of the knife caused a round hole which was first believed to have been from a gunshot Meanwhile, authorities have not been able to determine the cause of death in two of the reported male prostitution deaths. Another victim, Baker, was strangled. Police believe Roach was killed at the Warren Township location because of its convenience, Hanlon admitted. The killer or killers could not have been seen from the interstate, the veteran police investigator said, and any noise would have been muffled by the passing traffic on 1-70. The remote-looking exit is also perhaps the first west of Indianapolis that isn’t wellCol. 3, back page, this section

quality educational programs for handicapped children. Putnam-West Hendricks is one of 86 such Special Education Cooperatives throughout Indiana. It is made up of Mill Creek School Corporation of Hendricks County along with Greencastle Community Schools, North Putnam Community Schools, South Putnam Community Schools, and Cloverdale Community Schools of Putnam County. At the time the cooperative began, it served only 63 students in classes for the moderately and mildly mentally handicapped. The cooperative currently has a student population of 455, with classes for Multiply Handicapped, Moderately Mentally Handicapped, Mildly Mentally Handicapped, Learning Disabled and Emotionally Handicapped. Services are also provided in the areas of occupational and physical therapy, speech/language therapy and psychometric testing. The big surge of growth for special education came in 1978 with the inception of Public Law 94-142. This is the federal law which governs the education of han-

Patton named chief deputy

Hoffa ousts Baugh as deputy sheriff

By LARRY GIBBS Banner-Graphic Publisher and BECKY IGO Area News Editor Putnam County Sheriff Gerry Hoffa has removed former sheriff Jim Baugh from the ranks of the department’s deputies, saying Baugh’s appointment as a deputy on Dec. 21 was “premature, unlawful and void.” “He’s not fired and he’s not suspended. There just was no vacancy for him to fill,” said Hoffa, a Democrat who took office Saturday. HOFFA SAID HE NOTIFIED Baugh in a letter delivered Saturday by a sheriff’s deputy and a reserve deputy. That letter directed the former sheriff to return all county-issued equipment in his possession on or before Monday. Meanwhile, Hoffa also announced the appointment of Robert Patton, a native of Putnam County and former member of the Virginia State Police, as chief deputy. The sheriff said Patton already has begun his duties, joining deputies Jim Hendrich. Chuck Evens and Mike Biggs in the fivemember department. “As far as I’m concerned, were operating normally. It’s business as usual, " Hoffa said Sunday afternoon. PATTON, 29, is a 1972 graduate of Greencastle High School and a 1974 graduate of Vincennes University, where he earned an associate degree in law enforcement He also attended Purdue University before a four-year stint in the United States Marine Corps. His military service included duty with the militarypolice. After eight months with the Norfolk, Va., police department. Patton joined the

1 >*■***' *ifc*4*. .>* a* ■ *• jfiP BHBK' wtSBBfSSFW 4Hp ~~~ |

Putnam County Sheriff Gerry Hoffa took the oath of office rendered by County Court Judge Sally Gray during swearing-in ceremonies conducted Saturday afternoon

dicapped school-age children. It was about this time that identifying children with specific learning disabilities began. At that time, the Putnam-West Hendricks Cooperative was able to begin to provide special programs for their unique problems. THE SPECIAL EDUCATION Cooperative is governed by an advisory board comrpised of the school superintendents from the five corporations plus the director of special education. This group meets monthly to discuss and act on pertinent matters concerning special education. Special education programs are supplemented by state and federal money in an attempt to equitably distribute the cost of programs and benefits for handicapped students regardless of where they live. Federal Law 94-142 provides a given amount of money for each student in a special education program. The number of special education students in Indiana is counted on Dec. 1 to determine Indiana’s

OH A. 'M

ROBERT PATTON New chief deputy Virginia State Police on Feb. 1, 1981, resigning last week to assume the position of chief deputy. He and his wife, Jane have a son, Ken. 3. BAUGH HADSUBMITTED a written application for a deputy job during a meeting of the sheriff’s merit board on Dec. 21, citing Indiana law which specifies that an outgoing sheriff shall be reappointed to the department if there is a vacancy within the ranks. A Republican barred by law 1 from seeking a third consecutive term, Baugh and his attorney. Ken Elmendorf of Brownsburg. told the five-member merit board that a vacancy was created by the

at the Putnam County Courthouse. Hoffa officially began 'his four-year term in office Jan. 1. (Banner-Graphic photo By Becky Igo).

share of the federal money. This money is sent to the Division of Speical Education, of the Indiana Department of Public Instruction. In Indiana, 90 per cent of the money that comes from the federal government is dispersed directly to the local cooperatives. In most states, the percentage of “flow-through” money is not that high. School corporations receive money from the state government for each child they have enrolled. Additional money is generated for each child who is receiving any type of special education program. The amount of additional money received is dependent on the type of handicap being served. TO THIS POINT, we have dealt with the formation of Putnam-West Hendricks Cooperative, and how special education is financed. The next topic to be considered is “How does a child get involved special education program?” The next article in this series will follow a child through the “referral process” for psychological evaluation.

resignation of Deputy Dennis Oberkrom. Baugh and Elmendorf also contended that the department budget approved by the County Council for 1983 included funding for four “merit” deputy positions. Use of the term “merit” refers to appointments made in accordance with hiring guidelines and criteria established by the merit board. The outgoing sheriff said only four men~ Hendrich, Biggs, Evens and himselfqualify as merit deputies. Baugh contended then that he was qualified to fill the vacancy left by Oberkrom’s resignation and was entitled to the appointment under state law. THE MERIT BOARD’S action left Hoffa in a quandry. Because the County Council, provided funds for only a chief deputy and three regular deputies, Hoffa appeared to have only two choices: Choose his chief deputy from among Hendrich, Biggs, Evens and Baugh, or appeal to the County Council for additional funds to pay the salary of a chief deputy of his own choosing. Hoffa, who heard about the merit board’s action while vacationing in Florida, said he was never invited to attend any merit board meetings after his Nov. 2 election victory over Hendrich. He said he believes it would have been “helpful” to have met with the merit board after the general election. “I felt like I had an absolute hiring authority over the chief deputy,” Hoffa said, explaining the actions that led to his letter to Baugh Saturday i telt that Jim (Baugh) and the merit board were trying to take that right away from me.” Hoffa disputed the claim that the County Col. 4, back page, this section

Lucas keeps Clay badge BRAZIL-Incumbent Wayne Lucas will serve another term as Clay County sheriff, thanks to the inclusion of 347 disputed absentee ballots from the November election. Clay Circuit Court Judge Ernest Yelton, ruled Friday the ballots must be included in the count. LUCAS HAD WON the election by 22 votes, but his challenger, Loyd Heck, asked for a recount. A recount commission showed Heck winning by 34 votes. A dispute then ensued over use of the absentee ballots. They require two signatures, but the poll clerk’s signature wasn’t on them. After Yelton’s ruling, the ballots were retallied, and Lucas beat his challenger by 15 votes. PUTNAM COUNTY Prosecutor Delbert Brewer represented Lucas in the recount process. Former Indiana Gov. George N. Craig was Heck’s attorney.