Banner Graphic, Volume 22, Number 154, Greencastle, Putnam County, 3 March 1992 — Page 1

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Murder case sentences to be handed down Wednesday

By JOE THOMAS Banner*Graphic Assistant Editor The four Putnam County residents who were involved in the Aug. 8 , 1991 murder of Richard Couch will learn Wednesday what punishment Judge William C. Vaughn 111 thinks is suitable for their respective roles. Patrick Campbell, 22, 11 Sunset Drive, Greencastle, will be the first defendant sentenced, with a hearing slated for 10 a.m. Wednesday. He will be followed at 11 a.m. by Betty Jo Johnson, 29, Fillmore. Ron Lowrimore, 22, 1216 Bloomington St., Greencastle, is scheduled to be sentenced at 1 p.m. with Matthew

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Gordon Sayers (right), a charter member of the Heritage Preservation Society of Greencastle, receives a special citation from Dr. Donald J. Cook, president of the organization, during a recent luncheon at Walden Inn. Sayers was cited for his

Dry conditions fueling area field fires

By ANGIE HOWLAND Banner-Graphic Staff Writer CLOVERDALE Amidst the charred grass, blackened weeds and pungent burned odor hovering over land in southwestern Cloverdale Township Monday morning, Fire Chief Charlie Roach implored Putnam County residents to hold off outdoor burning until the land receives some moisture. The current spring-like weather has not only brought warm temperatures to the state, but large field fires that sent Roach, the other Cloverdale firefighters and most of the other Putnam County fire agencies to battle over the weekend and into Monday. HOWEVER, FOR most of the day Sunday, firefighters from local departments responded to blazes in the southern part of the county that started out as controlled bums. But because the county is so dry,

Sectional showers suffice

Cloudy with overnight low in the middle 40s. Mostly cloudy Wednesday with a 30 percent chance of showers. High Wednesday 60 to 65 degrees. Southeasterly wind at 5-10 mph during the period. Indiana Extended Forecast Thursday through Saturday: Mild Thursday and Friday with a chance of showers. Mostly cloudy and very mild Saturday. Daily highs will range from the lower to middle 60s north to the

Scheckel slated to appear before Judge Vaughn at 2 p.m. OTHER THAN Campbell’s hearing, the starting times are tentative and may reflect only the order (alphabetical) the suspects will be brought before the judge. Any of the four hearings could easily take longer than the court schedule allows. Campbell faces a maximum of 28 years in prison after he pleaded guilty to aiding, inducing or causing burglary of a dwelling and assisting a criminal. He is being represented by Greencastle attorney Rob Bremer. Johnson faces a maximum of 50

“outstanding contribution to the work of the society,” which was formed in 1977. Sayers also was awarded the first copy of the historic map reproduction, “Greencastle 1886: A Bird’sEye View.” (Banner-Graphic photo by Eric Bernsee).

the controlled brush and trash bums quickly got out of control. In a span of 12 hours, Cloverdale volunteer firefighters were called to eight different field fires on Sunday. THE CLOVERDALE firefighters, along with personnel from eight other departments battled the largest blaze of the day from about 5:30 p.m. until almost 11 p.m. The fire engulfed about 75 acres of land in southwestern Cloverdale Township. The blaze started about 5 p.m. while rural Cloverdale property owner Earl Lewis was reportedly burning brush and trash in his yard. Fire Chief Roach said that gusting winds helped the flames jump north over State Road 42. From there, the blaze raced through about 75 acres of land owned by Dick Young, Stanley and Mildred Barker and the Lieber State Recreation Area.

lower 70s south. Lows will range from the 40s to the lower 50s. Abby A 3 Calendar A 3 Classifieds AB,A9 Comics A 4 Crossword A 9 Heloise A 3 Horoscope A 9 Obituaries AlO People A 6 Sports A6»A7,AB Theaters AlO

years in prison after she was convicted by a 12-person jury of aiding, inducing or causing burglary resulting in serious bodily injury. She is represented by public defender William Bracken. Lowrimore faces a maximum of 60 years in prison after being convicted by a 12-person jury of murder and burglary. He is represented by Brazil attorney David Thomas. Scheckel also faces a maximum of 60 years in prison after pleading guilty to murder and burglary. He is represented by public defender Sid Tongret IN INDIANA, setting prison terms is based on what is called the

Boyfriend charged with child abuse in shaken baby case

By JOE THOMAS Banner-Graphic Assistant Editor An eight-month-old Roachdale baby was listed in stable condition Tuesday at Methodist Hospital in Indianapolis with severe head injuries and allegedly suffering from shaken baby syndrome. Jeffrey Carr, 24, Bloomingdale, who is reportedly the mother’s boyfriend, is in the Putnam County Jail on a charge of aggravated battery. He was expected to be arraigned Tuesday afternoon by Putnam Circuit Court Judge William C. Vaughn 111. If is he convicted, he faces a maximum of 20 years in prison and up to SIO,OOO in fines. CHIEF DEPUTY Prosecutor Diana LaViolette, who will handle the case against Carr, said her office is currently checKing un Ute suspect’s criminal history. The prosecutor believes he might be on probation from Missouri, although she does not know what crime he might have been convicted of there. She said Carr apparently has not previously seriously injured the child, although she would not comment on whether there was a pattern of abuse in this case. Linda Bracken, 24, 206 E. Columbia St., Roachdale, reportedly took her baby to Hendricks Community Hospital al Danville Monday evening for treatment of convulsions. SUSPECTING CHILD abuse, doctors there notified the Indiana

“THE FLAMES were traveling faster than a man could run,” Roach said of the 10- to 15-foot flames that rolled along the ground. Firefighters used drip torches in the Lieber woods area to fight fire with fire and built a wall around the area in hopes of containing the blaze. They also made firewalls by using rakes to clear debris and a path. The containment action paid off as the fire was brought under control by about 10 p.m. according to Jeff Finley, Cloverdale firefighter and assistant state fire coordinator. NO DAMAGE estimate from the fire has been set, but firefighters said that the suppression costs of extinguishing the blaze would be very costly. About five acres of the Lieber forest were burned. Eight Cloverdale firefighters were taken to Putnam County Hospital for treatment of exhaustion

No clemency for brother angers Cloverdale man

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) A Cloverdale man says he’ll continue to fight to gain clemency for his terminally ill brother, a prisoner being held in the detention unit at Wishard Memorial Hospital. Harry Williams criticized the Indiana Parole Board for voting Monday against recommending clemency for Johnny Williams, 35, who is being treated for colon cancer. Williams is scheduled to be released April 18. His original sentence for battery has been served, but his time was extended 90 days

presumptive sentence, which is the standard prison term a defendant should receive for a certain level of crime. State law sets five levels of felony crimes, from class D felonies, which are less serious offenses, to class A felonies, which are more serious offenses. The fifth category is murder. The presumptive sentence for Campbell is 24 years on both counts, assuming each sentence is ordered to be served consecutively, or one after the other. Vaughn could order the prison terms to be served consecutively or at the same time which means the standard prison term is 10 years.

McAfee, RLE. on breakfast menu Friday Orris McAfee, Putnam County Circuit Court probation officer, will address a P.I.E. breakfast Friday, March 6 The breakfast is scheduled 7-8 a.m. at the Double Decker. It is open to the public. Participants will order from the menu. McAfee will discuss the role of probation in the legal process and the involvement of alcohol and other drugs in the probation process.

Stale Police at Putnam ville and detectives Richard Rice and Tom Strader arrested Carr at 6:50 p.m. Monday. Rice said police currently have no plans to arrest the mother. The baby, reportedly suffering from severe internal head injuries, was transferred to Methodist Hospital by Life Line medical helicopter and initially listed in critical condition. However, Rice said Tuesday morning that the baby’s condition had been upgraded to stable condition. Rice said doctors at the Indianapolis hospital are saying it is too early to determine if the baby has suffered permanent brain damage.

and smoke inhalation. Those treated and released a few hours later included Brice Jones, David Kempt, Joe Hinton, Jeff Cox, Glen Cassida, Richard Jones, Richard Foutch and Jim Dean. Roach said that mutual aid assistance from the other departments were key in bringing the blaze under control. Cloverdale was assisted mutually by Greencastle, Poland, Madison Township, Eminence, Cataract, Washington Township, the Department of Natural Resources and the Indiana State Farm. “THESE ARE the greatest group of departments in this area. They just give and give,” Roach said of the assistance. Law enforcement from the Putnam County Sheriff’s Dept., Indiana State Police and Cloverdale Police Dept, also assisted at the scene along with Operation Life Col. 1, back page, this section

because of a June fight at the Indiana State Farm near Putnamville. Williams’ brother said a Department of Correction report showed the fight was started by another inmate, and that Williams should be released because he cannot get the treatment he needs. “I intend to go back down there and confront them again,” Harry Williams said. Chairman Joseph L. Smith said parole board members believed Williams’ bad-conduct report and need for constant medical care outweighed the plea for speedy release.

Johnson faces a presumptive prison term of 30 years, while Scheckel and Lowrimore faces standard terms of 40 years. IN DETERMINING a prison term, a judge can consider mitigating circumstances and aggravating circumstances. These can lessen or add to a presumptive sentence. A mitigating circumstance could be a defendant’s youthfulness, lack of a serious criminal record or genuine remorse for committing the offense. An aggravating circumstance could be the seriousness of the crime, a previous criminal record, especially if prior felonies are on that record, or a carefree at-

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LARRY W. EYLER Still on death row

Author wonders: Did book on Eyler give Dahmer ideas?

By ERIC BERNSEE Banner-Graphic Editor The plot thickens... The infamous cast includes convicted murderer Larry Eylcr, a purported serial killer with roots in Greencastle and Putnam County, and Jeffrey Dahmer, the confessed Milwaukee mutilation murderer. And the scenario as author Gera-Lind Kolarik told a nationwide TV audience Monday afternoon is a “real-life ‘Silence of the Lambs.’” ALTHOUGH Eylcr is on death row in Illinois, convicted of the dismemberment slaying of teen-age Chicago male prostitute Danny Bridges, similar murders are continuing to occur in the Midwest, Kolarik told a New York studio audience of “The Maury Povich Show.” Kolarik is the author of “Freed to Kill,” which chronicles the 23 slayings in which Eylcr is suspected of being involved. She said she believes two other accomplices are still at large. “We have a real-life ‘Silence of the Lambs’ here,” she said. “Federal authorities need to get involved with Larry Eyler. They need a special prosecutor. Other murders are occurring out there.” IN FACT, THE Illinois attorney general’s office has asked for assistance from the U.S. attorney general concerning the reopening of 23 murder cases in Indiana, Illinois, Kentucky and Ohio. Eleven of those in the Indianapolis area and rural Ohio involve men found strangled and dumped in water. Calling Eyler a “cold, calculating killer,” syndicated talk show host Povich equated the former Greencastle man with Dahmer. “For weeks the country listened to the horrifying details of Jeffrey Dahmer’s killing spree,” he said, adding that “Dahmer may have learned his technique from an earlier killer, Larry Eyler.” Milwaukee police, Povich said, found a copy of “Freed to Kill” in Dahmer’s apartment following his arrest.

titude about the crime. The judge can also consider character issues and statements from the victim or the victim’s relatives. Witnesses can be called on these and other points pertinent to the punishment phase of the case. THE JUDGE WILL also con sider the pre-sentence report prepared and filed by the probation officer. That report includes background and family history on the defendant. It also includes the suspect’s criminal history and statements made by the victim and the perpetrator. Col. 3, back page, this section

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GERA-LIND KOLARIK Dahmer had her book

“DO YOU HAVE any guilt feelings about this book showing up in Dahmer’s apartment?” he asked the Chicago author. “In the beginning I did,” she admitted, “but then I saw there were a lot of similarities but Dahmer relived his own fantasy in his own way ... he’s a beast.” Povich pressed the point, reiterating the similarities to Dahmer’s crimes and the Bridges case which landed the 38-year-old Eyler on death row. “WHEN I GOT the call last summer from the Milwaukee police,” Kolarik recalled, “I said, ‘Oh, my God! Did I write ‘Freed to Kill’ as a book that would help people learn how to kill? How to stalk people? How to drug them? How to torture them?’ “I felt maybe I said too much in ‘Free to Kill.’” Dahmer’s killing spree, which actually started while he was an Ohio teen-ager, apparently reached large-scale proportions in Milwaukee around 1990 the year “Freed to Kill” first came out in hardback. “He had my book,” Kolarik said of Dahmer, “but there were other books there, too. It was just a weird coincidence and it scared me.” “WHAT KIND of a man was (sic) Larry Eyler?” Povich asked of the author. “Is he very much like Dahmer?” “He is very much of a loner,” she replied, “and also a man dealing with a lot of rage inside ... so there arc a lot of similarities.” Kolarik was joined on the TV panel by Wilma McNeivc and Carmen Pauley, the mothers of two men authorities believe Eyler killed. POVICH ASKED each if she favored a suggested deal in which Eyler would confess to 21 slayings in exchange for being spared the death penalty. Both mothers agreed. “I have to know what happened to my son so I can go on,” said Mrs. McNeive, whose son, Daniel Scott McNeive was left for dead along Interstate 70 near the Hendricks-Putnam county Col. 3, back page, this section