The Baytown Sun (Baytown, Tex.), Vol. 62, No. 178, Ed. 1 Thursday, May 24, 1984 Page: 1 of 31
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MORE THAN 70,000 READERS EVERY DAY
Volume 62, No. 178
20 Cents Per Copy
Baytown, Texas 77520
Telephone Number: 422-8302
Thursday, May 24, 1984
Guardsmen convicted f
in Americans’ deaths
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ZACATECOLUCA, El Salvador (AP) — The jury
hearing the case of five former national
guardsmen charged in the murder of four
American churchwomen Thursday found them
guilty on all counts.
The five-member jury, which had sat through an
all-night court session, deliberated one hour before
reaching its verdict. The guardsmen had been
taken back to their jail cells and were not in the
courtroom when the verdict was read.
The trial was considered crucial to U.S.-
Salvadoran relations. Congress has withheld $19
million in military aid to El Salvador this year pen-
ding a verdict.
The defendants each faced three criminal
charges — aggravated homicide, aggravated
destruction of property, and theft. The final two
charges stem from the burning of a van in which
the churchwomen were riding when they were ab-
ducted.
The jury started deliberations at 5 a.m. EDT,
after a trial that started Wednesday morning and
continued through the night with only short
recesses.
The only one of the defendants who had confess-
ed to the murders told reporters Wednesday he
was coerced and offered money for his confession.
But Judge Bernardo Rauda Murcia said he would
not allow the confession to be retracted at the trial.
Y
“The prosecution fend defense have to analyze ^
the case as is stated in the (prepared) pro- ^
ceedings,” the judge said. “They cannot veer from Vj
them .... Immediately, I will call it to their atten- J
tion that they haveno right to do it.” 41
The jurors sat in straight-backed chairs J
throughout the long session, listening to pre-trial m
testimony being read, then to arguments by pro- I
secutors and defense attorneys. * jfl
Michael Posner, executive director of the New jfl
York-based Lawyers Committee for International ig
Human Rights which has represented the victims’ H
families, said U.S. Embassy officials were press- H
ing for a trial without recess to make sure the I
jurors were not subject to any outside pressures. I
Cots had been brought into the courthouse in the ■
evening in case jurors decided to sleep, but they ■
were never unfolded. M
Defendant Carlos Joaquin Contreras Palacios, HI
27, told reporters he was innocent despite his pre- ■
trial confession. ^
“It isn’t the truth, because they have tortured us,
threatened us, offered us money not to tell the
truth,” he said.
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Mr*#1
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Chambers without
punehcnrd haiiots
S-'v.
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w.
being no exception.
“A certain amount of this is
going on around the state,”
Steiner added.
O j,,;
MR. A MISS ROBERTE.
By DAVID BYFORD
ANAHUAC — Voters were
scarce, as were ballots, when
Chambers County polls opened
at 8 a.m. Wednesday, the first
day of absentee' runoff election
voting.
“We’re asking people to come
on out,” Helen Leonard,
Precinct 4 election judge, said
Wednesday afternoon from the
West Chambers County Court-
house Annex. “We haven’t had
that many voters, and we’re do-
ing fine, with enough paper
ballots.”
Because of a statewide de-
mand, punchcard ballots were
not available Wednesday. Voters
were forced to use paper ballots.
John Steiner, legal director of
the Secretary*)! State’s Election
Mrs. Wayne Hanson. Javier is the son of Mr. and
SENIORS BRENDA Hanson and Javier “Bear
Estrada have been elected by fellow Robert E. Lee Mrs. Rodolfo Estrada.
High School students as this year’s Mr. and
7-B
Business.........
Classified........
Comics...........
Crossword Puzzle.
Dimension........
Editorial.........
Markets..........
Movie Theaters...
Obituaries........
People.......
Police Beat ......
School Menus.....
Sports...........
Television Log....
3-7-D
(Sun staff photo by Lisa Ocker)
A spokeswoman from the Har-
ris County Clerk’s Office said Miss Robert E. Lee. Brenda’s parents are Mr. and
there have been ho problems
there in acquiring punchcards
for absentee voting. And in
Liberty County there have been
no problems because paper
ballots, not punchcards, are Baytown’s Class of 1984, 975 holds the highest grade point
always used. - students in all,] ’will receive
Chambers County Democratic diplomas in graduation
Chairman Guy C. Jackson III, ceremonies Monday and Tues-
who is in charge of acquiring the daY•
punchcards, could not be reach-
ed by The Sun Wednesday. But of graduation ceremonies daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Ed- Mr. and Mrs. Wayne Hanson;
County Clerk Norma “Beanie” scheduled for 8 p.m. Monday for ward Roberts, from Sterling. William David Houchins, Mr.
Rowland, who has the respon- Ross S. Sterling and 8 p.m. Tues- Other “Top-10 ’ students from and Mrs. Thomas Houchins;
sibility of making sure the elec- day for Robert E. Lee. In the Sterling and their parents are Julie Marie Hulme, Mrs. Ruth
tion'is held, said punchcards are event of rain, ceremonies will be Gregory Allen Abshier, Mr., and^ 116011, . 1
h$*clio‘ol:^ AiMier; ‘ Evefetr Mrs:: Marion Johnson. .....
few problems in switching from ning: . auditoriums. . Karl Auzenne,. Mr, and - Mrs,- Donald Thomas- P^insear'Wtes
naner ballots to ounchcards ' D . f.. Peter Auzenne; Phillip Gregory and Mrs. Paul Parkinson and
whenthfouchcardsarrive Absentee voting will continue *fmng d^mastlns year Bunce, Mr. and Mrs. Richard Michael Joseph Streitman, Mr.
through Friday Also absentee wdGbe 465 REL seniors and 510 Bunce Keith Loving. Dunlap, ‘ and Mrs. Michael Streitman.
of voting will be allowed Tuesday, from Sterling, Mr. and Mrs, Drew Dunlap;
flune 2) to the Drimarv (Mav Hours are from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Baccalaureate services will be steffanie Vivian Sneed, Mrs.
5) ” Steiner said “It’s as close The three county voting places held at 3 p.m. Sunday at Sterling Louise Sneed; William Ray
mathematically as it could be! are the Chambers County Court- and at 8 P m- Sunday at REL- Sprayberry, Mr. and Mrs. T.R.
Usually there’d be another house in Anahuac, the West Amy Kay Bonem, the Sprayberry; Christopher Tobin
j week » Chambers County Courthouse daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Joe Taylor, Mr. and Mrs. Michael
Steiner said printers statewide Annex in Mont Belvieu and the Bonem, is REL’s valedictorian Taylor; and Jennifer Leigh students except seniors, whose
having trouble meeting the East Chambers County Court- while John Edward Dizon, the Walker, Mr. and Mrs. Johnny ?ast offl*-ial day was May 23, is
deadline, with Chambers County house Annex in Winnie. son of Drs. Jon and Perla Dizon, Walker. Wednesday.
6-A
6-A
1-B
Graduation Monday, Tuesday
4-A
4-C
6-C
4-C
Other “Top-10” students from
average at Sterling. REL and their parents are
Salutatorians are John Charles Carolyn Marie Balcerak, Mr. -
Mabry, the son of Mr. and Mrs. and Mrs. Jerome Balcerak; Col-
John Mabry, from REL, and ette Grail, Mr. and Mrs. Thomas
Karen Elaine Roberts, the Grail; Brenda Kristeen Hanson,
8-B
2-A
2-B
1-3-C ‘
6-C
Stallworth Stadium is the site
WEATHER
PARTLY CLOUDY, warm
and humid conditions with
widely scattered afternoon
showers are forecast for ~
the Baytown area through
Memorial Day weekend.
Temperature
pected in the lb
day night and near 90
degrees Friday. From 8
a.m. Wednesday to 8 a.m.
Thursday, a low of 74
degrees and a high ' 92
degrees were recorded.
s are ex-
tv 70s Thurs-
Those students who are rank-
ed in the “Top 10” according to
grade point average are in the
top 2 percentile of their classes.
m
*
The last day of school for $11
are
T
Bivins denies he
let prisioner go
Houston man
charged in
Butler murder
Pearce Street Journal- -
Overworked word
It used to be that everything in
Austin was a scenario. ^
Now you can’t make it on the
Colorado unless every other
word you utter is prioritized.
former Daisetta police chief.
By BRUCE GUYNN
LIBERTY -
-EH
Ex-Liberty replied.
, has been arrested and charged County jailer Sonny Bivins
with the Tuesday Interstate 10 ^ ^denied Wednesday that he let a tradicted statements made by
murder of Beach City resident j . prisoner leave the jail on Jan. 4, Hamilton Wednesday.
Alvin Joseph Butler Jr, 26, a aj 1^64, in exchange for a promised Hamilton said Bivins allowed
Chambers County Sheriff’s >20,000 payoff. him out of the jail to go to Huff-
Department spokeswoman said ....., -. Bivins testified that Ward man in exchange for a promised
BOB CHASE stays busy “pinch Thursday. Hamilton a former inmate. $20,000 payoff,
hitting” as a reporter . . . Susan Ben Lee Hines, 34, was ar- Jr ft^^Kftftescaped after he had deen piac. “Both of us gambled. He
Cummings-Hastie takes rested at 6 p.m. Wednesday at wT ed in lhe lawyers’ conference gambled on me coming back.’
delivery on a roomfull of equip- his Houston residence. Held on ft room in the jail. said Hamilton,
ment . . . Dawn McCarty gets first-degree murder charges, ™ “Where in fact did you go,"
ready for a big event. Hines’ bond has been set at The defendant acknowledged, asked Assistant Liberty County
Cordell Lindsey goes above $200,000. how.ever’ that . obvI°usly District Attorney Jerry Andress,
and beyond the “call of duty” The sheriff’s department ^ [”ade a mistake In Ing “Indiana, sir," Hamilton
... Rick Rose keeps in-touch .. . spokeswoman said there was an Ik PHamilton to remain in e on- responded
Mardy Iverson wants lots of accomplice in the shooting, yUo ferenceroom. Bivins said he let Hamilton. 50,
whipped cream on her cake. which *curred at about 7:30 The testimony came during out of his cell about 3:30 a.m ,
Clara Perry leads a group of p.m. Tuesday near I-10’s cross- ' Z MEm; Sftj^^B the third day of Bivins' trial in permitted him to get a book from
Lamar Elementary School ing of Cedar Bayou, and another jHBHH Judge W.G. “Dub" Woods’253rd the law library and placed him
second-graders on a tour of The arrest is expected to be made JKXjjBI District Court. alone in the attorneys' con-
Baytown Sun ... Tom Stone sometime Thursday. - Bivins, 44, of Daisetta is ference room because he didn't
does a great job on Lee College’s Facts of the shooting are sket- uHVjHKHHHr * charged with facilitating the think the prisoner was a security
post-graduation reception ... chy, but sheriff’s department of- I7V rPTf AIlKTISCr escape of a prisoner.
Ed Moak reads a long list of ficials agree the two cars, an im- "" •* . . _ Defense attorney Robert Hamilton testified that he had
names. ported compact driven by Butler DUCK SEASON may not open until September, but Rastus, a Kuehm asked Bivins “Would previously escaped twice from
Phil Dignam graciously nffers and a brown van driven by his Labrador retriever owned by Mike Ponder of 212 Buniet, is already stuDid to let Indiana penal institutions.
heavily intotraining. Rastus retrieves his toy bird from a fountain y°aur,na^mD.^onn sas3aeJ°^; Bivins said he didn’t realize
located in his training area where conditions are somewhat different ,. . rnmfibackf° P Hamilton was missing until
To, I J-d not,” Bivins, a .SeeBIV.NS, Pa^-A,
ANAHUAC — A Houston man
Bivins’ testimony con-
ABOUND
‘TOWN
m
MM* ‘
fPt:
hi
risk.
his assistance ... Donna Tram- assailants, were in the east-
mell checks on some swimming bound lane when Butler was
lessons ... Becky Jasso tries to shot. He then lost control of his from those he will find on the hunt,
set up a meeting.
(Sun staff photo by Carrie Pryor)
(See BUTLER, Page 2-A).
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Brown, Leon. The Baytown Sun (Baytown, Tex.), Vol. 62, No. 178, Ed. 1 Thursday, May 24, 1984, newspaper, May 24, 1984; Baytown, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth1153886/m1/1/: accessed July 16, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu.; crediting Sterling Municipal Library.