Friday, January 31, 1986
Page 2
Daily Nebraskan
Bv The Associated Press
NEWPORT, R.I. A black Navy sailor was
found guilty Thursday of premeditat ed murder in
the fatal stabbing of a white lieutenant at sea, a
verdict which could result in the Navy's first use
of the death penalty since 1849.
An eight-member militaryjury deliberated for
almost four hours before finding Petty Officer
Mitchell T. Garraway Jr. guilty in the June 16,
1985, slaying of Lt. James K. Sterner aboard the
USS Miller.
In closing arguments Thursday, Navy prosecu
tor Lt. Daniel E. O'Toole said evidence "shrieks
out" that Garraway planned the stabbing death
and then tried to hide his plans.
But the civilian defense lawyer, Trevor L.
Brooks, said the murder was committed in a
spontaneous fit of rage directed more toward
authority figures than the specific victim. Brooks
also said the attack stemmed in part from Gar
raway's perception of racism aboard ship.
"If this man intended to kill Lt. Sterner, he
would have stabbed him in the heart or cut his
throat," and not plunged a Marine survival knife
into his back, Brooks said.
"I'm turning over his life into your hands," he
said. "I'm asking you to end this madness...with
a verdict of not guilty."
The court martial panel began deliberations
'Sterner represented
an authority figure....
Something in the
dark recesses of the
defendant's mind
caused him to react
violently.'
late in the afternoon after hearing instructions
on military law from Navy Judge John A. Studer.
Garraway, 21, pleaded guilty to unpremedi
tated murder in the slaying while in water off the
Bermuda coast. His plea virtually guaranteed he
would be sentenced to life imprisonment. But
the navy sought a conviction on a premeditated
murder charge, which is punishable by either a
life sentence or death.
His plea virtually guarantees he will be sent
enced to life imprisonment. But the Navy is
seeking a conviction on a premeditated murder
charge, which is punishable by either a life sent
ence or death.
During the arguments, Garraway sat at the
defense table staring toward the jury. He did not
take the stand.
O'Toole said evidence presented during five
days of testimony clearly shows Garraway
schemed to kill the 35-year-old officer in retalia
tion for delaying a promotion.
O'Toole stressed testimony by a friend of Gar
raway who quoted him as vowing to avenge
Sterner's action with death.
The prosecutor also said Garraway purposely
started a confession with the words, "I had no
intention that night of killing Lt. Sterner,"
because he was "savvy enough" to realize the
punishment would be more severe if the attack
was planned.
But Brooks argued Garraway started both a
rough draft and a final copy of his admission with
those words because they were true, He also said
his client was a disturbed, uneducated sailor
who could not distinguish between intending to
kill Sterner and premeditating the act.
Brooks began his closing statement by expres
sing "profound sorrow" to Sterner's wife, three
children and the rest of his family.
O'Toole essentially agreed with the defense
motives, but said that is exactly why Garraway
consciously planned to kill Sterner.
The prosecutor also said the defense was
using "red herrings" to throw the jury off the
scent of the premeditated nature of the attack.
But Brooks said the prosecution had pres
ented witnesses who lied to fit the Navy's version
of the case.
During the arguments, Garraway's mother and
Sterner's cousin sat separately in a spectator's
section, as they have every day of the court
martial at the Newport Naval Base.
Reagan administration tries low-key, step-by-step approach
The Associated Press
WASHINGTON - The Reagan ad
ministration has fallen back on secret,
step-by-step diplomacy to try to get
Mideast peace talks started in 1986.
The outlook may be only marginally
brighter than last year when American,
Egyptian and Jordanian leaders all
confidently predicted negotiations
would be started, but turned out to be
wrong.
This year's effort is different. It
involves low-profile efforts by Assistant
Secretary of State Richard Murphy and
his deputy, Watt Cleverius, modest
claims of "incremental progress" and
virtually no public announcements
about their meetings and the details of
their agenda
Murphy, a tireless envoy, met separ
ately last week in Europe with King
Hussein of Jordan and Shimon Peres of
Israel, two of the three key players in
the Middle East.
The third, Yasser Arafat, chairman of
the Palestine Liberation Organization,
is being kept abreast of developments
by Hussein, while Cleverius and other
U.S. diplomats meet regularly with
Palestinians in the region.
Apparently, the Reagan administra
tion is remaining true to the U.S.
pledge to Israel not to deal with the
PLO until it accepts the legitimacy of
Israel and U.N. Security Council reso
lutions calling for a peaceful settle
ment in the Middle East.
Arafat, however, retains a veto over
the Palestinians who would sit across
the negotiating table from Israel as
part of ajoint delegation of Jordanians.
Last May, Secretary of State George
Shultz tested the highwire with his
own on-site diplomacy after seeing
Hussein in Aqaba and Peres in Jerusa
lem. Shultz reported he had found "a
genuine sense of movement."
But as the year wore on, it became
clear the issues of Palestinian repres
entation and a proper forum for peace
talks could not be resolved.
Israel simply refuses to sit down
with Palestinians linked to the PLO or
to permit the Soviet Union, with which
it has no relations, to play a key role in
negotiations. Hussein and Arafat in
sisted on both conditions.
The question now is whether Murphy
and the other American diplomats can
bridge the differences or come close
enough to get peace talks started.
Pending is an administration arms
package for Jordan that includes 40
advanced jet fighter planes and mobile
missiles. Faced with a likely congres
sional veto, the administration with
drew the purchase last year when
opponents said they wanted more proof
that Hussein was willing to hold peace
talks with Israel.
Reagan assures aid
to Angola's Savimbi
WASHINGTON President Reagan
assured guerrilla chieftan Jonas Savimbi
on Thursday he wants to be "very help
ful" to his campaign to oust the Cuban
backed government in Angola, and the
administration suggested it wants to
give aid secretly rather than openly.
The administration reportedly is seek
ing up to $1 5 million in aid for Savimbi,
who was trained as a guerrilla fighter
by Mao Tse-tung and other leaders of
the Chinese revolution before forming
the National Union for the Total Inde
pendence of Angola.
Savimbi's forces control one-third of
Angola's territory and exercise politi
cal influence over about 60 percent of
the country's 7 million people.
On the other side is a Marxist
government backed by 35,000 Cuban
troops and Soviet aid totaling more
than $2 billion in recent years, accord
ing to administration estimates.
Until congressional repeal of the so
called Clark amendment last year, the
United States had been banned from
providing aid in Angola.
Resumption of covert aid would renew
at least partially the role the CIA
played in Angola. It was disclosure of
secret CIA assistance to UNITA that
led to adoption of the Clark amend
ment in 1967.
In contrast to the administration,
key congressional leaders, including
Sen. David F. Durenberger, R-Minn.,
chairman of the Senate intelligence
committee, and Rep. Lee H. Hamilton,
D-Ind., chairman of the House intelli
gence committee, insist that any aid to
Savimbi be provided openly, subject to
full congressional debate.
Aids line
OMAHA A volunteer organ
ization in Nebraska has started a
telephone referral service to pro
vide assistance to people with
AIDS.
Raymond Hoffman, president
of the Nebraska AIDS Project,
said the statewide information
line will be staffed daily from 6 to
11 p.m.
Hoffman said about 40 volun
teers have received training on
the medical aspects of the dis
ease, emotional reactions to
serious diseases and public
response to AIDS.
The line also will provide in
formation on steps that can be
taken to reduce the risk of expo
sure to AIDS.
Nebraska residents outside of
Omaha can reach the service by
calling 1-800-782-2437. The ser
vice is available to Omaha resi
dents at 342-4233.
TONIGHT
AT STOOGES
25 Draws y y q
50c Drinks ) 7"J
150 Pitchers ' pm
Plus It's Ladies' Night!!
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