Image provided by: University of Nebraska-Lincoln Libraries, Lincoln, NE
About The daily Nebraskan. ([Lincoln, Neb.) 1901-current | View Entire Issue (Dec. 8, 1993)
Snstsu News Digest Gunman kills four on train GARDEN CITY, N.Y. — A gun man methodically walked through a crowded commuter train Tuesday evening, randomly firing at one per son after another and pausing to re load. Four people were killed and 12 wounded before passengers subdued him. The man, a passenger on the train, started shooting as it was entering the Long Island Rail Road’s Merillon Avenue station in Garden City, said Officer Andrew DeSimone, a spokes man for the Nassau County police. Four of the wounded were critically hurt, DeSimone said. “The guy just went berserk,” pas senger Diane McClarey told WCBS TV. “The shots just kept going off. He would not stop shooting.” Passengers said they saw the man fire repeatedly, then reload his gun and fire again. The weapon was a 9 millimeter handgun, said Detective Donna Fairweather of the Nassau police. “A man started walking through the cars, shooting randomly at the other passengers,” said Detective Donna Fairweather of the Nassau Commuter train shooting ... " .>'f .j”"" 5 miles_ FF— • Railroad Stations 5km police. Fairweather refused to release the man’s identity. He was taken toNassau County police headquarters. “Right now, there doesn’t seem to be any thing as far as a motive,” DeSimone said. “It seems like a ran dom shooting.” A woman identified only as Erin nr told CNN the gunman opened fire without a word. “He did not say anything, just start ed shooting,” she said. The train left New York City’s Penn Station about 5:33 p.m. and was bound for Long Island’s Port Jefferson. The gunfire broke out shortly after 6 p.m., witnesses said. Parolee arraigned in Klaas case SANTA ROSA,Calif.—The man who confessed to kidnapping and murdering Polly Klaas is suicidal and sorry for what he did, a defense attor ney said Tuesday. Richard Allen Davis also can’t re call many details because he was high on drugs and alcohol the night of the slaying, the lawyer said. “He was the saddest person I’ve ever seen in my life,” Chief Deputy Public Defender Bruce Kinnison said after meeting with Davis. Davis, who has twice been con victed in kidnapping cases and was on parole at the time of the abduction late on the night of Oct. 1, faced arraign ment Tuesday afternoon on charges of kidnapping and murder. Kinnison, who talked to Davis for about an hour late Monday, declined to discuss defense plans. He confirmed Davis confessed to abducting the 12-year-old girl from the bedroom of her Petaluma home while she and two friends played a board game during a slumber party. “1 was concerned he was suicidal. He cried periodically. I was really surprised,” Kinnison said. “I’ve dealt with other people ac cused of these kinds of crimes and they always had a way of deflecting the responsibility. I was really sur prised at how he direct he was. He was immediately remorseful.” Davis, 39. told Kinnison he was high on drugs and alcohol and re membered little of that night. Author ities said 16 grams of methamphet aminc was found in the house where Davis was arrested last week. Davis told police he selected Polly randoml y and strangled her, The Press Democrat of Santa Rosa and the San Francisco Examiner quoted law en forcement sources as saying. He di rected searchers to a brushy area near Cloverdale, about 50 miles north of Petaluma, where Polly’s body was found Saturday. Polly’s mother. Eve Nichol, urged Chronology of kidnap case A chronology of events surrounding the Kidnapping ot rony rviaas, prepared by the FBI and the Petaluma Police Department: Friday, Oct. 1,1993 • 10:35 to 11:03 P.M.: Polly Klaas kidnapped. • 11:42 P.M.: Woman in Santa Rosa calls the Sonoma County Sheriff's Department and reports a suspicious person, later identified as Richard Allen Davis, on her property. Saturday, Oct. 2,1993 • 12:08 A.M.: Sheriff’s deputies arrive at property and interview Davis. • 12:46 A.M.: Deputies escort Davis, who is driving his vehicle, from the property and release him. Sunday, Nov. 28 . EARLY MORNING: The property people to “grieve together for our hope lost, for our faith betrayed. When wc can, let’s open our hearts to for giveness and healing.” owner calls the sheriff’s office and reports suspicious items on her property. • 9:33 A.M.: A deputy collects the evidence and takes it to the Sonoma Valley substation. • 5 P.M.: FBI takes potential evidence to forensic experts in Washington, D.C. Monday, Nov. 29 • MIDMORNING: Analysis of the evidence by the FBI Crime Laboratory in Washington, D.C., determines it is related to the Polly Klaas kidnapping. Tuesday, Nov. 30 Richard Allen Davis arrested for a state parole violation. ap “Davis should never have been free to walk the streets of Petaluma, looking for an innocent child to kill,” she said. -SPORTS WIRE NCAA to reconsider college football playoff OVERLAND PARK, Kan —The NCAA is again considering a playoff for major college football. The governing body said Tuesday it has formed a group to study the advantages and drawbacks of a Divi sion I-A playoff. Clearly, there would be no time to institute a Division I playoff and settle this season’s Nebraska-West Virgin ia-Florida State logjam at the top of the polls. Nor could a playoff system be in place before the 1995 season. But the mere fact of such a study group will be hailed by playoff advo cates. It could also mean schools will vote on a playoff at their convention in January 1995. “I don’t think this necessarily ad vances the possibility of a football playoff,’’ said Francis Canavan, the NCAA’s group executive director for public affairs. “What it advances is that, finally, there will be a firm deci sion, yes or no. There has been lots of talk about a playoff, and it has height ened this year, as it does every year at this time.” A high-powered sales pitch was made to the Presidents Commission at its meeting in Kansas City last summer, presented in part by the Nike International, which said as much as $40 million could be raised. At that lime, presidents said they were impressed by the slick presenta tion but not inclined to go along with it. There cannot be a football playoff until it gets the approval of the com mission, which has promised to try to lessen the commercial aspects of big time athletics. “Whether this advances or retards the possibility of a championship will be driven by the facts the study uncov ers,” Canavan said. “The purpose is to gather the information so we can have solid, objective information about the impact on the schools and on the student-athletes, and on the financial impact.” Maximum sentence given to man who beat Denny LOS ANGELES — A judge gave the maximum 10-year sen tence Tuesday to the black man convicted ofviciouslybeating white truck driver Reginald Denny and attacking other motorists at the outset of last year’s deadly riots. “It’s intolerable in this society to attack and maim people because of their race,” Superior Court J udge John Ouderkirk said as he sent Damian Williams off to prison. Ouderkirk sentenced black co defendant Henry Watson to proba tion until January 1997 and to 320 hours of community service. Williams, 20, was convicted of attacking Denny and four Hispanic and Asian victims as a rampaging mob took to the streets on April 29, 1992, the first day of the LosAnge les riots that killed 55 people. Watson, 29, was convicted of misdemeanor assault and pleaded guilty to an assault count against trucker Larry Tarvin. He served 17 months between his arrest and the trial. The riots were unleashed by the state court acquittals of four white police officers in the videotaped beating of black motorist Rodney King. The attack on Denny was tele vised live from a news helicopter and his battered, bloody face be came a symbol of the race riots. Videotape showed Williams in a gleeful dance around Denny’s body. Williams’ lawyer, Edi Faal, said his client once faced the possibility of two life sentences plus 47 years. Now, he said, Williams will be eligible for parole with four years’ prison time. He was also fined $1,000. Faal said he would appeal the convictions. “The jury spoke. We have now, I think, closed the chapter,” said District Attorney Gil Garcctti. Denny testified about the nu merous skull fractures and opera tions he experienced, and said he remembered nothing about the as sault. He recently expressed for giveness toward his attackers and -u It’s intolerable in this society to attack and maim people because of their race. — Ouderkirk Los Angeles County superior court judge -»» said they should receive leniency. Ouderkirk played the riot video tape again Tuesday as a reminder of the violence and explanation of his sentence. “The court has considered that this crime involved great violence and acts involving cruelty, vicious ness and callousness,” he said. “It's a gross miscarriage of jus tice,” said John Cager, minister of youth at First AME Church, a center of activism in south-central Los Angeles. “The community sees that noth ing has changed,” said Joseph Westmoreland, First AME minister of music. “The only way we could get some expression is by rioting.” A man was ejected from the court room Tuesday after he laughed and yelled: “What about the Rodney King verdicts? This was all injus tice.” The jury forewoman, Carolyn Walters, said the sentence was un fair. “I’m sure politics had a lot to do with the sentence that Mr. Williams got,” she said. The lead prosecutor. Deputy Dis- 4 trict Attorney Janet Moore, respond- 1 ed: “It makes me wonder whether the forewoman had a hidden agenda from the very beginning.” Williams was convicted of felo ny mayhem for attacking Denny and four misdemeanor assault counts. The mayhem count carried a maximum eight-year term; each misdemeanor count, six months. STATE WIRE - Scandal hits Midland Lutheran College FREMONT — Allegations that a camera hidden in a male dorm room recorded a female student engaged in sexual intercourse have sparked wide spread rumors and discipl inary action against three male students at a Lutheran college. Midland Lutheran College Presi dent Carl Hansen confirmed Tuesday the college investigated an allegation that a male student had videotaped a female student in a sexual act without her knowledge. Discipl inary hearings for two male students began Monday. The disci plinary board, composed of faculty, students and administrators, could take up to three days to decide the cases, said N icki McIntyre, dean of students. A third male student voluntarily withdrew from the campus rather than face the board, McIntyre said. She recommended that all three male stu dents be expelled. The incident is a hot topic of dis cussion and rumors at the l lu-year old college, which is affiliated with the Evangelical Lutheran Church of America. Many people at the 1,017-studcnl college arc upset and can’t believe that something I ike this could happen, said Lc Ann Stcppuhn, 20, a student and resident assistant at one of the women’s dormitories. She accused college administra tors of trying to “sweep it under the rug.” “I think they just don’t want to take Midland and put it up in the headlines because they don’t want people to think a Lutheran college has lower standards,” she said. “I think students should be aware it docs happen on this campus.” McIntyre learned of the allega tions through a staff member, a raid was conducted of the dormitory room of one of the male students, and a camera was seized, officials said. -----1 Nebraskan editor Jeremy Fitzpatrick 472-1766 Managing Editor Wendy Mott Assoc News Editors Angie Brunkow Kara Morrison Editorial Page Editor Kathv Steinauer Wire Editor Jeff Singer Copy Desk Editor Chrfe Hopfenspergei Sports Editor Todd Cooper Aris & Entertainment TomMainelii I Editor Night News Editors Jeff Zeieny Lima Sickert Kristine Long Andrea Kaser Art Director David Badders General Manager Dan Shattii Production Manager Katherine Pollcky r Advertising Manager Jay Cruse Senior Acct. Exec. Bruce Kroese Jublications Board Chairman Doug Fiedler 4 Jb 6407 FAX NUMBER 472-1761 The Daily Nebraskan(USPS 144 080) is published by the UNL Publications Board. Ne braska Union 34,1400 R St.. Lincoln, NE, Monday through Fnday dunng the academic year, weekly during summer sessions. Readers are encouraged lo submil slory ideas and comments to the Daily Nebraskan by phoning 472 1763 between 9 a m and 5 pm. Monday through Fnday. The public also has access to the Publications Board For information, contact Doug Fiedler, 436-6407 Subscription price is $50 for one year Poslmaster Send address changes to the Daily Nebraskan, Nebraska Union 34, 1400 R St .Lincoln, NE 68588 0448. Second-class postage paid at Lincoln, NE ALL MATERIAL COPYRIGHT 1993 DAILY NEBRASKAN