-----i
Murder suspect heeded for trial?
after testimony firm police, witness
DAVLIN from page 1
testimony from two prosecution
witnesses.
Lincoln Police Detective Del
Kuhlman testified that Davlin and
Ligenza had an abusive relation
ship that started in April 1993.
Kuhlman said that dufing his in
vestigation, he found there were
several restraining orders and as
sault charges filed during the rela
tionship.
Kuhlman said police were at
Ligenza’s apartment the night of
Sept. 6 on a disturbance complaint.
Ligenza and a roommate wanted
Davlin — who did not live there
—removed. .
Hours later, Lincoln firefighters
were called to the apartment where
they found a burnt body.
Kuhlman said he attended
Ligenza’s autopsy, where the coro
ner found that the 27-year-old
woman had been strangled, and the
mode of death was homicide. The
autopsy also revealed that she was
six months pregnant.
The coroner found that the
bums to Ligenza’s body had oc
curred after she died. Kuhlman tes
tified that the body was burned in
a pool of fire accelerant and the
woman was identified by dental
records.
Also called to testify was Wade
Potter, a Lincoln man who said
Davlin admitted to the crime while
they were imprisoned together in
the Sarpy County Jail.
Potter, who has a criminal
record that includes burglary, as
sault and criminal mischief convic
tions, was serving a seven-day sen
tence for drunken driving when he
met Davlin.
While in jail, Potter said Davlin
started talking about the crime, but
said he did not do it. Davlin later
admitted to killing Ligenza and to
trying to make her death look like
part of a burglary by breaking a
window in the apartment.
When he was released, Potter
told Lacey that he did not want to
remember Davlin or his crime.
Potter said he told some family
and friends about Davlin, but fi
nally told police after an encoun
ter with another man.
Potter met a man who Davlin
claimed he hired to find Ligenza’s
killer at a bar. Potter then told the
man about Davlin’s confession: the
man then tola police.
Investigators later contacted
Potter about what he had heard.
Lacey repeatedly asked Potter
why he never called the police and
why he wanted to forget about
Davlin.
“How would anyone really re
spond?” Potter said. “It made me
sick to my stomach. I just wanted
to get out and forget about it.
“I was worried about what he
would do if he got out, if he came
after me. I mean, I have children
too.”
Richard and Pam Ligenza said
they were thankful Potter stepped
forward to testify.
Richard Ligenza said with fam
ily support, they will endure the
long legal process. And someday,
the father said, he hopes to have
some closure.
“I will have some closure when
he (Davlin) sits in the electric
chair,” Richard Ligenza said. “But
I realize that is a long way away.”
Senators clash
on gay marriage;
debate continues
MARRIAGE from page 1
a father does not mean they will live
in a positive environment. Problems
such as domestic violence plague
many heterosexual couples, he said.
Sen. Dave Landis of Lincoln
agreed. k
“It’s an irony that the longest-last
ing relationships studied have been
lesbian relationships.” Landis said.
Landis said laws already state mar
riage is specifically for a man and a
woman.
Jensen said Nebraska needs the bill
so the state doesn’t have to recognize
same-sex marriages from other states.
Chambers said those who favored
the law for religious reasons were
hypocritical because the Bible also
outlaws divorce and premarital sex. He
said many in favor of the bill were ei
ther divorced or engaged in acts the
Bible prohibits.
“With their unclean hands, they
are going to try to tell others that their
(same-sex) relationship is unfit,”
Chambers said.
Later, Jensen proposed an amend
ment that would reword the bill to rec
ognize marriages from other states
except same-sex marriages.
Chambers said the original bill
would have rejected marriage between
an uncle and niece or aunt and a
nephew, minors and adults, and com
mon-law marriages, which are not le
gal in Nebraska. Because of the
amendment, he said, the bill would no
longer outlaw those marriages.
“This is a moral bill? This protects
marriage?” Chambers said.
The Legislature adjourned without
taking action on the bill because it no
longer had a quorum. Senators are
scheduled to debate the bill today.
Talks lead to arguments about racism
FORUM from page 1
Other audience members ex
pressed distress that so much time was
spent on investigating Sigma Chi’s
ceremony rather than relieving the
tension it caused.
Wesley Brown, a former UNL em
ployee, said he thought in order to
solve the problem, attention needed to
be focused in other areas.
“We need to start with the admin
istration,” Brown said. “They have
.. their own fraternity — the good old
boys fraternity.”
Director of the University Founda
tions program Jim McShane said he
saw members of campus tolerating
racism.
“The Sigma Chi cross burning is
an example of reckless insensitivity,”
McShane said. “The problem is the
white students on campus don’t be
lieve that racism exists on campus,
even as it is being practiced in front
of them.”
John Harris, special assistant to the
vice chancellor for student affairs, also
had strong opinions on the cross burn
ing.
“The reality of this is that this act
creates danger not only toward the
people who are the target of the act,
but also for the people who are actu
ally committing the act,” Harris said.
“This university needs to tell the com
munity that it will not tolerate any
thing that challenges die safety of the
individuals who live here.”
The panel also talked about racist
language on campus. Afrikan People’s
Union President Leslie Bell said rac
ism on campus was taking a subtle
turn.
“Racism is not as likely from per
son to person, but it is growing in a
covert sense,” Bell said.
Although much of the discussion
focused on UNL’s problems, many
panelists were concerned with finding
solutions.
Adair Shanks, a journalism gradu
ate student, said some of the solution
needs to include better ways of teach
ing students about diversity.
“Professors need to be able to ef
fectively lead a class in discussion
about diversity without relying on eth
nic students to lead the way,” Shanks
said.
Communications Professor Venita
Kelley agreed, saying that effective
communication is part of the solution.
“The bridge needs to be created
from both sides, and both sides have
to cross that bridge for anything posi
tive to happen.”
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