Winston-Salem Journal from Winston-Salem, North Carolina (2024)

September 27, 1991

Publication:

Winston-Salem Journali

Location:

Winston-Salem, North Carolina

Issue Date:

Friday, September 27, 1991

Page:

16

Extracted Article Text (OCR)

ESTATE EDITION I 'J PAGE 14 WINSTON SALEM JOURNAL riday September 27 1991 REGIONAL BRIES Brand Jury Indicts Insurance Executive JOURNAL STA AND WIRE REPORT RALEIGH A federal grand jury has indicted JVilliam Shackelford the founder of Interstate Casualty Insurance Co on 65 counts of laundering 13 million in illegal proceeds Shackelford who was indicted Wednesday also faces earlier state and federal fraud charges stem ming from the collapse of Interstate Casualty and the disappearance of $37 million Daniel Boyce an assistant US attorney said that the money laundering charges were filed as the Jesuit of an investigation by the Internal Revenue Service into personal and business affairs Shackelford who is from Kinston and Bobby Gray a former deputy state insurance commission er who was a vice president at Interstate were with bribery conspiracy fraud and embez zlement as a result of federal and state investiga tions into their management of the company Officials contend that Shackelford and Gray made numerous false entries into finan cial statements making the company appear finan cially sound when it was not Attorneys Plead Clemency to Governor RALEIGH Attorneys for Michael McDougall a death row inmate met with Gov James Martin yesterday in hopes of winning clemency for their client Martin said he would decide "within a few on Whether he would commute the death sentence The governor has not indicated which direction he will take in the case "Anything that I would say of a partial nature on any issue would be interpreted to mean something and to predict Martin said as he left a Wednesday meeting with prosecutors my approach under the obligation I have as gover nor will be to hear both sides and see if this is a case deserving McDougall 36 is scheduled to be executed Oct 18 He was convicted in the 1979 slaying of Diane Parker of Charlotte who was stabbed 22 times with a butcher knife If McDougall loses his plea for a commutation he will be the first person executed in North Carolina since 1986 Before that execution Martin refused to grant a commutation to John William Rook who was con victed of killing a Raleigh nurse As governor Martin has the authority to grant a commutation to McDougall The remaining chance of reprieve would be a stay by the US Supreme Court McDougall has not denied killing Ms Parker but his attorneys have said that the slaying occurred during a cocaine induced frenzy $396000 Awarded to Crime Victims RALEIGH The North Carolina Crime Victims Compensation Commission has approved the claims of 40 victims of violent crimes awarding a total of more than $396000 The money covers medical expenses lost wages and other out of pocket losses resulting from injuries sustained during violent crimes the com mission said Wednesday The program pays only for losses that cannot be recovered from insurance policies or other sources The limit for claims is $20000 although survi vors of crime victims can receive an additional $2000 for funeral expenses Claims of $5000 or more must be decided by the five member commis sion Decisions on claims for less than $5000 are rendered by the Director of the Crime Victims Com pensation Commission but must be reported to the commission Store ounder Gives Duke $10 Million DURHAM Leon Levine the chairman of amily Dollar Stores Inc of Charlotte has donated $10 million to Duke Science Resource Ini tiative The $775 million research complex is already under construction and will house biological medi cal environmental engineering and computer re search and teaching programs Duke President Keith Brodie said: SRI is the shape of 21st century science It embodies our deeply held belief that the most important future advances in science and medicine will only come if the barriers among scientific disciplines are breached and researchers from diverse fields can work freely Levine 54 founded amily Dollar in 1959 with the opening of a store in Charlotte The company is one of the fastest growing discount store chains in the United States and operates 1766 stores in 28 states and the District of Columbia with annual sales approaching $1 billion amily Dollar has been a publicly held corporation since 1970 Levine has a long history of involvement with Duke including service as a member of the univer hospital advisory board Worker Sues Airport Over Drug Testing DURHAM Raleigh Durham International Air port violated a maintenance civil rights when he was fired for refusing to take a drug test a lawsuit charges William Boesche of Hillsborough a mechanic in heating and air conditioning maintenance has sued the Raleigh Durham Airport Authority in an effort to regain his job His plight has attracted the attention of the North Carolina Civil Liberties Union which is paying for the lawsuit and providing legal assistance on his behalf Bocsche had worked for the airport about years when he was approached by a supervisor in ebruary 1990 and asked to submit to an unan nounced drug test said attorney John Loftin Because Boesche was unaware that the airport had adopted a drug testing policy he declined to comply Loftin said The airport dismissed Boesche within an hour of the incident Boesche filed suit in April 1991 seeking reinstate ment back pay and benefits He is also seeking compensatory and punitive damages RDU has asked the court to dismiss the case A hearing on the airport's request is scheduled for today in Orange County Superior Court Airport officials said they would not comment on pending litigation WE WERE WRONG Incorrect phone numbers were given in the Dis cover Winston Salem section of the Winston Sa lem Journal yesterday for information about arts events at Wake orest University or music events the correct numbers are 759 5757 (Secrest Artist Scries) and 759 5364 (Music Department) for theater 759 5295' and for dance 759 5393 STATE LOCAL 7 1 "7 7 Man Gets Life in Kidnapping Rape Case By Paul Collins JOURNAL SURRY COUNTY BUREAU DANBURY A man was sentenced to life in prison yesterday after pleading guilty to rape kidnapping and other charges related to attacks on his estranged wife William Lawrence Robertson 38 of Walnut Cove Rt 3 pleaded guilty to first degree kidnapping and first degree rape in an attack on Cynthia Dalton Rob ertson on Sept 18 He also pleaded guilty to assault on a female and second degree kidnapping in an incident Aug 27 in which she was the victim He pleaded guilty to felonious larceny and four counts of passing worthless checks Sheriff Michael Joyce said last week that on Sept 18 a man with a rifle abducted Ms Robertson outside her apartment at Heritage Apartments in Walnut Cove The man took her to some woods east of town and raped her Joyce said Officials said they do not know if the Robertsons are separated or divorced Also yesterday Charles Benford 40 an ex church volunteer at King Church of Christ pleaded guilty to three counts of taking indecent liberties with children He entered the plea as part of a plea bargain and was sentenced to 10 years in prison He was accused of molesting one 14 year old boy twice in 1988 and one 14 year old boy this year He became acquainted with them as a result of working with youth groups at the church The mother of one of the boys testified that when the molesting began her son thought this could not be could not be doing this to me He is a Christian She said that her son received counseling as a result of the incidents and is distrustful of church leaders now Officials said that Benford was a student recruiteraf Winston Salem Bible College at the time of the inch dents but was reassigned to another job at the college after he was charged Benford is receiving counseling according to testi mony He lived at the college Kl" Also yesterday Tammie James 24 of 1108 18th St in Winston Salem pleaded guilty to five co caine charges including possession with intent to sell or deliver conspiracy to sell or deliver and maintain ing a drug vehicle She was sentenced to two tive three year sentences which were suspended She was placed on supervised probation and ordered to do 25 hours of community service Her co defendant Eric Wayne Wright 21 of the same address was sentenced to three consecutive1 eight year sentences after pleading guilty to four co caine charges including conspiracy to sell or deliver and possession with intent to sell or deliver iff tr e1 "I nMr 1 WsKa JOURNAL PHOTO BY CHRISTINE RUCKER HOLIDAY BLESSING: Bruce Sehlosberg leads a during a celebration of Sukkot a Jewish holiday Suk essentially a festival of thanksgiving It was used to prayer with residents of the Blumenthal Jewish Home kot which according to the Bible lasts eight days is mark the gathering of grains and fruits 3 Charged With Plotting Murder of Nash Man THE ASSOCIATED PRESS RALEIGH A Rocky Mount woman and two others were charged in a murder for hire scheme after they offered a Virgin ia man $10000 to kill the husband federal authorities said yesterday BI agents made the arrests after the man hired to carry out the killing of William Willis became afraid and contacted federal agents in Norfolk in ebruary according to an affidavit filed in US District Court in Raleigh Authorities charged Betty Meyer Willis 43 Starr Hylton Pearson 31 both of Rocky Mount and John Steven Wilkins 39 of Chesapeake Va They each are charged with conspiracy to commit murder aiding and abetting and use of interstate facilities in the commis sion of murder for hire Authorities said that the scheme began late last fall when Wilkins reported to be its mastermind traveled from Virginia to North Carolina with the BI informant to talk about killing Willis According to an affidavit filed in the case Willis had run afoul of an unspecified illegal organization by going to Las Vegas with a briefcase full of the group's money and gambling some of it away Mrs Willis approved of the murder scheme and hoped to collect life insurance the affidavit said The court papers said that Wilkins offered $10000 to the hit man informant who was not identified to kill Willis Ms Pearson was to be the hit contact in Rocky Mount and provide him with a photo and other information about Willis the affidavit said The BI said that the arrests followed an eight month investigation The plot included elaborate planning BI agents said that last December Wilkins his girlfriend and the would be hit man drove around Rocky Mount Wilkins showed the hit man the shopping mall where Willis worked told him that Willis drove a Honda and discussed escape routes that would get him out of Rocky Mount quickly BI officials said "He suggested that (the hit man) could wait in tKe parking lot of the mil and shoot Willis as he ap proached his Special Agent Brian Warren of the BI said "'vr Ms Pearson was released Wednesday night on $100000 unsecured bond Wilkins who was arrested in Norfolk is being held pending extradition to North Carolina A bond hearing for Mrs Willis was scheduled today IREPOLICE BRIES our Men Are Killed One Is Injured In Two Car Wreck in Duplin County JOURNAL STA AND WIRE REPORT PINK HILL our men were killed in a traffic accident yesterday while they were riding together on their way to work officials said The two car collision occurred in northern Duplin County about 6 am said Hiram Brinson the coun director of emergency services The four killed were Thomas Everett Hobbs 44 and Stanley Byrd 43 both of Albertson Randall Dunn 36 of Kinston and Boyce Alan Herring 36 of Mount Olive The four construction workers were riding in the same car Brinson said The driver of the other car Brett Harper 19 of Albertson was taken to Lenoir Memorial Hospital in Kinston and was in stable condition officials said 2 Charged in Robbery of Bridal Shop ASHEVILLE A man and woman were charged Wednesday night in connection with an hourlong spree of robbery and assault of seven people in an Asheville bridal shop earlier this month Guy Tracy Pendergrass and Rhoda Sheppard Brew ington were arrested earlier in the day when an BI SWAT team raided a home in Knoxville Tenn Each was charged with armed robbery multiple counts of kidnapping first degree rape unlawful flight to avoid prosecution and several other crimes The two are charged with robbing the Here Comes The Bride shop Sept 5 Ms Brewington is charged with holding the victims at gunpoint and Pendergrass is charged with rape in an assault on a 19 year old woman police said Pen dergrass also is accused of sexually assaulting two other women The two bound and gagged the six adults who included two men and robbed them police said The incident lasted about an hour Pendergrass and Ms Brewington considered armed and extremely dangerous before their capture were I aken into custody without Incident about 7 am from he residence where they had been living said Wayn Baker a spokesman for the BI "Tiny did not offer apy Baker said' At a hearing before a US magistrate in Knoxville Pendergrass who is in his 30s and Ms Brewington 45 waived extradition Baker would not say what led the BI to the residence Pendergrass is a fugitive from Texas where he is charged with a parole violation after being convicted of stealing a car Pendergrass has previous convictions in Texas on charges of aggravated assault and armed robbery and is wanted on several charges including armed rob bery in ort Lauderdale la where police believe he was until about Aug 19 Police said they know little about Ms Brewington The bridal shop has not reopened since the attack Car Hit by ire Truck in Lexington LEXINGTON A Lexington woman escaped seri ous injury when her car was struck by a Lexington fire truck responding to an emergency call Wednes day evening John Hopkins a bystander who said he saw the accident said that the woman was driving south on Main Street and had the green light The truck was going west on Center Street and its emergency lights and siren were on Hopkins said The accident happened about 5:45 pm Aldena Ray Wyatt 32 of 812 airview Drive was treated and released from Lexington Memorial Hos pital ire Chief William Deal said that the truck's driver Roy Wayne Sink 27 had not violated any department regulations All of the other cars near Lexington's central square where Main and Center streets cross had stopped for the truck Deal said have said it was obvious that the trucks were coming he said Rescue workers used hydraulic equipment to get the women out of the car which was smashed in at the front left corner Plan to Preserve Land in Pender Stirs Debate By Terry Martin JOURNAL RALEIGH BUREAU WILMINGTON Members of a state panel charged with managing North coastal resources clashed yesterday over a proposal to preserve 6000 acres in Pender' County as an "area of environmental concern" Some members of the NC Coastal Resources Com mission said that such a designation would rob proper ty owners of potential economic development without the state having shown that the sensitive tract warrant protection That drew a backlash from state officials and envil roninentalists who said that a 10 year old study of th low lying land which runs along US 421 near New Hanover County clearly showed it to contain naturaX and archeological resources of statewide interest A 1981 study by the Natural Heritage Program! described the property as containing an inland sand1 ridge a remnant of North coastline from millions of years ago that extends through Bruns wick New Hanover and Pender counties "This area is one of the largest expanses of longleaf pine communities of any kind remaining in the state'' the study states I BUT DAVID JENNETTE of Windsor a commis sion member and an executive of a timber company was the most vocal opponent of the plan organizations would have you believe that exploitation destroyed these vast expanses longleaf pine but exploitation had nothing to do with the evolutionary process" Jennette said must be a million sites in the state like this This takes ownership rights Edward Corbett of Wrightsville Beach whose farftjty owns most of the property spoke against the proposal through his attorney John Burney Jr Burney told members of the commission that advo cates of the proposal to restrict development on lHa property had asked the commission to designate the land as a protected area solely because they wanted to See PRESERVE Pag 16 i Olis a.

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