The Des Moines Register from Des Moines, Iowa • Page 2

2ATHKDES MOINES REGISTER Salurday, November 3, 19V0 Mill on RANDY EVANS, Metrolow editor, 51S-284-806J 01 RMllltr DATELINE IOWA Mental institution accused of cover-up in patient's hanging Official is charged with forgery said her agency has documented sev i I. Jr J. IS I is. -J 2 it i IV. 1 i 5 if' IT 1 I Pulling strings Judith Slmundion Msblberg of Dubuque performs folk tunes od her Norwegian harp during an artiste' fair Friday at the Des Moines Civic Center.

Performers and artists demonstrated their talents for school administrators, wbo book appearances for school assembly programs. Ex-Iowan arrested in woman's death By CHRIS OSHER tir Stiff Wrmr The state mental institution at Mount Pleasant, accused this week in a class-action lawsuit of being unsafe and Inhumane, also is facing a 1775,000 claim from Camanche woman who believes her son was slain there. State records show that Zelda Und filed the claim against the state on June 4. Und said Friday that she believes the state Is covering up the details of her son's death. She said does not believe her 28-year-old son, Rex Llnd, committed suicide by hanging himself with a bed sheet at the Mount Pleasant Mental Health Institute, as she has been told.

She said her son, a schizophrenic who had been In and out of the Institute for the past 13 years, would never kill himself because he was afraid he would go to hell If he did so. She Mid her son often told her that about three years ago he witnessed something at the Institute but that he refused to tell her what he had seen. "He said he was afraid," she said. "He said that If he opened his mouth he would be dead." On Tuesday, a lawsuit filed by lawyers for Legal Services Corp. on behalf of patients involuntarily com mitted to the institution, alleged the Mount Pleasant Institute is structur ally dangerous because patients can hang themselves from exposed pipes that run through their rooms.

The suit also claimed some pa tients were forced to take mind-altering drugs against their wishes and were bound in restraints In violation of state rules. Cynthia Applegate, mental Illness program coordinator for Iowa Protection and Advocacy Services County, sheriff's office said the shooting followed a dispute between Pallas and Janssen. Janssen is a truck driver who has been living In Niles, recently. Nichols said Pallas apparently was abducted along with her 14-year-old stepsister and her two children, ages 2 and 1. Greenlee said Janssen later phoned his father, Richard Janssen, who lives in Dixon, 111.

The elder Janssen met his son and the others and then drove them to Waterloo, Greenlee said. "We don't know at this time If the father is aware of what happened," Greenlee said. The 14-year-old girl and two children were found in the Waterloo home of Terry Janssen's mother, Joyce Darrah. They were not hurt. Greenlee said Waterloo police received two phone calls from citizens who had seen Janssen.

The informa on Lincoln vote Also Friday, Attorney General Thomas Miller wrote to Polk County Attorney James Smith about the matter. "Because your office is prosecuting a related criminal case, it appears that your office is in the best position to investigate the facts to determine whether any action Is appropriate under the open meetings law," Miller wrote. 9 in Dallas County face drug charges TIM tlf nwt Niwi Strvk WOODWARD, IA. Woodward police, Dallas County sheriff's deputies and state narcotic agents arrested nine people on drug charges after searching four homes here Friday. Woodward Police Chief Roy Beam said the raids capped a two-month investigation of drug sales.

"Almost all of those arrested are local people," Beam said. Charges range from simple drug possession to delivery of drugs, he said. An undisclosed amount of suspected drugs, Including cocaine, metham-phetamines and marijuana, was seized In the raids, Beam said. By WILLIAM PETROSKI ftMlitar in Wrttw Benton County Recorder Cheryl Kirk and a Vinton car salesman were charged Friday with forging the name of the salesman's estranged wife on two motor vehicle registra tions. Kirk, 61, and William Blanchard 42, were charged with two counts each of fraudulent applications, an aggravated misdemeanor, Benton County Attorney Tammy Bucking ham said.

Kirk, who Is facing re-election Tuesday, sobbed during a telephone interview Friday and said she had been victimized by Blanchard. "I've known him since he was a lit tie boy. I didn't know I was doing any thing wrong. I'm about going out of my mind," Kirk said. She said Blanchard told her he slm ply wanted to add the name of his wife, Linda Blanchard, to his car reg is tr a Hons, but Linda Blanchard was working In Cedar Rapids so she wasn't available to sign the forms.

So Kirk signed the forms, she said. Buckingham said in a statement that her office received a report Monday that a forgery of two vehicle titles had occurred. An Investigation by the Benton County Sheriff's Department and the Iowa Department of Transportation determined that Kirk had signed Linda Blanchard's name on the forms at William Blanchard's request so he could put his wife's name on the titles, Bucking ham said. William Blanchard could not be reached for comment Friday, and of ficials said they were not positive why Blanchard had attempted to add the name of his estranged wife to the title of the motor vehicles. Benton County Treasurer Warren RIcbart, whose office handles car registrations, said it is far more common for man undergoing a divorce to at tempt to delete his wife's name from a car title.

Blanchard was arrested Sept. 23 and charged with drunken driving. His trial is scheduled for Jan. 7. Benton County Sheriff Kenneth Po- penhagen said that if Blanchard is convicted of the drunken driving of fense, he could be required to turn in the license plates of both his vehicles to state transportation officials.

By adding his estranged wife's name to the titles, the license plates could be kept on both of Blanchard's cars, Po-penhagen said. Kirk, a Democrat who has held office since 1979, faces an election challenge Tuesday from Betty J. Wright, a Republican. County Treasurer Ri-chart, also a Democrat, said courthouse workers were shocked. "I definitely think she didn't realize the seriousness of what she was doing," Richart said.

If convicted, Kirk would not be required to resign because the crime is only an aggravated misdemeanor. Judge OKs track lawsuit as class action By CHRIS OSHER RttflMr Still WrltK The lawsuit over the financing of the Prairie Meadows race track should continue as a class action on behalf of all Polk County property taxpayers, a Polk County District Court judge ruled Friday. Judge Glenn Pille's ruling means the plaintiffs will have a chance to re cover their attorney fees if they pre vail in the lawsuit, which seeks to block the use of tax money for the track. Lawyers for the county had argued the lawsuit did not need to be a class action because a lawsuit brought by one taxpayer would have been just as binding. Pille acknowledged in bis ruling that It was probably true that the primary, if not the sole, purpose of the plaintiffs in seeking class certifica tion was to recover attorney fees.

But that did not dissuade him from certifying the lawsuit a class action. On balance, fairness dictates that the ultimate costs of prosecuting the public interest claims made in this iawsuit should not have to be balanced on the backs of a few willing named representatives, especially if they prevail," Pille said. "Important public interest issues might never be prosecuted in the absence of at least the potential to recover attorney fees and expenses if one prevails." Paul Stanfield and Marilee Reetz are the named plaintiffs in the suit, which claims the county is illegally financing the horse track with tax money. The suit asks the court to block the use of tax money to repay $40 million in bonds used to finance the track and to block the county from giving any more credit or loans to the track. Former Sioux Citian convicted of tlrl'f murder SIOUX CITY, IA.

(AP) A former Sioux City man hai been convicted of first-degree murder In the slaying and sexual abuse or a 13-year-old girl. A Woodbury County Jury on Thuri day night also convicted William Simpson Edwards, 2 of third-degree sexual abuse In the 1989 death of Cheryl Ann Holman of Sioux City. Edwards also faces felony rape charges in Illinois In the alleged sexual assault of a 20-year-old woman In June 1989. Mental health workers picket at Cherokee facility TtM RnitMr'i Ntwi IwvtM CHEROKEE, IA. About 25 em ployees of the Cherokee Mental Health Institute picketed outside the facility Friday, protesting what they said is inadequate staffing and training that has led to an unusually high number of staff Injuries.

A spokesman for the employees, of whom SSO belong to the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees Local 2993, also criticized the Legislature for not properly financing mental health services. The Cherokee center recently has had the highest workers compensation payments of the state's four mental health institutes, said Tom Deiker, the facility's superintendent. Man accused of torturing woman if convicted TM Rtftittr'l ttmt Hwt torvtct BURLINGTON, IA. A Burlington man has been convicted of third-degree kidnapping and willful Injury after he was accused of torturing his live-in girlfriend over a three-week period. Paul Ganakes, 43, faces a maximum penalty of 10 years for each charge stemming from the confinement of his girlfriend, Rochelle Manassa, 19, in March and April.

Manassa said Ganakes locked her in the basement on several occasions, burned her with cigarettes, punched her in the stomach and kicked her. St. Charles man dies in Wisconsin crash TM RttHttr't kl Nwi tarvta ST. CHARLES, IA. A St Charles man died and his wife was injured Wednesday when their van left the road and hit a tree in Prairie du Chien, Wis.

A Crawford County, sheriff's official said Donald Browne, 87, died In the accident on Wisconsin Highway 35 on the city's outskirts. Browne's wife, Theo Raye Browne, 18, was In fair condition Friday at a La Crosse, hospital. Elsewhere, officials said: Aaron B. Veit, 28, of Davenport died Thursday from injuries he suffered when the motorcycle he was riding collided with two cars In Davenport. Timothy W.

Christenson, 28, of Davenport died Wednesday from injuries he suffered Tuesday in another motorcycle-car accident in Davenport. Appeals panel says worker deserved stiffer sentence KNOXVILLE, IA. (AP) A federal appellate panel ruled Friday that a Knoxville postal employee did not receive a sufficiently severe sentence for stealing money for express and certified mail. The three-judge panel in St Louis reversed a four-year probationary sentence for Alan R. Lange and sent it back to U.S.

District Court. Lange, who pleaded guilty of the theft In June 1989, was also ordered to perform 50 hours of community service and pay back $643. An appeal filed by the government to Lange's sentence contended the lower court erred by failing to adjust the punishment upward for obstruction of justice and abuse of public trust. Lange lied in a presentence report about the amount of money he stole, the appeals court said. Oskaloosa man given 25-year term in Idaho rape OSKALOOSA, IA.

(AP) An Oska-loosa man who kidnapped and raped a Missoula, woman in northern Idaho has been sentenced to at least 25 years in prison. Rick Eugene Runnells, 34, earlier pleaded guilty in an Idaho court of rape, battery with intent to commit a serious felony and kidnapping. Authorities said Runnells picked up the woman outside a Missoula convenience store last summer after offering to help her retrieve her car keys from inside her locked car. Instead, he drove her to a campground, raped her and beat her. eral Instances In which patients have hanged themselves.

She said she Is concerned because the Institute does not report the deaths to outside agen cies and does not always perform autopsies on them. James Pillers, the Clinton lawyer who represents Llnd, hired a pathologist from Madison, to conduct an autopsy on her son body. The pathologist, Dr. B.J. Bauman, first concluded that Rex Llnd appeared to have been murdered by strangulation.

Bauman now says he believes the death was a suicide. Bauman said he originally thought the death was a homicide because he found markings on the neck that seemed consistent with strangulation by wire. He said he changed his opinion after he Inspected the bed sheet the Institute said was found around Lind's neck. The sheet had an elastic band In it that could have caused the markings, he said. But Pillers said the state still Is culpable, even if Llnd did kill himself.

The state must decide by Dec. 4 whether to negotiate Lind's claim. If the state rejects the claim, Llnd will be free to file a lawsuit. Bob Brammer, an administrative assistant In the Iowa attorney general's office, said he could not comment on the lawsuit because it has not yet been decided what the state's response to the claim will be. Rex Lind was found March 1, 1990, about 7:15 p.m., with a bed sheet around his neck, hanging from a wall bracket, Bauman's autopsy said.

Zelda Llnd said she does not believe the bracket would have supported the sudden force of a suicide attempt from her son, who she said weighed about 200 pounds. tion helped police find him in the alley a short distance from his mother's home, he said. Janssen la being held on 8250,000 bond. Greenlee said police were Interviewing Pallas about the incident late Friday. He said a weapon believed used in the shooting had been found.

Pallas' supervisor at the Bridgman convenience store where she works said Pallas came into the store the evening of the shooting and asked for her paycheck. The supervisor, who declined to give her name, said Pallas looked upset but said nothing was wrong. Police said Pallas had been having trouble with Janssen. "She has been off more than she was on because she was afraid," the supervisor said. "The police told her not to be out when he could get bold of her." Coming soon to Iowa: Cold, snowy winter By PATRICK BEACH Rttftttr Staff Wrtttr Good news-bad news time: The good news is that after Tues- day we will be relieved of the avalanche of political ads.

The bad news is the other kind of avalanche the snowy one may soon be coming. The National Weather Service's outlook for the next three months calls for below-normal temperatures and above-normal precipitation. State Cllmatologist Harry Hillaker said Iowa has had six consecutive winters with below-average snowfall. "I keep waiting for the really snowy winter," Hillaker said. "Maybe this will be it." The possibility of heavy snowfall is raised by the presence of an El Nino, or warmer-than-normal water tern- peratures, in the Pacific tropics.

El Ninos tend to yield precipitation in North America. On the other hand, there's an inhumanly cold air mass over northwest Canada. Some areas of Canada are reporting temperatures of 20 to 30 below zero already, which may spell doom for us. There was a similar problem last year up in Canada and they eventually got sick of it and exported their cold air down to us, duty-free. We wound up with a brutally cold De- -cember with temperatures not unlike the ones our neighbors to the north are suffering through right now.

But look on the bright side. All the exercise you're getting from raking those leaves is going to come in handy when you have to shovel the driveway. By FRANK SANTIAGO RwKKr Still Writer A former Waterloo man accused of shooting to death the mother of his ex-girlfriend was in the Black Hawk County Jail Friday after he was arrested in a Waterloo alley. Terry Lee Janssen, 25, named In a warrant charging him with murder, kidnapping and illegal possession of a firearm, didn't resist when police and sheriff deputies closed In, Waterloo police Lt. Bob Greenlee said.

With Janssen was Shannon Pallas, Janssen's former girlfriend, who police said apparently had been kidnapped from her mother's home. Pallas was unhurt Dead is Sharon Limas, 47, who lived near Bridgman In southwest Michigan, and with whom Pallas had lived. Limas died about 7 p.m. Thursday of a shotgun blast to the chest Her body was found In the kitchen of her home. Capt.

Jon Nichols of the Berrien State won't rule By KELLYE CARTER Rt)fjftttr ftufl Wrttvr The Iowa attorney general's office said Friday it will not issue an opinion on whether the Des Moines school board should have voted in public on a settlement with a former bookkeeper accused of stealing money from Lincoln High School. State Auditor Richard Johnson issued a report in September showing more than $155,000 missing from Lincoln accounts. He asked the attorney general's office to decide whether the board should have voted in public before the district entered into a secret agreement with former bookkeeper Roberta J. Berry. An April audit by a school district employee found $23,645 unaccounted for at Lincoln, and Berry agreed to resign and pay that amount to settle the matter and have it remain confidential.

Berry since has been charged with first-degree theft and has pleaded innocent. In a letter to Johnson dated Friday, Assistant Attorney General Julie Pot-torff said it appeared that the attorney general's office was being asked to rule specifically on what the board did in this case, rather than on a general matter of law. "We cannot use the opinion process to determine whether individuals have violated state law," spokesman Robert Brammer said. Trooper: I'd react the same, fire at suspect By JACK HOVELSON 01 TIM RwhMr'l WaltrtM SurMH INDEPENDENCE, IA. An Iowa state trooper who emptied his revolv er into a car last summer after a chase and shooting testified Friday that he would take the same action if faced again with that situation.

Trooper Matt Stammeyer wounded Robert Douglas, who is on trial here on a charge of first-degree murder in the death of Sim MATT STAMMEYER his wife, plus two counts of attempted murder. Stammeyer, whose father, Virgil, also a state trooper, was wounded during the chase, testified that Iowa troopers are trained to "shoot to kill." "Was there nothing you did that day that you'd want to undo?" Dave Hammer, a lawyer for Douglas, asked Stammeyer during more than two hours of battering cross-examination. "No, sir," replied Stammeyer. "I would hope this wouldn't hurt my reactions in the future." Stammeyer said he fired six shots into Douglas' car after he saw the 31-year-old Ohio man shoot his wife, Lynda, 29, in the side of her head as they sat in the front seat of their car after it spun out of control June 22 near Dubuque. The trooper testified that when he fired the shots he was unaware that minutes earlier Douglas had shot Virgil.

Stammeyer near the end of a 27-mile chase from Maquoketa to Key West, a Dubuque suburb. "Were you concerned about an in vestigation about you pumping six shots into Douglas' car after he shot your father and the possibility that some people might have thought it was vengeful? Hammer asked. "I didn't know then that my father was shot," Stammeyer repeated Virgil Stammeyer was hit in the throat and arm by bullets that other law officers said were fired by Douglas as the trooper pulled alongside the speeding vehicle that was chased after a shoplifting incident at a Ma quoketa supermarket. Matt Stammeyer said that he also twice pulled up beside Douglas' car and pointed his service revolver at Douglas in a vain attempt to persuade him to stop. Hammer tried to make Stammeyer concede that Douglas was signaling his surrender when he raised his hand beside his head as the trooper pointed the gun at him the first time.

"No I think he thought I was go ing to shoot him," Stammeyer said. The second time, the trooper said, Douglas reached down as though he was picking up his gun. Johnny Gosch's grandmother dies Alyce Gosch, 77, a grandmother of Johnny Gosch, who disappeared eight years ago while delivering newspapers, died Wednesday of complications of diabetes at her home in Auburn. Johnny Gosch was last seen Sept. 5, 1982, on his Des Moines Sunday Register newspaper route.

He was 12 and is presumed to have been abducted. Among Alyce Gosch's six sons is John of West Des Moines, Johnny's father. Funeral arrangements are being handled by Farber-Otteman Funeral Home in Sac City, and services are scheduled for 10:30 a.m. today at St Mary's Catholic Church in Auburn..