The Palm Beach Post from West Palm Beach, Florida • Page 19

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 31, 1986 The Palm Beach Post SECTION LOCAL pearman suspect indicted in 2nd murder plot ful attempt to murder Norman Douglas Norwood, a University of Arkansas law student, U.S. Attorney J. Michael Fitzhugh said. Also named in the indictment was Debra Mattingly, 26, of Law-renceburg, Ky. Mattingly, Savage's girlfriend, testified for the prosecution during the Spearman trial.

The 12-count indictment also named Larry Elgin Gray, 40, of Tulsa, Dean Deluca, age unavailable; and William Buckley, age unavailable. The five also are charged with travel in interstate commerce and use of facilities in interstate commerce with intent that a murder be committed. According to the indictments handed up in Fort Smith: Gray is charged in two counts with conspiracy in a murder-for-hire scheme. The other four also are charged in one of the conspiracy counts. The conspiracy count accuses Gray of contacting Savage in August 1985 and that Savage, Buckley, Deluca and Mattingly traveled from Tennessee to Fayetteville, for the purpose of murdering Norwood.

Norwood said in an interview this year that he was engaged to marry Gray's ex-wife. The charge also said Gray discussed with Michael Wayne Jackson of Linden, Texas, a plot to kill Norwood and that Jackson traveled to Fayetteville and nearby Spring-dale and conducted surveillance of Norwood. Savage also was named in a murder-for-hire indictment returned Wednesday in Houston. According to the indictment, Savage sent a man named William Buckley, 36, and Sherry Lynn Breeden, 21, to" Houston with a silenced pistol, a semiautomatic Uzi carbine, 100 rounds of ammunition and two hand grenades in an attempt to find and kill a Marietta, man last year. Savage is currently in the Palm Beach County Jail where he and Sean Doutre are awaiting trial on charges that they participated in Anita Spearman's murder.

Prosecutors allege that Savage placed an ad in Soldier of Fortune magazine advertising murder-for-hire services. Spearman was convicted in August of answering the ad and paying $20,000 to have his wife murdered. State refuses nursing home license OK Lake Worth center patients 'Vv 7 lit face move pending appeal' By JAN LINDSEY Palm Beach Post Staff Writer LAKE WORTH State officials have declind to renew the license of Mason's Nursing Centei on uuuiwcu lvuau, wiuni CAunca iwav. vmivi Post Staff and Wire Reports man accused of running a unurder-for-hire ring that Robert Spearman hired to kill his wife, Anita, was one of five people indicted Thursday in Arkansas on jcharges of participating in a murder plot aimed at a college law student. Richard Savage, 39, of Knox-ville, was indicted by a federal grand jury on charges he traveled from Tennessee to Fayetteville, in an unsuccess- Backyard erosion Company, homeowners to reach agreement By HJ.

SMITH Palm Beach Post Staff Writer PALM BEACH GARDENS the past two years, Carol Fox has seen her back yard erode to nearly nothing, At low tide it's hard to imagine how the shallow water in the canal behind her home caused the severe erosion. But during hard rains, when stormwater from Golden Bear Plaza on U.S. 1 flows into the canal, the water level rises, the I current increases and chunks of her back yard disappear, she said. Twelve other homeowners on the east side of the canal in the Hidden 1 Key development are having simi- lar erosion problems. Fox said the i stormwater drainage from the of-I fice plaza across the canal is the cause.

Bear says they want to vsojve the problem and improve the canal, but so far, all we've heard is talk," Fox said. "We just want to "save our property from more ero-sion." On Thursday, representatives from Golden Bear Plaza Associates, the owner of the Golden Bear Plaza, and some Hidden Key homeowners met to try to resolve i conflicts over the canal that have heated up since the two sides first met 18 months ago. Both sides agree the stormwater has caused the erosion, and both sides agree that Golden Bear should pay 70 percent of con- structing a sea wall on the home-; owners' side of the canal to remedy the problem. What the two sides disagree on is when to start the project. "We have a pool of funds and want to get the project out of the way, but we can't do anything until we get all of the homeowners to sign an agreement for the project," said Joe Fleming, a Palm Beach attorney representing Golden Bear Plaza Associates, of which golfer Jack Nicklaus is a limited partner.

Silverstein has appealed the state's action, but patents may have to be moved from the center befoe the appeal can be heard Nov. 26, according to a state official; The center's food-service manager left Oct 24 for another job and a second key staff member is epected to leave today, according to Rebecca Gregorj senior humqn services program manager for the Anng and Adult Services program. Inspectors on one of their now twice-weely visits to Mason's Tuesday found "sufficient food fr people to eat," she said, but the state is making plans to remove patients from the center if it becones under- staffed and unable to operate during the appal period, she said. Residents also might have to be movel from the adjacent Mason's Residence, an adult-confregate liv-ing facility that shares the center's kitchm, Gregory TOM ERVINStaff Photographer Heading Below Ian Henning of Liverpool, England, a radar plotter on the Port of Palm Beach. Anyone wishing to serve as a host frigate HMS Apollo, goes below deck.

The ship is at the or hostess to one of the sailors can call 844-3203. said. There are 35 residents in the nursinj center and five in the residence, she said. About half the nursing center residents are Medicaid-sponsored, she said. Silverstein is negotiating to either leiise or sell the Police warning young ghosts, goblins to watch out for Halloween dangers nursing center, or to hire someone to manage the facility, according to his lawyer, Jonathan S.

Grout of Tallahassee. "I think most preferable to the state would be a new owner," Grout said. In declining to renew the license, the state cited 1 problems discovered during a two-day inspection in July, including infection control and food service that did not meet state code. Those deficiencies also appeared on an April 4 inspection report, the letter said. "I have been informed by both (center administra- tor) Mr.

(Jules) Gayle and Mr. Silverstein that all the deficiencies have been corrected," Grout said Thursday. The center and the residence have not been al- lowed to accept new residents since Oct. 2 when the state imposed a moratorium, primarily because there was a shortage of food, according to Larry Dougher of the state Office of Licensure and Certification. Although an inspection Aug.

25 turned up violations of state code at the residence, they were not severe enough to jeopardize the license, he said. Dougher said many of the problems stem from financial pressures. "The owner does not put su' icient funds into the operation of the facility to prevent deficiencies," Dougher said, adding that several times bills were so late, the utilities almost were turned off. "He fixes that, and then he back slips. He seems to let it revert to the way it was operating previously." Silverstein's attorney said his client "was surprised by the denial and he agreed that there was a cash flow problem at one point and he has assured me he has this corrected." "It's like anything else when you're educating the public," Walters said.

"Chances are there's absolutely nothing wrong, but there's that possibility and that's what we want to protect them from." The children Walters has addressed were given plastic Halloween bags inscribed with safety tips and reflective pumpkin patches to wear on their costumes. Public safety officers from police departments around the county have compiled this list of important safety tips: Parents of younger children should try to complete trick or treating before dark. Children should travel in groups supervised by adults. Stay in your own neighborhood. Don't venture into areas unknown to you.

Parents, if you're not going along, make sure you know what route your children will be taking. Never enter a stranger's home, let them bring the treats outside to you. Only go to houses that have outside lights on. Keep on the sidewalks. Don't run in the streets, and cross streets only at By STEVE PETRONE and MARK BURNEKO Palm Beach Post Staff Writers Thousands of costumed youngsters seeking a Halloween trick-or-treat will be out and about having fun tonight and county police agencies would like parents and their children to play it safe and exercise caution.

"Unfortunately recent incidents of treats being tampered with have alerted us to the dangers which Halloween can present," Palm Beach Police Chief Joseph Terlizzese said. "Additionally, many children suffer each year from automobile accidents, fire injuries, falls, cuts, bruises and other unnecessary misfortunes." Boca Raton police and the Boca Raton Community Hospital have sponsored a series of elementary school assemblies during which students have been advised to follow certain safety tips. "We want the kids to have a good time," Boca Raton officer Terry Walters said Thursday, "but there are things they need to watch out for." By the time Walters delivers his message today to the students of Verde Elementary in suburban Boca Raton, he will have spoken to nearly 3,000 youngsters. Wear light-colored costumes, or attach reflective tape or patches to costumes. Costumes should be fireproof.

Carry a flashlight or glow stick. For unobstructed vision, makeup is better than masks. If you wear a mask, take it off as you walk between houses and cross streets. Don't eat any of the treats you collect until after you arrive home and your parents have a chance to check them. Cut fruit and candy bars to check for any objects that may be hidden in them.

Unpacked items or candy with loose or torn wrappers should be disgarded. If you discover anything unusual about a treat, take it to the police immediately. Officers with information regarding candy tampering will inspect it. Activities other than trick or treating, such as publicly sponsored haunted houses, or neighborhood parties, are always a better alternative to trick or treating. Several hospitals around the county will be providing free X-rays of Halloween candy.

Those hospitals are Humana Hospital of the Palm Beaches, Wellington Regional Medical Center, Palm Beach Gardens Medical Center and Bethesda Memorial Hospital. "We re not dealing with a association, we're dealing with individual homeowners. If one person doesn't want us dredging the canal, what can we do," Fleming said. But Fox, the self-appointed leader of the canal homeowners, said she and her neighbors have a legal agreement instructing Golden Bear to proceed with the canal improve- Please see CANAL2B Inside Local News Waste panel hopes warning will spur aetion on landfill Double-murder suspeels present different defenses Vernon Amos: Lawyer said he was forced to observe crimes. LEGISLATION FOR SCHOOLS i The Palm Beach County School Board Wednesday will consider a package of 1987 legislation proposals to cover critical needs for the system.

STORY, 2B TOURISM AD CRITICIZED Cleveland officials are fuming over a new Palm Beach County tourism advertising campaign. STORY, 2B INNOCENT PLEA FILED i Leslie Gordon Shawn, an osteopath formerly with the Delray Chiropractic Clinic who was indicted Tuesday on 1 1 counts of conspiracy and mail fraud in Medicare cases, pleaded innocent before a U.S. magistrate Thursday and was released on a $10,000 personal surety bond. STORY, 2B FOES UNITED Election foes Gov. Bob Graham and U.S.

Sen. Paula Hawkins will be on television together starting today agreeing with each other on opposition to casinos. ELECTION '86, 3B INDEX Streetwise 2B Area deaths, obituaries 4B I By PAUL BLYTHE Palm Beach Post Staff Writer WEST PALM BEACH Vernon Amos and Leonard Spencer may be co-defendants in a double-murder trial, but they are not cooperating with each other in their defenses. Amos' lawyer told the jury Amos was present during the crimes four months ago but only because he was forced to be by Spencer. And then Spencer's lawyer told the same jury that Spencer wasn't even there.

Amos, 23, and Spencer, 27, are accused of a crime spree along Military Trail in suburban West Palm Beach on June 12 and June 13. Prosecutor Trey Hester said it started at a Mr. Grocer convenience store, where a clerk was shot and killed and a customer wounded; proceeded north to the English Pub, where another man was fatally shot in the parking lot; then moved to a phone booth in front of a Kentucky Fried Chicken, where an ex-deputy was nearly kidnapped; and ended at a junkyard where Amos was found hiding and the other man escaped The two Belle Glade men, both charged with two counts of first-degree murder, could face death in the electric chair if they are found guilty. They also are charged with attempted murder, attempted kidnapping, aggravated assault and four counts of armed robbery. The victims, Allen McAninch and Robert Bragman, did not know one another, Hester said, starting his opening statement Thursday in Palm Beach County Circuit Court.

"The evidence is that the first time they ended up at the same place at the same time was at the Palm Beach County Medical Examiner's Office to have their bodies autopsied How did their fates become intertwined?" Hester answered his own question with a long narrative of what he believed happened that night. He said it started between 11:30 p.m. and midnight June 12 when Amos and Spencer walked like normal customers into the Mr. Grocer at Military Trail and Gun Club Road. McAninch, the store clerk, was talking to Terry Howard, a customer who was standing by the Please see TRIAL5B By RONNIE GREENE Palm Beach Post Staff Writer Solid Waste Authority members tried to turn up the heat on Palm Beach County commissioners last week when they told municipalities the county may not be able to pick up trash from new developments.

The message in a letter from SWA Executive Director Timothy Hunt Jr. to the 37 municipalities is that the commission soon must choose a south county landfill site. "The purpose was to turn up the heat," Hunt said. "The letter was intended to point out the fact that we are just about out of any space to put waste. It applies directly to the County Commission." The Oct.

24 letter warned the municipalities that the SWA "is unable to guarantee disposal capacity for any new developments (past October)" until a replacement is found for the Lantana landfill. Although the possibility was discussed, the SWA did not request a moratorium on new construction, Hunt said. "The letter is saying that we should all consider from this day forward the seriousness of issuing building permits," Lake Worth Mayor David Hinsa said. "It's too early to evaluate what we (Lake Worth) should do, but I think the responsibility lies with the County Commission for action." Boca Raton Mayor William Konrad, an SWA member, said a moratorium "is not any kind of a solution." "The problem is if we keep turning down prospec lease see WASTE5B Leonard Spencer: Lawyer told jury he wasn't at crime scene..