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St. Louis Post-Dispatch from St. Louis, Missouri • Page 13

Location:
St. Louis, Missouri
Issue Date:
Page:
13
Extracted Article Text (OCR)

ttaifata mm ST. LOUIS POST-OISFATCH TUESDAY. SEPTEMBER 13. 19 SECTION Mil if 1 Cause Of 'Wright Beatth A Mystery To Officials 1) 4 By JEROME t. CURRY Of tbe Post-Dispatch Stiff Officials are puzzled about how Pamela Sue Wright died.

An autopsy of the 18-year-old girl's body yesterday disclosed no evidence of injury with the exception of a cut over the right eye. Further tests must be done to determine the cause of death, said Raymond I. Harris, chief investigator for the St. Louis County Medical Examiner's office. No bullet wounds were found.

No stab wounds were found. No abnormal bruising was discovered. No bones were broken or injured. Miss Wright's decomposed body was found Sunday in a wooded area about five miles from her Oakville home. She had been abducted Sept.

3 from her home by a man who carried a shotgun. An identification of the body was confirmed yesterday through dental records, clothing and two rings identified by her mother. The body was found by a hiker in Point Creek at the southeastern tip of St. Louis County. Harris said that he probably would return a homicide verdict in the death even if further autopsy tests were negative.

examined microscopically and chemically in the more sophisticated part of the autopsy. Such tests usually take several days. Miss Wright, a spring graduate of Oakville High School, was abducted from her home at 136 Martigney Drive by a man who broke into the house, bound her mother and brother and then left with her. Miss Wright's mother, Mary, a widow, 47 years old, told police that she pleaded with the man not to take her daughter. "Don't worry mother, I'll be okay," the girl told her mother as she left.

Police are seeking a 36-year-old man for questioning in the case. Some of the man's co-workers at an electrical firm told police that he resembled a composite drawing of the abductor. A white pickup truck seen near the Wright home the night Pamela Sue was abducted is similar to one owned by him, police have been told. The man in question has been charged in warrants with two counts of child molestation involving his 12-year-old daughter. The man and his wife are separated.

The daughter is with her mother. Police searching for him believe that he frequents areas of Madison and St. Clair counties in Illinois as well as the Missouri side of the St. Louis area. He was believed to still be in the area as late as last Thursday.

Pamela Sue Wright "Death is from something other than natural causes," Harris said. "She was too healthy for it to be otherwise." Tissue samples from the body will he FOR THOSE BEHIND THE CURTAIN: Rabbi. Shaul Osadchey of the Hillel Foundation sounding the Shofar the traditional ram's horn to mark the arrival of Rosh Hasho-nah the Jewish New Year yesterday. The event was part of a rally for Soviet Jews held in Kiener Plaza, one of several observances held around the nation. The 10-day Rosh Hashana period ends Sept.

22 with Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement, the most solemn holiday in the Jewish religion. (Post-Dispatch Photo by Lynn T. Spence) Kidnap Victim Shy, Naive, Friends Say Suspect Linked To Webster Groves Killing Detective Michael J. Fitzpatrick of the county police has identified a fingerprint found on the passenger-side window of Mary Katherine Laforest's car as that of Kiger's left little finger. Miss Laforest's body was found July 19 in a bird sanctuary near Blackburn Park in Webster Groves.

The Richmond Heights girl had been strangled. The fingerprint was found shortly after she was killed, but was not identified until checked against Kiger's fingerprints, police said. Webster Groves detectives are trying to find out whether Miss Laforest knew Kiger. Kiger was charged Friday with capital murder in the killing of Mrs. Greenwell, 50, whose body was found last Tuesday in her daughter's home in Maplewood.

Her throat had been slashed. A straight razor taken from the home was found later by police. Kiger was arrested early Tuesday by St. Louis police on suspicion of carrying a concealed and drugs. When police recovered the razor that an informer said Kiger had dropped just before his arrest, he was charged with the murder.

Police noted that the circumstances of By RALPH WILLIAMS Of the Post-Dispatch Staff A fingerprint of the man charged with murdering Mrs. Agnes Greenwell in Maplewood has been matched to one found on the automobile of a 17-year-old girl killed in Webster Groves last July, St. Louis County police say. In addition, police are investigating possible connections between Kevin James Kiger, the accused murderer, and a 16-year-old girl killed in June in west St. Louis County.

Kiger, 23, is being held in City Jail. Miss Laforest's killing were similar to those in the June 5 killing of Velda Joy Rumfelt, a Brentwood girl whose body was found in a wooded area off AUenton Road near Six Flags amusement park. Miss Rumfelt had been strangled, and both she and Miss Laforest were high school students living in the south-central part of the county. I -i Kiger, an unemployed carpenter, told police he lived in the 7400 block of Hardscrapple Drive, Marlborough, and had been free on bond on burglary and stealing charges. He has refused to make a statement.

Wright has worked as a matron at Oakville Elementary School in the Mehl-ville School District for 12 years. She said she wanted to move closer to work after her husband died. Mr. Wright had been a maintenance worker at a school in Lonedell for 21 years, and the family lived on a farm in Franklin County near Lonedell for six years before moving to Oakville. Before that, they lived in Cedar Hill for 13 years.

The Wrights have been slow to adjust to suburban life. Mrs. Wright and her two sons, John, 26, and Kevin, 19, all work, and they have met few of their neighbors. "We just haven't gotten started here," said Mrs. Wright.

Her younger daughter, 14, is still in school. All the children live at home. Pamela had not yet found her niche in suburban St. Louis. She had been seeking a clerical job since her graduation, but had not found one.

"She was willing to go to night school, to do anything she could to get some office work," said Mrs. Wright. Because she had few friends in Oakville, Miss Wright stayed close to her friends in Lonedell and Cedar Hill. Sometimes she would go back to the Elmwood Baptist Church in Lonedell. Miss Wright's hobbies of reading and painting did not take her out of the house much, and she seemed to prefer staying home.

"She was her mother's right hand since she (Mrs. Wright) lost her husband," said Mrs. Myrtle Unterreiner, who has worked with Mrs. Wright at Oakville Elementary School for four years. Mrs.

Evelyn Roberts, Mrs. Wright's stepmother, said that Pamela Wright had spent part of last summer with the Robertses at Table Rock Lake and had planned to go there over the Labor Day weekend. She stayed home instead and became the victim of the abduction and apparent murder. Funeral services for Miss Wright will be at 1 p.m. tomorrow at the Fey undertaking establishment, 4100 Lemay Ferry Road, Mehlville.

Friends have set up a fund to benefit the Wright family at Lemay Bank and Trust Co. Contributions can be sent to the bank, 152 Lemay Ferry Road, St. Louis, Mo. 63125. Contributions are not tax deductible.

By JERRI STROUD Of the Post-Dispatch Staff To those who knew Pamela Sue Wright, she was a thoughtful, quiet young woman who was close to her family and had few friends. Miss Wright, 18 years old, was abducted from her family's Oakville home Sept. 3 and apparently murdered. Her body was found Sunday in Point Creek in a heavily wooded area near the 7500 block of Christopher Drive, about five miles from the Wright home. "She was a very trusting, very naive person," said Diana Bequette, who was a friend of Miss Wright.

"She was too much of an innocent person to go through this." Miss Bequette, 19, said that she did not know Miss Wright until after she had been dating Miss Wright's brother for 2'j months. Miss Wright was too shy to introduce herself until then, Miss Bequette said. "She was really shy and a very introverted person," Miss Bequette said. "If someone would talk to her, she would speak back. But as far as making the first move, she never did." Miss Bequette said that Miss Wright had had no boyfriends and only one other close friend, Barbara Harrington of Cedar Hill.

Miss Wright spent most of her time with Miss Harrington, with her brother, Kevin, or at home with her mother, Mrs. Mary Wright, a widow. Miss Wright was a petite young woman, standing 5-foot-3 and weighing 90 pounds. Her shoulder-length blonde hair was usually worn hanging loose, framing her face. Miss Wright's shyness apparently hampered her efforts to make other friends at Oakville High School, Miss Bequette said.

Miss Wright had attended the school since she joined the senior class last October, when her family moved to St. Louis County from Franklin County. Miss Wright graduated from Oakville High School in May. Miss Wright told her mother that the students at Oakville High School were unfriendly and that she was not doing well in school, Miss Bequette recalled. Instead of attending graduation ceremonies, Miss Wright picked up her diploma at the school office.

The Wrights moved to St. Louis County four months after Pamela's father died of a heart attack in June 1976. Mrs. OPENS DOOR TURNS ON LIGHT CLOSES DOOR AUTOMATICALLY "GEKir'STAKOARD GENIE "DELUXE" SCREW D3VE MODEL CEttE "SUPREME" SCREW DRIVE MODEL CHAIN DRIVE MODEL WITH NORMAL INSTALLATION WITH NORMAL INSTALLATION WITH NORMAL INSTALLATION SVJJfMli, REG REG. 166.95 REG.

206.95 236.95 4W GARAGE DOOR OPENER WITH STANDARD CHAIN DRIVE WITH ONE TRANSMITTER FOR DOORS UP TO 7 FT. HIGH. 14 H.P. MOTOR. OR SECOND TRANSMITTER ADD $25 GARAGE DOOR OPENER HAS ft H.P.

MOTOR AND SCREW DRIVE. 1 TRANSMITTER FOR DOORS UP TO FOR SECOND TRANSMITTER ADD $23 OPENER HAS DELUXE ft H.P. SCREW DRIVE WITH TIME DELAY LITE. ONE TRANSMITTER FOR DOORS UP TO FOR SECOND TRANSMITTER AbD $25 Nazis Say Florissant Council Is Denying Their Civil Rights DOUBLE DEADB0LT LOCK SYSTEM PERFECT SECURITY PARTNER WITH OUR STEEL SECURITY DOORS SECURITY STORM DOORS TWO DOORS IN YOUR HOME FROM INTRUDERS WHILE SAVING YOU MONEY FROM LOSS OF EXPENSIVE ENERGY COLEiaYINSMED I 0 i SECURITY STORM DOCR By DAVID FINK Of the Post-Dispatch Staff After getting what he called the "bureaucratic shuffle" from the Florissant City Council last night, the leader of the American Nazi Party here said his group would go ahead and hold a rally in Florissant Oct. 8 "even if I have to get arrested." Michael C.

Allen, St. Louis district leader of the National Socialist (Nazi) Party of America, said Florissant officials were "trying to deny us our right to free speech and assembly" by refusing to consider a permit to rally at the Florissant Civic Center. "They won't discuss the issue because they know they're wrong," Allen said after City Council President Mrs. Jo Curran told him the council could not consider the rally permit because it was not on last night's agenda. Accompanied by four "stormtroopers" rirpccpH in hrnun shirts rnmhat hnnlc FEATURING HUVT SIEB FRAME WMuanieii woaitsoHonaun WUTKISTWMIR SKUtmimoa DECORATIVE IRON NW6Q MTU UNI IMBED SUB KTDRiUlIC DOOR ClOStl 1 only formal request for the rally permit.

After a written request submitted to Police Chief Robert Truetken, who only has authority to issue parade permits, Allen was told the request had to go to Parks and Recreation Commissioner G. Veach. Veach has told Allen orally that he would not grant permission in any case because a rally Outside the civic center would interfere with activities scheduled there that day. Allen said the proposed "White Unity" rally was designed to protect the "interests of white people." He has invited the Nazi Party's national director, Frank Collin, who led the organization's unsuccessful attempt last month to get a permit to march in full uniform in Skokie, 111., a predominantly Jewish suburb of Chicago. Allen said, "We'll do our best to take them (city officials) to court" if the rally permit is not granted.

He said officials of the American Civil Liberties Union of Eastern Missouri "were discussing the merits of the case right now." But Mrs. Joyce Armstrong, the ACLU's executive director here, said her organization "is not discussing the merits because we're not sure there is an issue yet." COMPLETELY INSTALLED THE GIBRALTOR COUNTRY SCENE TOM SAWYER MEMPHIS ON WOOD FRAME INSTUUTIONONMfTU ISSUCHnTHtCHER $200 $270 $309 $320 THE GRISC0 LOCKING SYSTEM IS THE ONLY TRUE SECURITY LOCK ON THE MARKET. OUR SYSTEM EVOLVES AROUND A DOUBLE DEAD BOLT LOCK. AS THE KEY IS TURNED THE LOCK IS ENGAGED. (FIG.

SIMULTANEOUSLY A DEAD BOLT IS ENGAGED ON THE HINGE SIDE (FIG. THIS MAKES IT IMPOSSIBLE TO FORCE ENTRY EVEN IF THE HINGE PIN OR HINGE SCREWS ARE REMOVED. LLuid swastika armbands, Allen told re- I Innrtprc that hie ornun unnlH nirlrpt thp 3JI0 1 36il0 DOORS Will II FURNISHED WITH TEMPERED CUSS, All OTHER SIZES Will HAVE ACRYLIC PANELS. PHONE 29 1 -7000 TODAY FOR FREE PLANNING AND ESTIMATE YOU ARE UNDER NO OBLIGATION! r. Florissant City Hall and "hold the rally anyway if we don't get satisfaction." But Mayor James J.

Eagan said later, "If they hold the rally, they'll get arrested. That's all." Allen said his group has been getting the "run around" from city officials about the rally permit. But apparently, Allen made a procedural error in his OPEN DAILY 8:30 A.M. to 9:30 P.M. KINGSHIGHWAT OPEN DAILY 1:30 A.M.-! P.M.

ILLINOIS STORES OPEN 9:00 A.M. lo 9:30 P.M. DAILY 'OPEN SUNDAYS 1 1 A.M. TILL P.M. Si.

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