St. Louis Post-Dispatch from St. Louis, Missouri • Page 5

ST.J.0UIS POST-DISPATCH WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 7, 1987 6A REGION Man Convicted In Murder Of South Side Grocer, Jay Nixon Files To Run Against Danforth In '88 Kraft, assistant public defender. She--. argued that Loggins could not be blamed for murder simply he had accompanied Russell the gun was delivered to Wright "Jusf because Robert maaa Iia's 1 i i I i i i. was uicic uuesu i uicau uc a mimci-. ed to the crime," Kraft said.

She told the jurors, "What you've heard. doesn't tell you that Robert did any more (of the crime) than Sharon, Wright did." Kraft also argued that the two-: youths who said they had seen Log- gins must have been mistaken. announcement was coming. Nixon said he would stay in the campaign for the Democratic Senate nomination if Lt. Gov.

Harriett Woods decided to run a thfrd time for the Senate. But Nixon said he doubted that Woods would take on a Senate race again. Woods lost to Danforth in 1982 and to Sen. Christopher S. Bond, last year.

At the press conference in St. Louis, Nixon said federal financing of education should be increased. He said defense expenditures could be cut through "competitiveness on bids." In an interview Monday in his office in Hillsboro, Nixon declined to identify issues where he would differ with Danforth. Nixon said these differences would come out later, and he predicted that "there will be a stark difference between us." He conceded that Danforth was heavily favored to win. But Nixon said of Danforth: "This guy is beatable.

We're going to be right on top of him about Oct. 15," 1988. Asked whether his actual goal was to achieve statewide name recognition through a Senate campaign next year in order to make himself a serious contender for governor or Senate later, Nixon answered: "Categorically no. There are a lot of easier ways to hours after the time the youths said-. mey naa seen Loggins in reiKovitn Cadillac, Kraft said.

Joyce-Hayes said that Loggins and the others might have gone back. set the fire after the robbery. Joyce-Hayes described tne crime. a "premeditated, cold and calcu-j lated murder." Loggins committed it-" only two months after he was leased from prison on parole, she said. Loggins has two previous convic- tions for first-degree robbery.

He also-. i has previous convictions for assault with the intent to rob. for By Lisha Gayle Of the Post-Dispatch Staff Robert Loggins was convicted Tuesday of first-degree murder in the slaying of a man who once owned the Servian a market on the Near South Side. Prosecutors sought the death penalty, but a jury recommended that Loggins be sentenced to life in prison without parole. Loggins, 27, of the 1600 block of Helen Street, is the second of three suspects to stand trial in the killing of Charles L.

Petkovich, 71. He was beaten, shot and left to die in a fire set Aug. 12, 1986, at his home, at 2644 Chouteau Avenue, a few doors from the market. Loggins also was convicted of first-degree robbery and first-degree arson in the crime. A jury deliberated just over an hour before convicting Loggins.

Later in the day, the jury deliberated about 30 minutes before recommending his sentence. The trial began Sept. 28 before Judge Thomas F. McGuire of the St. Louis Circuit Court.

Among the property taken from Petkovich was a tape deck and two Cadillacs. Police found a tape deck believed to be Petkovich's at the home of a relative of Loggins. Two youths testified that early on the night of the murder they had seen Loggins in a Cadillac like one Petkovich owned. Sharon Wright, 28, of St. Louis, testified that several days after the killing, Loggins and Terry Lee Russell, an accomplice, asked her to hide a pistol in her house.

Police later tested the weapon and identified it as one of two guns used to shoot Petkovich. Petkovich had known Loggins and his accomplices from the neighborhood, said Dee Joyce-Hayes, assistant circuit attorney. Loggins and his accomplices killed Petkovich to prevent him from identifying them as robbers, Joyce-Hayes said. Loggins' attorney was Karen E. Registration To Vote Nov.

3 Ends Today Today is the deadline for registering to vote or to make address changes in time to vote in the Nov. 3 election. The cutoff date is set by Missouri law. Three issues are on both the city and county ballots. One would make the History Museum part of the area's cultural tax district.

The other two are Metropolitan Sewer District issues concerning the retirement of revenue bonds and the standardization of rates. Three issues are being considered only in the city. Two of them concern the city's plan for a $59 million expansion of the Cervantes Center downtown. The city is asking voters to increase the restaurant food-sales tax by '2-cent and to set up a tax on occupied hotel rooms. City officials say the two taxes would raise about $4.2 million in 1989 and $5.7 million in 1990.

The city proposes to expand the convention center eastward over Seventh Street onto the parking lot that is south of the Sheraton St. Louis Hotel. In the third city-only issue, voters will be asked to set up a $40 annual charge on owners of residential property with six or fewer residential units, including single-family homes. The fee would raise about $3 million a year to pay for sewer-line repairs within public easements, such as under alleys and streets. Each city issue requires a simple majority for passage.

William Denkmann, Republican director of elections for the St. Louis Election Board, said eligible city residents may register to vote today at 150 locations. He said registrations are taken at all city public schools, and parochial high schools, community schools, public libraries and the Election Board's office downtown. He said registration closes at 5 p.m. except at libraries, where registration will continue until the libraries close for the evening.

St. Louis County has 499 registration locations at municipal and county libraries, city halls, public and private schools, churches, union halls and various businesses. For more information on registering to vote in St. Louis County, residents may call 889-2255. and for exhibiting a dangerous.

weapon. Loggins' wife Melinda Loggins, 25, of St. Louis asked the jurors to, spare his life. Loggins has been like a father to her two sons, ages 2 and. ai.aa thminh ha 1c nnt thpir By Fred W.

Lindecke Missouri Political Correspondent State Sen. Jay Nixon of Hillsboro announced Tuesday that he was filing a declaration with the Federal Election Commission of his intent to seek the Democratic nomination to run a'gainst Sen. John C. Danforth, next year. Nixon, 31, a lawyer in his freshman term in the Missouri Senate, held a press conference on the steps of the City Hall in De Soto, where he was reared.

He later held press conferences at the Adam's Mark Hotel in St. Louis, and in Columbia and Kansas City. Nixon said, "Many of the basic problems we face as a nation aren't being solved. In fact, they are growing worse." He said the trade and budget deficits were growing and that these deficits were "measures of our uncertain future." "I refuse to see Americans resign themselves to a future where our best days are behind us," Nixon said. "We must get on with the job of setting our nation on a new course and taking of our future." A formal announcement of his candidacy will come early next year, he said.

The filing Tuesday makes it legal for him to raise and spend money for a Senate race. Nixon's previous preparations had indicated Tuesday's Conviction In By Lisha Gayle Of the Post-Dispatch Staff An appeals court has called for a new trial for George Campbell, who was convicted last year of trying to rape a 4-year-old girl. On Tuesday, the Missouri Court of Appeals at St. Louis reversed Campbell's conviction and sent the case back for another trial in St. Louis Circuit Court.

Campbell, 34, of St. Louis, was convicted April 24, 1986, of attempted rape in the assault on the girl. At the same trial, the jury acquitted Campbell of attempted rape in the assault on a 3-year-old girl. Judge Brendan Ryan of the St. Lou Aide To Police Board Arthur R.

Coffey, secretary to the St. Louis Police Board for the past six years, will retire from the department Oct. 16 to take a job with Robert J. Baer, the board's president. Coffey will begin work Oct.

19 as Baer's executive assistant at United Van Lines. Baer is president of the company, which has its world headquarters in Fenton. CHESTERFIELD SAINT Assault On Girl Reversed Meunaa Loggins saia. "I know that Robert is a good per-. son," she said.

"We all love him. He'fr kmnnht i a a rt Anr familv Jay Nixon Problems "are growing worse" get statewide name recognition. Losing an election is not a way to further your career." Nixon said that the possibility of Rep. Richard A. Gephardt, D-St.

Louis, being on the national Democratic ticket as the presidential or vice presidential candidate next year would help his Senate candidacy. But Nixon said he was not counting on help from outside factors. "I really believe that Jay Nixon vs. Jack Danforth is a fair race" without help from other sources, Nixon said. girls in separate incidents.

A prosecutor questioned the prospective juror about his doubts. Finally, when the prosecutor asked him if he could presume Campbell innocent, the prospective juror replied, "I think so." That assurance was insufficient for the appeals court, which noted that "not once did (the prospective juror) indicate that he could try the case impartially. (His) responses to the prosecutor's questions expressed uncertainty and did nothing to expunge the clearly articulated bias that he had previously expressed." The jury that convicted Campbell never included the man who had indicated bias. The defense attorney was forced to use one of a limited number of "peremptory strikes" to eliminate the man from the jury. That move put Campbell at a disadvantage because his attorney could have used that peremptory strike to eliminate another prospective juror.

The appeals court's opinion was written by Judge William H. Crandall Jr. Concurring were Presiding Judge Paul J. Simon and Judge Stanley A. Grimm.

One of Loggins' accomplices, La- Don McCulley, was convicted Aug. .28 of second-degree murder in Petko- -vich's death. McCulley, 27, of the 2700 block of Rutger Street, also was con-: victed of first-degree burglary arson. Thp nthpr sitsnprt RiisspII. has ve.t to be tried in the crime.

He is 24 and -from the 4000 block of Folsom nue in south St. Louis. 1 Woman Wins Dispute With Taxicab Firm is Circuit Court sentenced Campbell to three years in prison. Campbell formerly lived in the 2500 block of Hebert Street, in north St. Louis.

During selection at Campbell's trial, Ryan denied a motion by Campbell's defense attorney to disqualify a prospective juror "for cause." Ryan was wrong to deny the motion, the appeals court ruled. Before testimony had begun in Campbell's trial, the prospective juror had told authorities that he might be unable to assume at the outset that Campbell was innocent. The prospective juror explained that he felt that way because Campbell had been accused not just by one girl, but by two Taking Outside Job "I've worked now with Art (in Police Board matters) for 2'2 years and have found him to be extremely competent, thorough and dependable," Baer said Tuesday. "This is a good career opportunity for him Coffey, 48, has been a police officer for 22 years. He was named board secretary by Homer Sayad, then president of the Police Board.

LOUIS GALLERIA Cab, had agreed earlier Tuesday to -pay the final $3,200 of the Judgment She urged the board not to rpvnkp Allen's nermit ine umy way iu gci yusuivc a--Hnn cppme tn hp whpn wp rnmf down' ucie, mcnauc aaiu. mis wuim. Steele, who did not attend tie, meeting, said Metcalfe's complaint was unfair. He said he had bought the company in June 1985 and has been paying prior court judgments as'J quickly as he can. A woman who put City Hall to use in her fight with a taxicab company said she got results, if only at the last minute.

The woman, Wanda F. Metcalfe, 28, of north St. Louis, went to the St. Louis Board of Public Service on Tuesday in a dispute with Allen Cab 1414 North Sarah Street. She said Allen had yet to pay in full on a court settlement she got in 1985.

For that reason, the board could have revoked Allen's operating permit. But what she told the board was that Marvin Steele, president of Allen NORTHWEST JAMESTOWN SOUTH COUNTY ISTINCTIVELY ST. CLAIR CREST WO 0 0 I If I I I iff rf 5 I ST. LOUIS CENTRE OUR NEWEST DILLARD'S WILL OPEN WEDNESDAY, OCT. 14 AT MID RIVERS MALL IN ST.

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