The Republic from Columbus, Indiana • Page 1

fl-P Miraculous discovery After missing for nine Stewart fans Over 2,000 fans attended Tony Stewart's autograph session at J.D. Byrider. Page B1 months, Elizabeth Smart is back home watching her favorite movie and playing the harp. Page A2 Mb Taming tho beast At Darlington Raceway, every lap is an adventure. i Page B10 HIGH: 54 LOW: 33 -A 1L JULIO 50 cents Friday, March 14, 2003 Columbus, Indiana Column One o) O) mmm OLD9 I a IP' iff is- 'h Mi it a Discovery of bones in Morgan County field ends 3-year search Staff and Wire Reports Human remains discovered by a hunter last weekend have been identified as those of Jill Behrman, an Indiana University student missing for nearly three years.

Authorities said Thursday that experts used dental records to identify bones found in Morgan County as Jill Behrman's. The reason why the investigation had shifted to a site north of Salt Creek Inside Time line of the Jill Behrman case. Back Page Bloomington, where detectives said they suspected Behrman was killed, was unclear. Detectives pledged to continue searching for those Associated Press California poppies bloom at the Antelope Valley California Poppy Reserve, Thursday, in Lancaster, Calif. Unexpected rebound The markets post their best gains in five months on the hopes of success in a potential war with Iraq.

Story, Page A7 Hoosierswln Indiana helped its chances of earning an NCAA Tournament berth with a 77-49 win over Penn State. Story, Page B1 Braves in regional Brownstown's boys basketball team is rolling into the regional thanks to an early-season changing of ways. Story, Page B1 Around Town changes The Republic's popular Around Town column is now easier to use. Starting today, a new phone line is in place for calling Orchids, Anniversaries, Birthdays and, Onions. The new numbers, available 24 hours a day are: Orchids: 375-5280 375-5281 Birthdays: 375-5282 Onions: 375-5283 Callers can follow the simple recorded instructions.

We also welcome faxed greetings at 379-5711 or e-mails to: editorial Coming Saturday Meaning of St. Patrick's Day Residents ponder St. Patrick's Day. Johnson County Daily Journal photo by Tracy T. Mendez Martinsville Police Department Capt.

William Jennings, left, watches as Indiana State Police Detective Rick Lang searches a discarded plastic bag Monday near the site in Morgan County, where bones were discovered Sunday. Police Identified the remains Thursday as Jill Behrman, an IU student missing since May 31 2000. Search for Louks continues Bones identified Police said Thursday the bones found near Paragon in Morgan County on Sunday belong to Jill Behrman, who disappeared nearly three years ago. responsible for Behrman's death. "The investigation starts afresh," said Sgt.

Dave Bursten of the Indiana State Police. "Everything done to this point, is still valid. At this point, everyone that was a suspect js still a suspect." Behrman, 19, was last seen riding her bike alone just south of Blooming-ton on the morning of May 31, 2000. Investigators have said she probably was hit by a pickup truck driven by someone under the influence of alcohol or drugs, and her body dumped. "All we know at this time is that Jill has been found," said Eric Behrman, Jill Behrman's father.

"It's just like as if it just happened. It kind of takes us back to the day and stuff like that. There's just been a long time in between." Thursday's announcement was a breakthrough in a lengthy investigation that generated many sketchy clues but had never recovered Behrman's body. Officials had no plans to conduct DNA testing on the remains, but they hoped the bones would provide new clues. They expected to spend two weeks analyzing the remains in an Indianapolis laboratory before returning the bones to the Behrman family.

"This recent event will allow them to bring Jill home, which has been the stated effort of the Behrman family all along," Monroe County Prosecutor (See BONES on Back Page) Mom has mixed emotions that remains fail to match 19-year-old daughter's By Bryan Corbin Johnson County Daily Journal MARTINSVILLE Suspicion that Brook- INDIANA I Morgan Johnson Franklin 1 Martinsville Sunday in the rural woods. The remains include a jawbone and teeth, which were compared to dental records of several missing people, including Louks. Forensic odontologist Ted Parks compared unique marks on the teeth to confirm the remains as Behrman's. The news that Brookley Louks had not been found left her mother, Kim Louks, with mixed emotions. "When I found out, it was a relief and a disappointment at the exact same time," Kim Louks said.

She expressed her condolences to' the Behrman family particularly to Eric Behrman, who has kept his missing daughter's case before the public eye for three years. "That poor man, bless his heart," she said. "I can't imagine going through what I've gone through for nine months, for three years." (See LOUKS on Back Page) pi 9 Paragon Bartholomew ley Louks remains had been found in Morgan County evaporated Thursday when the bones were identified as Jill Behrman's, the Indiana University student who vanished almost three years ago. Louks, 19, of Green- ivnnH HicanrukaroH 9d Columbus brown I Monroe r-f BROOKLV LOUKS Pouce assume she was killed, but a body has never been found. Two hunters stumbled across the bones The Republic graphic by Joe Skeel Timber wolves live on Army base Wire Reports FORT McCOY, Wis.

Five timber wolves have picked an unlikely and sometimes noisy place to call their home a military firing range. A female wolf named Sassafras and four other timber wolves have settled in the back-country of this huge Monroe County Army base, and the pack's home territory is right in the middle of the base's firing range. Tim Wilder, an endangered species biologist who works for the Army and keeps track of the wolves, said the wolves appear to be doing well, in spite of the occasional bomb blast. Wilder said the wolves are smart enough to avoid the areas where bombs fall. He also said soldiers hold their fire if the wolves are visible.

Index 2 sections Around Town Lotteries Business Movies AS Classifieds Obituaries A9 Comics Opinion A4 Dear Abby Sports Features B4 TV Listings Local Briefs Weather A10 Thought for the day Civilization is the progress toward a society of privacy. Ayn Rand American author 1905-1982 Mistake leads to revised county assessment ment rules, the office discovered a mis-, take. The new county figure: 93 percent. The difference is because of Columbus Township. New figures show that the township's assessed value increased 93 percent under reassessment also instead of 22 percent.

County Assessor Tom Owens said after he turned the previous numbers over to the Bartholomew County Com- That makes the county's total assessed value more, than $4.1 billion, up from roughly $2.1 billion. The revised numbers are still subject to appeals, deductions and approval from the state They are likely to change and predictions of final numbers are hard to make, Owens said. "Anybody who does will probably have egg on their face," he said. "7" Property tax rates have not been set." missioners Monday, he discovered that Columbus Township numbers were not final. The Columbus Township assessor's office and the county assessor's office are separate.

Columbus Township makes up more than half the county's total assessed value. Under new near-market rules, the township's assessed value is $2.5 billion, up from about $1.3 billion under old rules. Columbus Township error yields 93-percent jump for Bartholomew By Dave Evensen devensentherepublic.com Days after the assessor's office said Bartholomew County's assessed value increased SO percent due to new assess Man pleads guilty to robbery and robbery and sentenced to 75 years in prison. Laura Mcintosh, 19, of Colum Obituaries Page A9 Roy Bozell, 85, Edinburgh. Iva June Caldwell, 80, Columbus.

Michael D. Elder, 54, Seymour. Curtis E. Gullett, 68, North Manchester. Mildred I.

Hazelwood, 79, Vernon. Doris E. Hehe, 50, Westport. Merrill Milllman, 73, North Vernon. Ernest Edwin Robertson, 77, Westfield.

Margaret J. Todd, 88, North Vernon. C. Park York, 91, Martinsville. More troops active in city Camp Atterbury soldiers seen shopping, training in Columbus By Jerry Battiste jbattistetherepublic.com EDINBURGH Camp Atterbury has begun to make its presence known in the area through increased visibility of soldiers, and active combat training.

Maj. Chris Pfaff said soldiers who have completed their training at the camp are being brought in groups to stores in Columbus and Edinburgh. Soldiers training at the camp do not have transportation. (See TROOPS on Back Page) bus is awaiting trial on charges of felony murder and aiding an armed robbery, As part of a charge bargain County Prosecutor Bill Nash agreed to dismiss charges of hearing. "I believe this is appropriate for his role in the death," said Nash.

During Sanchez's trial, evidence showed Sanchez and Allen went to the apartment of Daniel Warren to rob him of money and drugs. After the robbery, Carothers ran outside to confront Allen and Sanchez and was shot once in the chest. According to the probable cause affidavit, Mcintosh drove Allen to and from the scene of the crime. Nash noted that if convicted of murder, Allen could have been sentenced up to 55 years in prison, and a Class A felony charge of robbery includes a possible sentence of 50 years. (See GUILTY on Back Page) a Plea causes murder charge to be dropped in Carothers case By Brenda Showalter bshowaltertherepublic.com A murder charge against Timmy T.

Allen was dismissed Thursday after the Columbus man pleaded guilty to robbery resulting in serious bodily injury, a Class A felony. Allen, 20, who will be sentenced on April 9, was one of three people charged in the death of Nathan Carothers in August 2001. Mario Sanchez, 26, of Columbus was convicted in May of murder TMMV ALLEN Contact Us Newsroom: 379-5665 Subscriptions: 379-5601 Missed Paper: 379-5601 Advertising: 379-5652 Classifieds: 379-5600 murder and armed robbery against Allen and to "refrain from making a specific sentencing recommendation" at the sentencing 2003 The Republic USPS 462480 1.