St. Louis Post-Dispatch from St. Louis, Missouri • Page B001

IM OWDEN AND ATTHEW ATHAWAY Of the Post-Dispatch The Highway 30 sniper who pinned down police in Jefferson County for more than two hours over the weekend was actually a drunken teenager shooting into the air and at trees, police said Wednesday. Donald Christie, 19, of House Springs, was charged Wednesday with unlawful use of a weapon. Police allege he a gun into a tree behind his home near Highway 30 and at least one shot into the air while a police helicopter investigating the shootings was overhead. No one was injured in the incident, but it prompted fears among motorists and nearby residents, who worried that a gunman might be on the loose. is no sniper, and we feel comfortable in saying said Jefferson County Sheriff Oliver Boyer.

is safe to drive through that area and conduct whatever business they would normally be Boyer said that instead of a sniper targeting police and motorists from a hidden perch, the suspect was trying to show off his marksmanship. Boyer said Christie, of Mockingbird Lane in House Springs, was attending a party hosted by his 17-year-old sister, on Glendale PAGE b01md1me0519 See Shooting, B5 SECTION HURSDAY AY 19 2005 ETRO OUIS ETRO OUIS says eclipse explains John death WAS losing patience with me. got to act like a journalist. This is the biggest story of your His remarks bugged me, but I agreed to meet with him. I had, after all, rescheduled meeting with him twice.

He had a story a dangerous, controversial story about murder and intrigue and I showing the proper amount of zeal. call me he said when we met last week. Like of the infamous Watergate investigation, my contact wants to operate incognito. The information he has could end our careers, even our he whispered conspiratorially. going to prove to you that John Paul II was the victim of a ritual Whoa, whoa, whoa! of the year or he was bonkers if he thought write about the of the pope.

brought a stack of books about the solar system, Catholicism and a detailed astrological timeline of the death all rather intimidating. OK, listen, but there was no way in Hades our conversation would become a column. Or so I thought. His theory, in brief, works like this: Karol Wojtyla (Pope John Paul II) was born on May 18, 1920, the day of a solar eclipse. He died on April 2, at 9:37 p.m.

(Vatican time), one week, to the exact second, before the rare eclipse, Astrologer explained. Now, a guy who tell the difference between a moon and the in the But from what I read, an eclipse occurs when the sun, moon and Earth are in line. During the total annular phases, the eclipse appears as a halo in the heavens. The seven-day funeral of the pope ended during the of the rare annular solar eclipse. The timing represents an according to Astrologer.

John Paul II was born, died and another pope was symbolically while a halo appeared in the heavens. just die on Astrologer said. Vatican knew the eclipse was coming. John death was Catholics practice many rituals during a passing. Tolling bells, closed bronze doors, shuttered windows and somber music all have symbolic meanings.

Tradition calls for the (acting head of the Vatican until a successor is elected) to strike the pope on the head three times with a silver hammer. While hitting the pope, camerlengo Eduardo Martinez Somalo called his baptismal name Karol. Apparently, the pope complain, so he was pronounced dead by Somalo. Astrologer believes the pope was murdered during the ritual. a huge leap.

Granted, Roman Catholics may have some interesting rituals. And, sure, experts say total solar eclipses last less than seven minutes, so the chances of anyone entering the world and leaving the world during one is extremely rare. Still, to say those around the dying pope planned or fudged the time of his death to coincide with an eclipse is an irresponsible allegation. Not surprisingly, the death and a solar timeline was discussed on the Internet. Nothing I read mentioned Most the death as a prophesied 10 centuries ago.

According to the Catholic Encyclopedia, St. Malachy predicted the successors for all popes dating back to 1143. He used a single description, in Latin, to identify the pontiffs. The description applied to the 110th pope (John Paul II) was Labore (of the Solar Eclipse). Intrigued, I sent the treatise to a few local professors.

Bruce Wilking, the chairman of the department of physics and astronomy at the University of Missouri at St. Louis, responded in an e-mail; see no relation between any of these events. A more plausible explanation is that a series of health problems related to disease were responsible for his Oh that. Even so, the version is alluring, providing intrigue and suspense. Heck, probably become a best-selling author.

I never thought write about this, but just in case remember that you read it here E-mail: Phone: 314-340-8374 Talk in his forum: STLtoday.com/sbrown LLEN UTTERMAN Of the Post-Dispatch River Splash, the premier St. Louis concert series of last summer, looks to be in jeopardy this year. It has no major corporate funding and few prospects. Plus, as it gets closer to July, peak time for summer concerts, the chances of booking A-level talent grow dimmer, too. Nevertheless, downtown supporters are hoping a white knight, or knights with a lot of green cash step in and rescue the event, or at least some semblance of it.

have been told that if we had the money, we would still be able to book quality talent, but we be real said Ann Chance, special events manager of Downtown St. Louis Partnership. depends on what acts are touring and how their schedule with River Splash took place over six weeks in the summer, bringing more than 200,000 people to the St. Louis riverfront to hear free performances by some of the biggest names in blues, rock, country and jazz. These included Dr.

John, B.B. King, Lyle Lovett, Los Lobos, the Neville Brothers and the B-52s. St. Louis 2004, a civic group formed to revitalize the region, spearheaded River Splash, which was funded primarily by Enterprise Rent-A-Car, Express Scripts and the Danforth Foundation. The concert series was never conceived of as an ongoing, annual event, but it drew such raves that many hoped it would continue.

St. Louis Mayor Francis Slay remarked in August that River Splash had been too successful to let slip away and should return in 2005, even if it was scaled down. ICHAEL D. ORKIN AND ERRY ANEY Of the Post-Dispatch Consumer groups are criticizing the of a man who for 15 years represented the public in Missouri utility-rate cases. They say the dismissal comes just as consumers need his help most as some electric and gas companies are preparing to seek major price increases.

Gov. Matt administration ordered the which ousted John Coffman, a career attorney in the office of the public counsel and head of the office since 2001. Norma Collins of the AARP in Missouri asserted Wednesday that Coffman was fired for doing his job. was doing what he was supposed to do representing The firing shocked her, she added. Critics noted that dismissal came after he spoke out against two bills pushed by utility lobbyists.

Coffman warned that the legislation could mean hundreds of millions of dollars in extra utility bills for consumers. AVID ONETTI Post-Dispatch Visual Arts Critic The Contemporary Art Museum St. Louis has won a Pulitzer prize of sorts. The museum announced to its board on Wednesday that Emily Rauh Pulitzer has donated $5.4 million, the largest single gift in the nearly quarter century of existence. In addition, John and Alison Ferring, longtime supporters of the museum, have donated $1 million.

Together, the $6.4 million in gifts completes the $15 million capital campaign and brings its endowment to $3.5 million. Since the Contemporary launched its capital and endowment campaigns in 1999, more than 150 individuals, foundations and corporations have contributed. we can stop worrying about paying bills and focus on growing our said Paul Ha, museum director since 2002. John Ferring said, you have debt and no endowment, you He had feared that the Contemporary last long, despite its stylish new building and crowded openings, without a successful campaign. want it to disappear, so we started to look at what would make it thrive.

We started talking to Emmy (Pulitzer) about the situation and came up with the current donation is part outright gift, part challenge grant and part reward for future performance. The challenge component is contingent upon the Contemporary raising $1.5 million more for its endowment by June 30, 2007. ILL RYAN AND OBERT ATRICK Of the Post-Dispatch As Vernon Brown lay on his belly in a prison cot, watching the last movie of his life, a St. Louis police homicide investigator sat just out- side the death row cell and waited. Detective Tom Carroll said he hoped, prayed, that the twice-condemned killer would break silence and admit one of the most haunting murders the rape and decapitation of an girl in an abandoned building in 1983.

But the movie reached its end, and Brown was carted off to the execution chamber of the prison at Bonne Terre without revealing anything that would implicate or exonerate him. He died at 2:25 a.m. Wednesday, taking with him what police ured could be their best chance of identifying the girl and her killer. I believe he did said Carroll, who has worked homicide for 10 years and combed through the case since 1999. He acknowledges there is no hard evidence.

But he said Brown was among a tiny subset of those who kill. was his style, tying up little Carroll explained. many child killers are Authorities say Brown was a child killer at the very least. And not only a child killer, but a killer who nearly cut off one head, another grisly criminal subset. Brown Police suspected him in 1983 killing Christie Accused of unlawful use of weapon Coffman Represented public in utility- rate cases Killer refuses to help police THE EXECUTION OF VERNON BROWN $5.4 million donation helps museum reach campaign goal Last free concerts are still on this wish list Firing will hurt consumers, critics say Man is charged, but not as a sniper St.

Louis detective hoped inmate could shed light on other murder Police say he was drunk, shooting at trees, in air Lawyer opposed two bills 7 ARE HURT IN TRUCK-TRAIN WRECK DAWN MAJORS POST-DISPATCH St. Louis police investigate wreckage Wednesday morning after an Amtrak train rammed a tractor-trailer at a crossing near Manchester Avenue just west of Kingshighway. The driver of the truck was critically injured, and six passengers aboard the train were hurt. Story on B4 GABRIEL B. TAIT POST-DISPATCH Fans cheer the alternative rock band Eve 6 at a free River Splash concert below the Gateway Arch on July 15.

See Concerts, B4 See Coffman, B4 See Museum, B3 See Execution, B3 LAST SPLASH Length: Over six weeks Top acts: Dr. John, B.B. King, Lyle Lovett, Los Lobos, the Neville Brothers and the B-52s Top sponsors: Enterprise Rent-A- Car, Express Scripts, Danforth Foundation Cost: Free THIS POSSIBILITY Possible length: One weekend Top acts: A national headliner and a show by a local or regional band to be announced. Top sponsors: TBA Cost: Free.