News-Press from Fort Myers, Florida • Page 23

oilier News-Press Reports From Staff Writers, Bureaus And Wire Services SECTION SUNDAY, JUNE 4, 1978 Man shot by deputy dies News-Press Bureau NAPLES Two weeks after being shot twice by a Collier County sheriff's deputy, Thomas Crews, 46, died Saturday at Naples Community Hospital. State Attorney Joseph D'Alessandro is expected to investigate the fatal shooting, Sheriff Aubrey Rogers said. "He is the man that has the responsibilty of determining if the shooting is wrongful," Rogers said of the May 21 incident. "I'm satisfied that the shooting was justified as self defense," Rogers said. Rogers said Crews, who had escaped May 19 from Collier County jail, threatened deputy Kristian Brommeland with a large tree limb before the deputy fired three shots.

Brommeland had first spotted Crews inside a car. After Brommeland stopped the car Crews ran into the woods, according to the sheriff's report. "I went after him," Brommeland said. "He picked up a piece of cypress about four or five feet long. I appealed to him to put it down, but he wouldn't do it," Brommeland said, adding that Crews tried to hit him with the limb.

Crews did not hit Brommeland with the tree limb, according to the sheriff's report. Brommeland said he fired three shots. One was a warning shot and two others hit the suspect, who was six to eight feet away. "I went to the scene and based on the information we have the shooting is justifiable," Rogers said. "The officer defended himself while making an arrest." "The death itself does not change that," he added.

Rogers said Brommeland will stay on active duty during the state attorney's investigation. Appeal Court: Matthews' comments not contempt News-PressBob Gorrell Despite frantic search via ads, magic number eludes advertiser "Defamatory words published by parties, counsel, or witnesses in the due course of judicial proceedings are absolutely privileged if connected with or relevant to the case," the Second District Court of Appeal, Lakeland, ruled. Matthews had been ordered by Wehle to appear last December 23, Turn To JAIL, Page 3B By BRIAN E. CROWLEY Newt-Press Bureau NAPLES A state appeals court ruled this week that George Matthews, publisher of the Public Trust, a Collier County publication, was not in contempt of court when he described retired Circuit Judge Victor O. Wehle as a "reputed hatchet judge" and "hit man." Editor's note: Occasionally, there is a classified ad in the News-Press that prompts a story.

Such was the case recently with an ad placed by Mona Eddy of Fort Myers Beach seeking number O-M for Winn Dixie Double Bingo which would give Mrs. Eddy a winning card and $2,002. Mrs. Eddy offered to split the prize winnings with anyone having 0-93. The News-Press contacted Mrs.

Eddy and published a story about her efforts on May 27. That story prompted the following letter from Mrs. Eddy. This Is her story as she tells it. Dear Editor: Let me thank you for the "lift" you gave my little ad in the Saturday, May 27 issue entitled "Somebody's Got Her Number." I have written soap operas for radio for 35 magic numbah! She lives in Fort Myers I'm on the Beach.

I tell her I'll be RIGHT THERE. She says she has been very lucky at the dog track in Sarasota and she wants to invest her money there. I can't give her cash, but I will bring her a check for $1,001.00 (half of the $2,002.00 if you can fill all four corners of the $1,001 section). Can't we go to the Winn Dixie? No, because it seems the winning card has to be checked in Atlanta. While I am rushing around, brushing my teeth with one hand and eating my breakfast with the other, the phone keeps ringing.

I inform them, liltingly, that the magic number has been found. None of the callers had it, anyway, until just as I was about to go out the door, a lady says she has another 0-93. Turn to NUMBER, Page 2B years and what happened after the story appeared is worthy of Chapter 2078 of "Portia Faces Life." Ten minutes after 7 a.m. the phone rang and a "friend" announced excitedly that she had 0-93. I think I jumped out of my skin twice.

I have found one of them, but the missing skin is still wandering about looking for my body. Staccato questions Shall we meet at her place or mine? Should we go to the Winn-Dixie NOW? How soon could we collect? Then, straight to the gut, "Oh, dear, I don't have it. Joke. Ha! Ha!" With friends like who needs viral pneumonia? By a quarter of eight, the phone is ringing like my head on the morning after. But no O-93's.

Just maybe we can match something else for the deal. Around nine, a lady calls with the Body found in glades News-Press Bureau NAPLES The nude body of a woman was dug from a shallow grave Saturday evening off State Road 29 near Alligator Alley. Two campers discovered the body, covered with lime, Saturday afternoon, the Collier sheriff's department reported. According to Chief Deputy Ray Barnett, the lime speeds the decomposition of a body. Barnett said the cause of death had not been determined.

Neither identification nor clothing was found with the body, the department said. An autopsy was performed Saturday night by the county medical examiner's office. The investigation into the discovery is Prosecution rests case in murder trial i 2 i IN Or Mvm 'm, f--f 1 -mV Jk A 1 By MARK STEPHENS Collier Bureau Chief NAPLES "I shot her once in the head I was mad, I was upset, I was still scared he backed up and sat down on the bed and I shot him." After playing that tape recorded statement, given to police officers by murder suspect William Christopher the day after his arrest, the prosecution Saturday rested its case in the Naples homicide trial. Christopher is accused of killing Bertha Skillin, 48, and George Ahern, 59. The trial of Christopher, who has pleaded not guilty, continues today in Naples.

Public Defender Robert Hines, who tried unsuccessfully prior to the trial to prevent introduction of the September 1977 confession, attempted to demonstrate what he called inconsistencies between Christopher's statement and other prosecution evidence. Hines apparently was trying for the second day to raise a question in jurors' minds about whether Christopher is taking the blame for the killings to protect his 15-year-old illegitimate daughter, Norma Sands. Norma, who said Thursday she has been Christopher's lover, was the adopted daughter of Mrs. Skillin. With no one allowed to leave or enter the courtroom, the eight-man, four-woman jury listened to the tape on which Christopher first I i Jl Lfammiini iiBiiini ti hi in mnvtm Medio pool photo ,.0 LOW-POWERED MOPEDS IN DEALER DISPLAY vehicles are subject of bill on governor's desk Moped dealers' response to new bill is varied By BRIAN E.

CROWLEY News-Press Bureau NAPLES It certainly isn't one of the hottest bills Governor Reubin Askew is considering signing into law, but within the moped industry it is controversial. Reactions from Southwest Florida moped dealers range from fears that sales will be destroyed to hopes of improving moped safety. Turn To MOPED, Page 3B COLLIER SHERIFF'S INVESTIGATOR HAROLD YOUNG SHOWS BLOODIED TENNIS SHOES TO JURY says they belonged to defendant William Christopher, accused of a 1977 double murder In Naples School, concealing the day's events from her, and left town according to a pre-arranaged plan. The tape recording showed Christopher then asked that the machine be turned off. Two Collier County sheriff's deputies and two Turn to TRIAL, Page 3B he was staying Aug.

31, 1977. He told officers he went to the room to find Ahern "jerking on the bed" from a gunshot wound, and Mrs. Skillin already dead in an adjoining bathroom. Christopher recounted how he picked up Norma at Lely High claimed he found Mrs. Skillin and Ahern dead, then changed his story and confessed to the shootings.

During the taped interrogation at the Memphis police department, Christopher first claimed he heard a shot from the bedroom of the Skillin apartment in Naples, where Consultant: Add turn lanes to Estero Blvd. now fare, spending $500,000 for resurfacing would be a waste of money. "If they resurface now and decide later on to rebuild it, that $500,000 would be down the drain," he said. According to Hall's estimates, expanding Estero Boulevard with turn lanes would cost $2,589,200. By using the $500,000 already set aside for resurfacing, the county would need to come up with an additional $2,089,200 for the widening project.

"It might be a little difficult to explain to these people (Fort Myers Beach residents) how the county can consider millions for airports, millions for a new bridge to Cape Coral, millions for recreational facilities, and yet not be able to locate the $2 million necessary to save the $500,000 that the people at the beach are contributing to the rebuilding of Estero Boulevard," Hall said in the letter. By the time the new Beach bridge and sewer system are complete, Hall said, Beach residents will have spent one and one-half years living with dust and construction work. It doesn't make sense to ask beach residents to go through another year of construction turmoil in the future when the work could be done simultaneously, he added. "It appears totally unfair to the people of the beach to dump $500,000 of their money has been set aside to resurface Estero Boulevard when the sewer work is completed in about a year. But the $500,000 won't pay for expanding Estero Boulevard with left-turn lanes, Hall said.

Last September, commissioners agreed to widen Estero Boulevard from 22 feet to 34 feet to provide 10-foot-wide turn lanes where needed. Although there was no money for the project, commissioners included the widening project in the $30 million road bond issue that was defeated by voters Jan. 31. Hall said if the commission still intends to expand Estero Island's major thorough By SUSAN BENNETT News-Press Staff Writer Consultants on the Fort Myers Beach sewer project are urging Lee County commissioners to find an additional $2 million to widen Estero Boulevard with left-turn lanes. If the money can be found, the consultants say the widening should be done in conjunction with the sewer and bridge work now underway to avoid long-term construction tie-ups on Estero Island.

According to a letter from Duane Hall of Duane Hall Associates $500,000 of the $15.9 million sewer construction project down the drain and then expect them to go through another period of time at a later date when Estero Boulevard will again be torn up," he said. Hall said he has discussed the widening project with Commissioner Roland Roberts, whose district includes Fort Myers Beach. Hall said Roberts favored proceeding with the widening of Estero Boulevard, although he didn't know where the county could get the money. Other commissioners expressed similar thoughts. Turn To WIDEN, PAGE 3B.