Casper Star-Tribune from Casper, Wyoming • 3

nffry-i starCASFER AREA Thursday, Oct. 9, 1980 Star-Tribune, Casper, Verdict awaited in murder trial of Edith Bunrle t.t'A jury In an impass'oned final statement that Mrs. Buhrle was not wearing the gloves, and that the prosecution failed to prove that they were Indeed worn, and therefore had no proof that the shooting 'was premeditated. "The state is grasping at straws to get you to go to the Inference that Edith Is wicked," he told the Jury. HE SAID THAT his client's character was the central element on trial.

"There's no quetlon that Edith Buhrle Is a very decent human a simple woman, dedicated to her family. The kind of character that I've described and you've seen is not that of a murderer, or any kind of manslayer," he said. Bondl told the Jury that Mrs. Buhrle feared for her life when she shot her unarmed husband. "She was In fear.

She had a right to arm hef This is not a complex case. Ken Buhrle instilled in his wife a reasonable fear. It was that (ear that motivated her," he said. Casper gets new FM radio this month The University of Wyoming's noncommercial public radio station, KUWR-FM, Is scheduled to begin regular service in Casper on Oct.30 and officials say the station's varied format should have something to please everyone. The translator site and tower to be used by KUWR-FM were provided by KTWO-TV In Casper.

Located on Casper Mountain, the translator was built by KTWO engineer Steve Broomell. KUWR, at 88.7 on the FM dial, Is affiliated with National Public Radio, the nationwide satellite-interconnected radio system. Each of the 200 noncommercial radio stations belonging to the National Public Radio network contributes programming to the entire system. KUWR's programming will be a mix of locally-produced programs, and programs transmitted from member stations throughout the network. THE STATION WILL offer cultural programs including dramas, opera, classical, Jazz, folk music and live concerts from the University of Wyoming Floe Arts Center.

Not only will live performances from the University of Wyoming be available to KUWR listeners, but the satellite system will allow KUWR to present live concerts and events from across the country and around the world. For example, the station recently broadcast the Queen Elizabeth International Music Competition live from Brussels, Belgium, and a live performance from the 1980 Newport Jazz Festival. Because of the varied format, KUWR publishes a monthly program guide which Is free upon request. Interested listeners can subscribe by writing to: Public Information Director, KUWR-FM, Box 3984, University Station, Laramie, 82071. The Star-TrlbuneLISA EDMONDSON Mural art Terry Marsh stands before one of her representative the future, murals.

She hopes to do outdoor murals on buildings In Muralist tongs for the big outdoors Ms. Marsh, who owns Deromar Painting with partner Carla Derowitsch, stumbled into the indoor mural painting business by accident. FEW YEARS AGO, Ms. Derowitsch's sister, whose four children love Sesame Street, asked Ms. Marsh to draw Sesame Street characters on the wall of her home.

The mural was an Instant success with the children, so Ms. Marsh photographed it and began to sell the idea to others. Now she has trouble finding the time to do murals, because she's often busy with other Jobs for Deromar. She and Ms. Derowitsch do painting, both indoors and outdoors, some interior decorating, stalnwork and wall papering.

Accused youth 'has competence of 10 By MARY ANN TALIAFERRO Special toThe Star-Tribune CHEYENNE Two Denver doctors testified Wednesday that 17-year-old Dean Wood of Casper, charged with first-degree murder In the shooting deaths of a Rawlins couple, functions at the level of a 10-year-old. During a hearing before Laramie County District Judge Alan Johnson, Dr. Harry L. Townsend, a clinical-educational and Dr. John Burr, a psychiatrist, testified Wood is on the borderline of mental retardation and alto Is a borderline schizophrenic.

1 The hearing was on a defense motion that Wood be tried in Juvenile court. Judge Johnson took the motion under advise By KAREN VIKEUSTIS Of The Star-t-Trlbune Staff The first-degree murder trial of Edith Buhrle went to the Jury Wednesday, with the prosecution claiming her estranged husband "never had a chance," and the defense contending Mrs. Buhrle shot him in self-defense. In his hour-long closing argument, Dep-. uty County Attorney Jim Anderson told the Jury of seven men and five women that "Edith Buhrle's shooting of Ken Buhrle was a deliberate, purposeful and Intentional act "Before she shot him, he made no threats.

There was no violence. The victim remained behind a closed, chained door. The defendant was free to leave whenever she wanted. I submit that Ken Buhrle never had a chance," Anderson said, Judge J. Reuel Armstrong told the Jury it has four options: convicting Mrs.

Buhrle of first-degree murder, second-degree murder or manslaughter, or acquitting her altogether. THE DEFENSE HAS maintained throughout the eight days of testimony that Mrs. Buhrle shot her husband Oct. 2, 1979 at the Bel Air Motel In self-defense. Mrs.

Buhrle has testified her husband was a violent man, and had severely beaten her several times during their 18-year marriage. She admitted taking a rifle to the motel, and shooting her husband Kenneth through a crack In the motel room door. She testified she had been standing outside and talking to Buhrle through the partially-opened door with the gun leaning against her knee for about an hour and 45 minutes before shooting him. Buhrle had not let her in the room, and had kept the door's safety chain latched. Mrs.

Buhrle testified that she thought her husband was reaching for a gun when she fired. "The state does not deny, contradict or dispute the fact that there was family violence in the Buhrle household, that Ken sometimes abused his wife," Anderson told the jury. "BUT KEN BUHRLE IS not on trial here," he continued. "Just because Ken Buhrle abused his wife doesn't mean that he can't expect the same protection under the law as anyone else." Anderson claimed that Mrs. Buhrle shot her husband with premeditated malice, and should therefore be convicted of first-degree murder, rather than second-degree murder or manslaughter.

"You don't take a loaded hunting rifle, wearing rubber gloves, to your husband, unless you're thinking about doing something wrong," he said. Defense Attorney Harry Bond! told the Last year, only seven Poplar residents voted, Mrs. Booth said. A Many residents, who decided not to vote In November, said "it wouldn't make any difference" whether they did or not, Mrs. Booth said.

Highway Users to hold meeting Local and state highway needs will be the subject of a meeting Thursday from 9 to a.m. In the Casper Chamber of Commerce conference room, 500 N. Center Street. The gathering Is sponsored by the Wyoming Highway Users Federation and Is one of 10 forums planned statewide. State chapter President Dick Bennett will chair the meeting, which will be attended by representatives of the Wyoming Highway Department, the Wyoming Association of Municipalities, and county commissioners.

Participants will discuss highway problems and needs facing their Jurisdictional areas and will also talk about solutions. A study recently conducted In the state found that badly-worn roads cost Wyoming drivers an additional $34.3 million a year In wasted fuel, excessive tire wear and extra vehicle repairs amounting to about $108 per driver per year. The Road Information Program (TRIP), headquartered In Washington D.C., prepared the study for the Associated General Contractors of Wyoming. TRIP recommended a 10-year resurfacing and rebuilding program for about 3,000 miles of states roads, at an annual cost of $56.9 million. Missing mini-mummy tickles youthful fancy The two started their business four years ago.

Ms. Marsh was painting cars with the hope that she could draw murals on them. But she soon found that all her time was eaten up Just doing the painting and sanding. So she and Ms. Derowitsch started painting the friends' homes.

A local contractor gave them their first break, and they have been working both on their own and for contractors ever since. Ms. Marsh said the two woman team gets an espcially warm reception when they work in private homes, because the woman of the house feels more comfortable walking around in her bathrobe and curlers with female workers around. year old caught" and Is "using his innate Intelligence against the world." Burr testified that medical. examinations revealed Wood has "an abnormality in the handling of the blood sugar metabolism," a condition that causes "continued mental disorganization." BURR ALSO said that Wood felt his grandmother was the only person In the world who loved him, and therefore it was a traumatic experience when they were separated when the Wood family moved to Casper five years ago.

Wood's attorney, Anthony Ross, said the state will pay for the examinations by the two doctors through the public defender's' office, adding that he did not know what the cost would be. Casper BRIEFLY Reagan favorite in Poplar poll Presidential candidate Ronald Reagan won the most votes, and President Jimmy Carter took second place, among residents and staff at Poplar Living Center in a poll conducted there Tuesday About 75 residents and 25 staff members took part In the poll. When the results were tallied, Reagan had received 47 votes, Carter 36, and John Anderson four. Eleven people were undecided and three checked the ballot entry marked "other." Aside from an attempt by both Carter and Reagan advocates to "stuff the ballot box," the poll sparked a "hot and heavy" discussion about politics over lunch, said Poplar's public relations director Betty Booth. One of the residents suggested that Carter "muffed" rescue of the hostages, and offered an alternative solution to the problem, Mrs.

Booth said. Carter should begin bombing Iran's oil fields one-by-one, In six-hour Intervals until the hostages were returned, said one Poplar resident. The poll was conducted at the request of Geriatrics which owns Poplar Living Center and a number of other nursing homes, Mrs. Booth said. Its purpose was to Interest nursing home residents In voting In the November elections, she said.

And according to Mrs. Booth, It worked. About 39 residents out of a total of 119 planned to vote before the poll was conducted. About seven or eight more asked If they could be taken to vote after Tuesday's poll was taken. By ALISON ORESM AN 01 The Star-Tribune Staff Terry Marsh says she'd love to do an outdoor mural an a building somewhere to Casper, but so far no one has asked her to.

So she's staying with her indoor murals, which can be seen in a number of local private homes and doctor's offices. Ms. Marsh does cartoon characters, landscape scenes or anything else a customer desires. A four-by six-foot mural costs from $200 to $800. The murals are covered with a spray sealer and can be washed with soap and water.

She will also paint them on Masonlte board, so that "If people get tired of them they can take them down," Ms. Marsh said. ment. Assistant Laramie County Attorney David Kern objected to the proceedings on grounds that psychiatric examinations of Woods, who Is now at the State Hospital In Evanston, have not been completed. Johnson granted Kern's request that all material presented during Wednesday's hearing be sent to the State Hospital.

THE TWO doctors said Wood does not perceive reality In a normal fashion. Burr said Wood "views life as a spectator," and likened the young defendant's perception of death to a child who thinks If a ball Is out of the room, It doesn't exist. Townsend said Wood's behavior as early as kindergarten Indicated he was malad been an adult who stood no more than 14 Inches tall when alive. i A CASPER MAN, Ivan Goodman, bought the little man and took It to New York City, where It was featured In "Ripley's Believe It or Not" column In the early 1950s. Goodman fell ID while In New York and was flown back to Casper, where he died a short time later.

The mummy fill Into the bands of a man named Leonard Wadler. Both disappeared without a trace. Among the last clues about the mint-mummy were x-rays taken more than 20 years ago by Henry Shapiro, now head of the anthropology department at the American Museum of Natural History In New YorkClty. A r- County Library gets book boost. BY GREG BEAN Of The Star-Tribune Staff The Natrona County Library Board will be allowed'to spend Its $36,000 in windfall tax money after all.

The board voted Wednesday to put the unexpected mill tax levy funds into its 1980-81 budget, and library officials called the additional dollars a blessing. "We needed the money to buy new books, and that Is where we are going to spend $31,500," said Helen Lanning, library board chairwoman. The windfall money raised the library's budget from $586,000 to $622,000. The debate about whether various agencies funded by the county's 12-mlll levy, on property would be able to spend some $312,000 In windfall tax money has raging since late August. THE NATRONA COUNTY Commissioners based their 1980-81 budget on an estimated assessed valutation provided by the county assessor of $255 million.

The actual assessment approved by the State Board of Equalization, after the commissioners approved their budget, was $281 million -10 percent higher than the Initial estimate. That means the county stands to receive about $3,372,000 In mill levy tax, Instead of the estimated $3,060,000. The Natrona County Commissioners originally said the extra $312,000 would be distributed among and spent by the Various agencies funded by the 12-mlll levy. But the of that option was questionable because the county had already submitted a final budget THE COMMISSIONERS then decided that the extra $312,000 would have to be held over until next year. But that ruling will not apply to the Library's portion of the windfall tax money, said Board Chairwoman Lanning.

"The commissioners told us we could Incorporate our share ($36,000) Into this year's budget because we had not submitted a final budget," said Lanning. "Many county agencies submitted their budgets to the state examiner before we wlU. "After the state examiner has the budgets, there can be no change. Since we didn't finalize our budget until Wednesday, we were able to Incorporate the windfall monies Into our budget," Lanning said. IN ADDITION TO THE extra $31,500 the library board appropriated to purchase books Wednesday, they gave an additional $3,000 to the branch library in Edgerton.

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Outudo topor con your iocoi onmov tor or corrior, or tolMroo 1 -800-442-49 1 6. U5P4 0JoO justed and hyperactive. All through school, Townsend said, Wood had "social problems, academic problems and behavior problems." School personnel, he added, never acted on recommendations that Wood receive special education. Using an overhead projector, Townsend showed the results of numerous tests showing Wood's Inability to interpret and retain Information, his deficiencies In language skills and his lack of understanding Intangibles. Characteristically, Townsend said, people with Wood's tendencies daydream a lot and try to cover up their Inability to deal with reality and their inadequacies.

He said the teenager had learned how to manipulate the system "so he doesn't get Shapiro concluded that the body was that of an Infant suffering from a rare disease called anencephalltis which causes skull deformities, proportioning the child as an adult Children born with the ailment ususualty live only a few hours. George Gill, professor of anthorpology at the University of Wyoming, also received copies of the x-rays a few years ago and' reached the same conclusions as Shapiro. BUT, GILL HAS SAID, although the' mummy was a child, It could have scientific value. Legends of a race of "little men" existed among Indian tribes from the Dakotas to the Pacific Northwest Mi ll I By PENELOPE PURDY Of the Star-Tribune Staff For someone who hasn't been seen In SO years, that little man sure makes a lot of people talk. A group of junior high students from New York state is Investigating the "Casper Mummy," a six-inch mummified human discovered in the Pedro Mountains 60 miles southwest of Casper In 1932.

The Junior high group, a club called "In Search of Ancient Mysteries," became Interested In the little mummy when science teacher Frank Benjamin told them that he first read of the Pedro Mountain miniature mummy In 1969. At the time, Benjamin was a college undergraduate researching prehistoric man In East and South Africa. He did not follow up on the North American find. "BUT IT WAS ALWAYS there in the back of my mind," Benjamin said Wednesday. The latest Information the Junior high club was able to find about the mummy was a Casper Star-Tribune article dated Jan.

14, 1968, Benjamin said. The club's Inquiry this week was not the first to reach the newspaper. Last summer, a Texas book publisher contacted The Stzr-Trlbune seeking similar Information. Articles on the mummy appeared in national magazines as late as 1977. Interest In the body, apparently mum-mfled naturally by Wyoming's dry climate, remains high despite the disappearance of the little man more than 30 years ago.

Two gold miners while discovered the mummy sitting cross-legged on a shelf In a cave in 1932. They showed their discovery to other people and It was first dismissed as a hoax. But Harvard researchers eventually X-rayed the mummy and confirmed It was human. At the time, people believed It had.