The Spokesman-Review from Spokane, Washington • 19

Spokane, Wash Coeur dAlene, Idaho Fnday, January 27, 1995 Page B3 Northwest 11 as adult Petitioners want murder suspect tried Defense argues 17-year-old accused of killing homeowner during burglary should be treated as juvenile have evidence of premeditation to file aggravated murder charges. Metzger said he is continuing to receive and review police reports, and will file stronger or additional charges if he can. He said there have been indications that Kukrall and Stackhouse saw the Roscoes arrive and may have had time to plan the murder. Wright said she challenged Metzger to do his best to prove that. Metzger said county residents are justified in demanding stronger protection from criminals.

Its the challenge of the judicial system to meet that expectation, he said, and I think its fair to say the juvenile justice system hasnt done that for a long time. Beyond any dispute, 6 are seeing more juveniles who are dangerous than ever before. in his back yard after he and his wife, Debbie, came home and interrupted a burglary. Police say Stackhouse admitted his role in that killing, as well as the Dec. 1 stabbing murder in east Spokane of 21-year-old prostitute Linda A.

Guillen. Stackhouse allegedly confessed to stabbing Guillen to death with Kukralls help as part of a plan to rob her. Both defendants are believed to have fired shots at Roscoe with guns stolen from Elk-area resident Mary Foster. Foster suffered a skull fracture and amnesia in a Jan. 7 attack and robbery at her home.

Stackhouse declined to plead during Kis arraignment Thursday in the Roscoe murder, so Superior Court Judge Larry Kristianson entered an innocent plea for him. Kristianson agreed to hear arguments Feb. 10 on Schwenkers motion to try Stackhouse as a juvenile. Kristianson postponed Kukralls arraignment until Feb. 9 so Public Defender Maryann Moreno could have more time to review police reports.

Kukrall and Stackhouse remain in jail bail. Their court-appointed attorneys declined Kristiansons invitation to discuss the issue. But Schwenker filed a lengthy document arguing that a new law unconstitutionally sends 16- and 17-year-olds to adult court if they are accused of serious, violent crimes. County Prosecutor Tom Metzger said a King County trial judge has upheld the By John Craig Staff writer NEWPORT, Wash. Defense attorney A1 Schwenker argued Thursday that murder suspect Tobias Stackhouse should be treated as a juvenile delinquent.

But a citizens group said what Stackhouse really needs is a chance to hang. Schwenker said Stackhouse, who will be 18 on Feb. 2, is being denied his constitutional rights every day he remains locked up in Pend Oreille Countys adult jail. Stackhouse and 21-year-old Jason Kukrall, both Elk-area residents, are charged with first-degree murder in the Jan. 11 shooting death of Elk-area homeowner Steve Roscoe.

Roscoe, 43, was shot through the heart law. The maximum penalty for murder in juvenile court is incarceration until age 21. In adult court, Stackhouse faces a minimum of 20 to 26'2 years behind bars if convicted of first-degree murder. The maximum penalty is life in prison. Metzger estimated that Kukrall, a convicted child rapist, faces a minimum sentence of 21 to almost 29 years if convicted of first-degree murder.

The penalties arent severe enough in the view of about 240 people who signed a petition urging Metzger to increase the charges to aggravated murder, which carries the death penalty. Newport-area resident Jeanie Wright, who led the petition drive with her husband, Chuck, said she was satisfied with Metzgers explanation that he must From staff and wire reports Briefly Public can review Spokane parks agreement, plans Copies of the Pacific Science Center lease agreement and the Manito Park plan are available for public review at all city libraries, COPS shops, community centers and in the Park Department office. The Manito plan guides suggested improvements to the park for the next five years, including upgrading irrigation systems, adding lights and improving accessibility. The proposed contract leases the Riverfront Park pavilion, IMAX Theatre and ice rink to the Pacific Science Center for 20 years with two 10-year renewal options. Written comments on the lease and the plan must be received by the Park Board no later than Feb.

8. A special public meeting on the Science Center lease takes place Tuesday at 7 p.m. in Rooms 1A and 2A of the downtown library, W906 Main. Pensioners Harold Kurt, at door, and Matt Buschbacher arrive Thursday morning at the Federal Building in Coeur dAlene for the latest round of hearings In the Gulf USA Corp. bankruptcy case.

ribe wants Gulf Corp. fire sale Police warn of sex offender Spokane police are alerting the public about the release of a sex offender considered to be a risk to the community. Todd Coats, 24, S106 Cedar, served time for second- degree child molestation involving a 12-year-old girl, police said. He is a Level 3 sex offender, considered the most dangerous. Coats also has convictions for lewdness, criminal trespassing, theft and several probation violations.

He is classified as very predatory and impulsive and has committed random acts of violence toward young girls, police said. In the past, he frequented area hotels or motels where children swim and has taken photos of them. Conditions of his release include that he must not be around minors and that he is not to go near playgrounds, parks or other places where children gather. Officer: Knievel looked OK Hours after alleged attack, daredevil seemed unharmed By William Miller Staff writer Four hours after he was supposedly beaten in his Spokane hotel room, Evel Knievel showed no sign of being injured, police testified Thursday. At the time, the former motorcycle daredevil was being questioned by officers in his room at the Ridpath Hotel.

Officer Jerry Martens said Knievel was bare-chested and appeared to be intoxicated. The testimony in Superior Court raises questions about Knievels claim that he was bruised and bloodied on Sept. 11, 1989, after a man barged into his lOth-floor room. Knievel is suing the Ridpath and its parent chain, WestCoast Hotels for invasion of privacy and emotional distress. His attorney, George Diana, claims the hotel is responsible because a desk clerk gave the alleged assailant, Clarence Cip Paulsen III, a spare key to Kme-vels room.

Knievel said he wound up with' a bloody nose and several bruises. But attorney Michael Nelson, representing the hotel, questions whether the incident really happened. Paulsen, a convicted cocaine trafficker, flatly denies fighting with Knievel. He is expected to take the witness stand today. Knievel, 56, told the jury Wednesday that he despises Paulsen and does his best to avoid him when visiting Spokane.

Several hours after he claims to have been assaulted, Knievel said Paulsen followed him into a downtown bar. Paulsen wound up attacking someone else and was arrested shortly before closing time. Officer Martens said Knievel requested the 3 a.m. meeting in his room to tell police about -a package of cocaine Paulsen nandea him prior to his arrest. Knievel couldnt explain why Paulsen would give him the package, but he said he immediately dumped it in a trash can at the bar.

In other testimony Thursday, Nelson introduced evidence re-buting Knievels claim of major financial losses stemming fropi the fight due to severe depression. Nelson said the retired daredevils income climbed after the Ridpath incident. Knievel reported gross income of $7,883 in 1985; $8,903 in 1986; $33,472 in 1987; $33,627 in 1988; and $12,596 in 1989; according to federal tax returns. In 1990, Knievels income jumped to $61,044, the records show. Superfund site.

Ray Givens, the tribes attorney, said Gulf should be liquidated because it has not been able to reorganize its debts since landing in Bankruptcy Court 15 months ago. During the last year, Gulfs top officer claimed that company insiders were scheming to defraud creditors and the public. Although blessed by the Environmental Protection Agency and the Department of Justice, Gulfs reorganization plan hints of insider dealing. It calls for a longtime client of Gulf Chairman Jay Millers to invest money in the company. This investor, Michael Karfunkel, also is a friend of Willi Sterns, a Gulf shareholder and director accused of foiling the sale of Gulf property in France.

That sale is needed to clean up the balance sheet of Gulf Resources Pacific a New Zealand subsidiary whose stock holdings comprise nearly all of Gulfs value. the plan is approved. There will be a reduced benefit, Berzon said. Itll be a serious cut, but one that we can live with. For more than a year, Inland Northwest pensioners have feared losing all or part of their medical coverage.

The reorganization plan was filed Thursday in an effort to derail a move by the Coeur dAlene Tribe and Gulf bondholders to liquidate the company immediately. Gulf has no ongoing business; the company has assets of $50 million to $80 million but liabilities exceeding $1 billion. A fire sale of Gulfs assets as opposed to a reorganization of debt could be devastating for retirees, their lawyers say. Gulf is former operator of the Bunker Hill mine and smelter complex in Kellogg. The company owes millions to bondholders and pensioners and for environmental cleanup at Bunker Hill, now a massive Reorganization plan would cut medical benefits for pensioners By Steve Massey Staff writer COEUR dALENE Medical benefits for hundreds of Gulf USA Corp.

pensioners would be cut under a bankruptcy reorganization plan unveiled Thursday. But pensioners fare far better than any other creditors in the plan filed at a morning hearing. The plan has not been approved. Any reduction is going to hurt me, said retiree Pete Piekarski of Pinehurst, Idaho. But Ive got confidence in my lawyers to get me the best deal possible.

One of those lawyers, Steve Berzon of San Francisco, said the pensioners will get about as much as they could expect from Gulfs bankruptcy reorganization, assuming County property values climb Dave Wunder, the countys chief appraiser, said the amount individual properties increase or decrease depends on a variety of factors including location, condition and demand. The new property values are used by the assessors office to calculate 1995 tax rates for schools, fire, library and sewer districts, as well cities and the county. The amount of taxes ultimately paid also depends on what individual school districts and governments decide to spend this year and how much bond debt is approved by voters. Treasurer Linda Wolverton said she needs at least two weeks to make corrections and process tax bills before they can be mailed. That means property owners wont see their bills until early March.

catch-up program by the assessors office, which transferred to a computerized mass appraisal system. During 1991 and 1992, when home prices climbed, there were no property revaluations because of the change to the new system. In 1993, county appraisers focused on single-family homes because that sector grew the most growth. Last year, appraisers concentrated on 20,000 commercial parcels, including retail businesses, duplexes and apartment buildings. Some had not been revalued by the county in five years.

The value of those properties increased an average of 20 percent and taxes on commercial property will see a larger increase than single-family homes, which climbed about 13 percent, including new construction. Assessors catch-up revaluations caused second year of rapid increase By Bruce Krasnow Staff writer For the second year in a row, the appraised value of property inside Spokane County increased significantly ana many owners especially those with commercial parcels will pay higher taxes as a result. The value of taxable property in Spokane County climbed to $15.1 billion in 1994, up from $13 billion. The 15.3 percent increase is not quite as high as the jump from 1992 to 1993, when values surged 26 percent the greatest increase in Washington state. Like last year, the rapid climb is due to a Man arrested in trailer fire Pinehurst, Idaho A Pinehurst man was arrested Wednesday evening for allegedly trying to set his ex-wifes trailer on fire while she was inside.

His ex-wife smelled something burning and called 911 around 8:30, said Pinehurst police patrolman Steve Berg. Paul Marquez, 51, was picked up near the residence and charged with first degree arson and assault with intent to commit murder. The trailer suffered only minor damage and the woman was unharmed. Woman convicted of child rape Wenatchee A Wenatchee woman involved in a child-sex ring has been convicted of three counts of first-degree child rape and one count of first-degree child molestation. Dorris Green, 34, was convicted Wednesday in Chelan County Superior Court.

She faces up to 23 years in prison when sentenced March 6. Green is one of seven adults accused in the sexual abuse of nine children. Police and prosecutors said the sex ring included incest and swapping of children I among three families and two unrelated men. Green was accused of abusing three children, now ages 12, 11 and 7. The 12-year-old boy and the 11-year-old girl testified that Green raped them at her home during Easter weekend 1991.

Five adults have already pleaded guilty to charges in the case. One man is scheduled for trial next week. Senator introduces suicide bill Olympia Terminally ill patients would have the right to commit suicide with the help of their doctors if a bill introduced Thursday by Sen. Cal Anderson, D-Seattle, becomes law. SB5596 would allow doctors to prescribe medication to help a terminally ill, mentally competent adult commit suicide.

In 1991, Washington voters defeated Initiative 119, which would have legalized doctor- assisted suicide of terminally ill patients. Medlock finally gets day in court in girls murder downtown Spokane on Oct. 17, 1993, and took her to a motel, where he killed her with a baseball bat. Her body was dumped along the Spokane River near Downriver Golf Course. Prosecutors accuse Medlock of killing Hedman during the commission of a robbery or a rape.

The defendant allegedly confessed to being responsible for the murder to Canadian authorities. Medlock lived in Spokane from 1968 until November 1993. He graduated from Lewis and Clark High School in 1978. He refused appointment of a public defender, saying he intends to hire a private lawyer in Seattle. Medlock, 35, was arrested more than a year ago in Vancouver, British Columbia, but until recently he fought extradition.

Hedman ran away from her Tacoma home several years ago. Living on the streets of Spokane, she became addicted to crack cocaine and became a prostitute known as Misty. Police believe Medlock picked up the girl in By William Miller Staff writer More than a year after his arrest, accused killer John Medlock finally was brought before a Spokane County judge Thursday. Medlock showed no emotion as he was notified formally of the first-degree murder charge he is facing in the beating death of 13-year-old Rebecca Hedman. I understand the charge, he said.

Bail in the case was set at $250,000. Medlock Vi 5 1 4.