The Los Angeles Times from Los Angeles, California • 51

Cos Angetes trimes Saturday August 20 I983Part II 1 1 Daughters Murdered on 'Once in a Lifetime' Trip to America An Anguished Search by Two Swedish Fathers Ends in Tragedy By CAROL MC CRAW Times Staff Writer 'T A 14 few 44'N)iti friveol 4'' A 4 ''0'qE 1 4 Alp It 4 A 1111 dot Ilk 4 --4' a Ave ''2 maternal grandmother Even before he had seen the jewelry Lilienberg sensed that his daughter was dead he said Friday in a telephone interview from Santa Maria "I have had an empty feeling inside me the past week I am so very very close to my daughter We always talked and played tennis and I just knew something horrible had happened" he said his steady voice catching for a moment Marie a skier always dreamed of visiting America to ski on the powder snow in the Colorado Rockies She saved her money and got a bank loan to make the trip to the United States "I remember the day she got the loan I went with her to co-sign She was so excited" her father said She had taken pre-college courses in tourism and had worked as a nurses aide But sports was her real love and she planned someday to be a gym teacher "She loved little children and was always organizing training classes for them at the local tennis clubs" her father recalled "She was a very sensitive girl always taking care of her friends when they needed support and a very conscientious and moral person" Marie flew to Vail Colo in November worked mornings as a earlier telephone conversation with his daughter He had last talked to her on July 16 when she told him she had been doing some hitchhiking 01 told her not to do it anymore had visited America before and know it is not like Sweden it is dangerous to do that there She did not respond at first but four hours later she called me back and said she did not want to worry me so she would not hitchhike to Los Angeles" The two fathers met at the Redwood City Police Department two weeks ago and spent long anxious days talking to bus drivers and others who might have seen their daughters On Tuesday they went on San Francisco television to ask for help in locating the women On Thursday they planned to fly to Los Angeles and make the same appeal But that afternoon the Santa Barbara Sheriff's Department notified Redwood City police that two bodies had been discovered by hunters in the Los Padres National Forest about 25 miles east of Santa Maria One body was found hidden in brush about 40 feet off the highway The other body had been dragged several yards away by a wild animal sheriffs investigators said Dreading what they might find in Santa Maria the two fathers said The "once in a lifetime" trip to America for two young Swedish women came to a tragic end off a lonely stretch of Highway 166 in the Los Padres National Forest near Santa Maria where their nude bodies were found in a ditch by deer hunters this week With the discovery came the end of an anguished 5400-mile journey for their fathers who flew to California two weeks ago to search for their daughters who disappeared July 22 Authorities Friday were investigating the deaths as murders although the cause of death was not immediately announced pending completion of autopsies The Santa Barbara County coroner's office after a telephone conference with Stockholm dentists Friday was able to tentatively identify the decomposed bodies of Marie Lilienberg 23 and Maria Wahlen 25 through dental work Ove Lilienberg a 58-year old Stockholm drug counselor has no doubts over identity Thursday evening he identified a small gold medallion found on one of the bodies The medallion etched with the Madonna on one side and the Lourdes religious shrine on the other belonged to the youngest of his three daughters Marie always wore the family heirloom which had been given to her by her little on the short trip from Redwood City "It seemed to take forever" Lilienberg said Lars Malmstrom the Swedish consul from Los Angeles flew to Santa Maria to aid the men "It is all so very sad" he said Wahlen overcome with grief could not talk about his daughter Malmstrom said There are no no suspects law officers said Ten unusually large working on the case and volunteer search and rescue units are also conducting an extensive search for clues in 25 miles of brushy rangeland between Highway 166 and Highway 101 "These kind of cases are tough to break" said Santa Barbara Sheriffs Deputy Chuck Gourley The two parents will return to Sweden early next week Lilienberg said he takes no animosity for America with him: "It could have happened anywhere" The bodies of their daughters will remain at the Santa Barbara County coroner's office while the investigation continues "Leaving her here for now is not so difficult Lilienberg said "Making the telephone call home to my wife was what was hard I was so scared to do it But in a way it was a relief to at least know what happened to Marie" Lilienberg said Associated Press Associated Pre Maria Wahlen Marie Lilienberg They left that city July 22 saying they planned to hitchhike to Los Angeles to catch a flight to Sweden "Marie was supposed to be home Sunday July 31 at 1:50 time is engraved forever on my heart" Lilienberg said When Marie didn't arrive on the scheduled flight he became immediately concerned because of an maid in several of the hotels there and spent the afternoons skiing She met Maria a grade-school teacher from Sweden who was also spending the winter there and they became friends In mid-July with their stay in America nearing its end they came to California to sightsee and visit friends in Redwood City SPONGE: No Link to Syndrome Found Lee'S NITEED A VIINGS A GUAR -IF LEES "BEST BUY" ELSEWHERE DAYS OF THE DAY OF PURCHASE CONDITIONS) LEES WILL REFUND 5 Vii ruriniA3 0R youR moNEy BAcKl- -FWOI TRH LESS SAME TWEI RT HM SN A3NO DI THE DIFFERENCE PLUS Save on every barstool in every imaginable style $29988REG $401 94 Charming Country English Barstool with sculpture back and turned post legs Antique brass foot rest Tudor oak finish Covered in British Royal In 24 or 30' YOU CAN PURCHASE FOR LESS (WITHIN 30 WITH SAME TERMS AND THE DIFFERENCE PLUS or 30 British Royal In 24 $3 988 REG $69 94 Continued from First Page recovered from her illness the FDA said Anne Bellegia marketing director for VIA Corp the Irvine-based manufacturer of the sponge said this was the first incident reported since the device was put on sale July 1 in all Western states Whether the sponge can cause toxic shock has been the subject of much heated discussion Before the device went on sale a consumer group in Rochester NY a pharmacologist association in New York and New York Rep Ted Weiss each contended that the new birth-control method was not adequately tested before receiving FDA approval and could cause toxic shock or cancer Congressional hearings were held on the matter shortly before drugstores began selling the device over the counter The consumer and pharmacologist groups that petitioned the FDA in April to rescind its approval of Today said Friday that they will insist on seeing copies of the FDA report on the Santa Rosa woman's case "We're not satisfied with the answers by the FDA or the producers of the product" said Judy Braiman president of the Rochester group "and we've also heard of other incidents which we haven't been able to verify" William Hill FDA director in San Francisco where the report on the possible toxic shock syndrome case was originally filed said that while the FDA will continue to monitor the incident "We feel there is little merit to the possibility it might be toxic shock" Transitional low back swivel barstoa rich Palomino vinyl Solid wood frame with brass finish foot rail 30 only LA County Employees Fail in Bid for Benefits ONANZA! 3 $7788 REG $109 94 Elegant metal barstool with floral detailed back VanillaButtercup Inquire abou ou peciw owitate4 totryounommercia ontrac urnishIng- eed 1 St $5988REG $2488 REG $4994 The original swivel bar-stool in black vinyl Solid wood frame with brass finish foot rail 30 Only $3988 4-1 REG $89 94 Sturdy 30" high barstool in dark walnut finish Durable canvas seat and back in yellow blue orange and brown $99 94 $4 488 Lil REG 859 88 Contemporary barstoot Brilliant chrome finish covered in England Sand or Cognac 24 or al! $1 88 1 C1 0 REG $159 94 $1 2088' if REG $179 94 'Warehouse pick-up price Some items may have been previously marked down 9 7 'NI -411111 1111111p '6i' A 1 i ab i i I 44111tti i'l 1 0 t'ia 0 4 alb I I A Nil A 1 1 I 4''a 11 11 1 90- i VIP Ar 1 4 ii I I lk 2 4 8 8 ft 01 REG $49 94 111 11 ail 1 I' 1 1 11( The original swivel bar- stool in black vinyl Solid wood frame with N' brass finish foot rail 30" only I I' I Skr Ago REG $89 94 410 41 'llIl 1101111 11 Sturdy 30" high barstool ktia in dark walnut finish Sit 4 l' yob Durable canvas seat and REG $5to s9 88 11 back in yellow blue Contempor88ary barol -fil81104 orange and brown Brilliant chrome finish Ng IIIP covered in England Sand KAI or Cognac 24" or 30" 1111 1 'I 111-vokNOW-4141 i Inquire abou ou 0- peclw 'lb VOlgOtti 0-1 lovilate4 totryounoTmerco 1 1 SathelNkelf pial i BARSTOOL BONANZA! a I0ii ontrac urnishing eed 1 -ILIIP-A1'1 St I 10111111111 leo til momW Fiml till 111 4 'Warehouse pick-up once Some items may have been previously marked down A ww wi- fri 4 di 0 2 I v- I I -e et x44': iN Nia 11111 1st 1 1 4 I 0 ilk' 0 IC i 7 ill I 4z olitle- ye II tit 1- 41 1 11 9Al' 'lit I 4 I i 4 1 1 i -------'ist i li '1 i 111 i I' al 4 i 1 4 1 1 W11'S 9 4 I I 1 I it 11- ill II I iiiir 1 4 I I i S5988 $7788 1 1 9 94 1 2 9 8RE8G $179 94 PEG $99 94 REG $109 94 Elegant metal barstool with floral detailed back VanillaButtercup By MYRNA OLIVER Times Staff Writer About 43000 Los Angeles County employees belonging to unions still negotiating new contracts failed Friday in a court bid to force the Board of Supervisors to pay recent increases in the cost of employee health benefits Supervisors offered to increase the maximum contribution toward health insurance premiums from $143 to $188 monthly in a memorandum of understanding last July 1 Premium increases already are being paid for about 17000 employees whose unions have agreed on contracts but have been withheld from members whose unions have not yet completed new contracts Called 'Arbitrary and Capricious' Rees Lloyd attorney for the still-bargaining employees claimed in court that the disparity unconstitutionally discriminates against his clients and was an "arbitrary and capricious" decision by the supervisors But Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Norman Dowds said he could not order supervisors to pay the holdout union members the increases because the July 1 memorandum of understanding had not yet been agreed upon and was not an enforceable contract As for those now receiving the benefits Deputy County Counsel William Stewart said after the court sessionthat supervisors have the authority to pay the benefits if they wish to do so He said all unions have clearly been told that their members would receive the increases when contract settlements are reached Asked if he would appeal Dowds' ruling Lloyd the unions' attorney said angrily: "You're damned right I'm going to" Deducted From Paychecks The problem for still-bargaining employees is that the county's five health insurance carriers Blue Cross and Blue Shield and three Health Maintenance Organizations HMOs) implement their planned premium increases Sept I In order to meet those payments county administrators decided the increased costs must be deducted from still-bargaining employees' August paychecks For those with family health coverage this meant a deduction of up to $90 from their Aug 10 paychecks for September premiums Up to $45 toward October premiums is scheduled to be deducted from the paychecks due next Thursday Lloyd said that denying the increases causes the greatest hardship to women who are heads of families and must pay nearly $90 a month out of their own pocket pending resolution of the contract disputes $7888 REG $129 94 Transitional swivel bar-stool solid wood frame with brass finish foot rail Covered in chestnut vinyl 30" only $7888REG S129 94 Transitional swivel bar- stool solid wood frame with brass finish foot rail Colonial swi'vel barstool turned post design back and legs In Pine or maple finish 24" and Colonial swi'vel barstool turned post design back and legs In Pine or 24" or 30" Swivel rattan barstool Lattice design back in oak finish Nevada Vinyl covered seat 24" or 30" Swivel rattan barstool Lattice design back in oak finish Tub chair style barstool Classic barley twist legs with bright metal footrest Covered in Durango Brindle vinyl Tub chair style barstool Classic barley twist legs with bright metal footrest HI 351 SHAATEA 946 El CA 789 SEVERLY CENTER Joe 351 SANTA MONICA PL PHONE 401-HATS 709 BEVERLY CENTER I I I 821 MMUS 0 INN OME FURNISHING CENTER FOR BARSTDINEIN GAME SETSMAND BAR STOOLS ANAHEIM 909 Euclid off Santa Ana Riverside Frwy CANOGA PARK 22027 Vanowen at Topanga Canyon Blvd CARSON 425 Torrance Blvd Harbor Frwy Torrance Boulevard exit DOWNEY 9453 Firestone Blvd off 605 Frw MMEWHOME FURNISHING CENTER FOR BARBTDINEIN GAME SETSIWAND BAR STOOLBII ANAHEIM 909 Euclid off Santa Ana Riverside Frwy CANOGA PARK 22027 Vanowen at Topanga Canyon Blvd CARSON 425 Torrance Blvd Harbor Frwy Torrance Boulevard exit DOWNEY 9453 Firestone Blvd off 605 Frwy PHONE 667-HATS EVERY HAT UNDER THE SUN Men WomenSkimmer Winter Sports Fashion WEST COVINA 533 Azusa Ave San Bernardino Frwy Azusa Ave exit WEST LOS ANGELES 10866 Pico at Westwood Blvd SAN BERNARDINO 794 Inland Center Drive Near Levitz May Co WEST COVINA 533 Azusa Ave San Bernardino Frwy Azusa Ave exit WEST LOS ANGELES 10866 Pico at Westwood Blvd SAN BERNARDINO 794 Inland Center Drive Neak Levitz May Co Sunday August 28 RIversvie Intern itiondl Raceway.