Ledger-Enquirer from Columbus, Georgia • 12

B2 GEORGIA ALABAMA Ledger Enquirer Saturday April 81995 OBITUARIES British born killer dies in electric chair Nicholas Lee Ingram put to death in wake of public outcry in Britain Associated Press JACKSON Ga A British born killer was exe cuted riday night for kidnap ping and killing a Georgia man in 1983 his electrocution coming just after a US Supreme Court justice reject ed a final re quest for a stay Nicholas Lee impending execution had triggered a media fren zy in Britain and a torrent of phone calls including one from the arch bishop of Canterbury asking prison and parole officials in Georgia to halt the execution Ingram 31 was convicted of murdering JC Sawyer who wasrobbed of $60 tied to a tree and shot near his home in Marietta north of Atlanta wife also was shot but survived and identified Ingram as the killer Officials said Ingram died at 9:15 pm at the state prison in Jackson Ingram was defiant to the end Glaring at the witnesses who attended his execution Ingram spat at Warden Gerry Thomas when Thomas asked him if he wanted to make a final state ment The warden then asked In t' Ingram and letters gram if he would like a last prayer and Ingram closed his eyes defiantly Earlier Ingram looked out at the 22 witnesses with a penetrat ing stare as he was being strapped into the chair Ingram who held dual citi zenship was born in England in 1963 to a British mother and American father The family moved to Georgia a year later mother supported her appeals and asked the British government to intervene But Prime Minister John Major visiting Washington DC this week declined Britain effectively outlawed capital punishment in 1965 al though still on the books for treason Many Britons had pleaded for leniency believe the death penal ty is a barbaric state parole board spokesman Mike Light said Thursday say the death penalty is a ritual that has no place in the 20th The archbishop of Canterbury George Carey said Thursday he sent a letter to the parole board noting that Ingram already spent some 12 years the mental and spiritual anguish of anticipating his mercy and commute the death penalty to a sentence which offers eventual hope of fresh life and Carey wrote In permitting the execution US Supreme Court Justice An thony Kennedy upheld the US 11th Circuit Court of rejection of a three day stay that had been granted earlier riday by a federal judge MK i Wrf I XmML 1Mk li I i MmmBbk fXESk ft 'WK 3' "Ito VM A Jk Ann Ingram arrives at the Georgia Diagnostic Center in Jackson on riday morning to visit her son Nicholas Lee Ingram who was executed riday night In his earlier ruling US District Judge Horace Ward rejected appeal in which he claimed he was secret ly drugged during his 1984 trial with an anti psychotic medica tion that dampened his emotions and made him appear remorse less But Ward granted the three day stay to allow the 11th Circuit to review his decision The execution was originally scheduled for 7 pm Thursday but Ward granted a one day stay an hour beforehand head and right leg were shaved Thursday evening to prepare him for the electric chair Ward rejected a request by attorney Clive Staf ford Smith to cite the state for contempt for preparing for the electrocution despite the stay felt like a sheep that they were shaving for Stafford Smith said Georgia Attorney General Mi chael Bowers told the judge that the steps were taken before prison officials learned of the stay Georgia has executed 18 peo ple since the state reinstated the death penalty in 1983 The last execution was in March 1994 GEORGIA BRIES State boating new teeth include felony time ATLANTA The state got a tough new boating safety law riday eight months after two members of a wedding party were killed and six others injured in a hit and run collision on Lake Lanier Gov Zell Miller signed the law making it effective immediately The law makes it a felony punishable by up to 15 years in prison to cause a death by reckless boating It also provides penalties for the death of a fetus caused by reckless boating The Aug 27 collision that prompted the law killed Sheri Denise McManigal 23 of Jacksonville la and Nathan Cole 22 of Atlanta Terry Wayne McCullough who admitted he was piloting the hit and run boat was sentenced to two years in prison and one year on probation under what prosecutors said was the only law then applicable to the case The boating law was one of more than a dozen the governor signed Painkiller caused death autopsy finds TITON A 3 year old girl who died in a chair had been given enough painkiller to kill even an adult an autopsy found But an attorney for Dr Mariolois Laster of Tifton who has been blamed by state authorities for the death disputed the finding and maintained that the dosage was well within safe limits The autopsy results were included Wednesday in an amendment to administrative charges brought against Laster by the Georgia Board of Dentistry in the January death of Charity aith Mitchell violation of minimalstandards of acceptable and prevailing dental practice (Dr Laster) injected or caused to be injected into system a lethal amount of lidocaine which autopsy records indicate caused her death by acute lidocaine the amendment says Toxicology tests referred to in the amendment said lidocaine was present in the blood at a level beyond what would be considered toxic in an adult attorney Herbert Benson of Tifton said his client still denies any wrongdoing and i said the statement by the dentistry board was more than an rom wire report Accidental shooting tragic example of risks good cop runs Birmingham officer left in coma after his gun accidentally discharged while answering a domestic dispute Associated Press BIRMINGHAM Ala Randall Smith is by all accounts a good cop A father of three the veteran policeman makes a point of getting to know people in the neighborhoods he patrols dedication to his job and his love of family are but two reasons colleagues and rela tives are having such a hard time accepting an accidental shooting that left him clinging to life a bullet in his head just look for the day when he opens his said his wife Wanda Smith would be Officers between their patrol shifts visit University Hospital where the 37 year old Smith has been unconscious and on life support for two weeks a police officer Randall being shot is like my brother being said Officer Allen Stewart feel like a family member is missing There is a There have been high points as when Smith responded to commands from his doctor But there also are low points such as swelling in the brain pneumonia and kidney complications what the doctors tell us and just taking it day by said Mrs Smith of Pleas ant Grove It was at 3 am on March 22 when Mrs Smith awoke for no apparent reason She tossed and turned for the next 40 minutes until flashing blue police lights invaded her bedroom knew right then what they were coming to tell said Mrs Smith Smith had been shot by a fellow officer while the two were responding to a domestic disturbance call at a home in Ensley A woman told Smith a toddler was inside the house with an angry man who already had fired two shots Smith went in cradled the child to his body and prepared to make a quick exit partner Sgt Ronnie Hull heard him inside and rushed to the door to help The door was flung open as Smith and Hull approached it from opposite directions There was a near collision and gun accidentally fired the bullet striking cheek and en tering the right side of his brain Hull a 21 year veteran of the department was placed on ad ministrative leave pending an investigation But fellow officers and family say Hull was not to blame Hull said Smith the extra to enter the house that night and I worked together every night for four Hull said was just honestly one of the nicest hardest working policemen I ever Any recovery by Smith will take time and money and Ed ward Joyce a retired partner of Smith has begun a fund raising campaign for Mrs Smith and the three children Smith is still being paid be cause he was injured in the line of duty but Mrs Smith a registered nurse has no vaca tion left and is essentially unem ployed Joyce said the raternal Order of Police has donated $7000 and is asking for aid from the public Man convicted in death Defense claimed jailers responsible for Hueytown Ala death in racially provoked fight Associated Press BIRMINGHAM Ala A black man accused of murdering his white cellmate in the city jail after being subjected to taunts and racial slurs was convicted on a reduced charge riday Bobby Shearer was convicted of reckless manslaughter in the June 13 beating death of Donnie Deason with whom he shared a cell at the Birmingham City Jail While the crime normally carries a prison term ranging from two to 20 years Shearer could get a longer sentence because of a previous felony conviction Circuit Judge James Hard allowed Shearer 38 to remain free on a $50000 bond until sentencing on May 11 The jury of seven blacks and five whites returned the verdict after nearly eight hours of deliberation over two days A drunken Deason was arrested the night of June 12 after holding a gun in front of a crowd of black youths outside a shopping center Police said the Hueytown man was angry and using racial slurs Deason 30 was placed in a cell with Shearer who had been arrested earlier in the day after allegedly threatening a police officer with a tree limb Shearer testified Deason provoked a fight by acting belligerently and using a racial epithet Shearer said he fought the younger man in self defense Other inmates testified that Shearer beat Deason for more than an hour ignoring their warnings he was killing him Shearer told police he continued to Deason after he was helpless Chief Deputy District Attorney Roger Brown cautioned jurors against reverse discrimination in deciding that Deason got what he deserved just because he appeared to be a bigot ask you to rise above Bobby Shearer and Donnie Brown said in closing arguments Defense attorney Dan Turberville argued that jailers were to blame for the death because they either ignored the fight or allowed it to happen as punishment against Deason for his reputed dislike of blacks An autopsy report showed Deason died of shock from losing more than one fifth of his blood from multiple cuts bruising a nearly severed fingertip and a broken nose While none of the injuries are usually lethal Deason was left bleeding on the cell floor because jailers failed to make their normal checks One jail worker was fired and another was disciplined The firefl worker was later rehired after appealing to the personnel board ALABAMA BRIES Ex girtfriends sue Gunn over sexual infections BIRMINGHAM eminism activist David Gunn Jr the son of a slain abortion doctor is being sued by two former girlfriends who claim he gave them sexually transmitted diseases Sabrina Comer and Ginger Blalock both 25 contend Gunn committed a form of assault and battery by not telling them he was infected with herpes and genital warts before having sex with them Gunn 24 filed a counterclaim acknowledging he has the diseases but denying he infected either woman He said the two are out to hurt his reputation because he married a third woman Gunn is the son of Dr David Gunn of Eufaula who was shot to death by an anti abortion activist outside a Pensacola laabortion clinic in March 1993 After the killing David Gunn Jr became an outspoken advocate of abortion rights speaking to feminist groups and appearing in numerous media interviews The eminist Majority oundation named him of the in 1993 Both women said riday that status as a feminist figure played a role in their decision to sue Gunn called Comer and Blalock vindictive and said they were trying to punish him for marrying another woman in November James plans deep cuts for some agency budgets MONTGOMERY Gov ob James will propose very deep for some state agencies in the next fiscal year but not ready to say which ones the House budget chairman said Some agencies receiving General und appropriations will be cut in amounts ranging up to 20 percent said Rep Bill uller chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee The Republican governor will also recommend cutting funding for colleges so the state can shift more money toward kindergarten through the 12th grade uller Laayette said uller met with finance director Jimmy Baker on Thursday to get a preview of the budget plans for the fiscal year starting Oct 1 James will present his recommended fiscal 1996 budget to the Legislature when it convenes April 18 ifr rom wiro report MORE DEATHS PAGE A9 B1O COLUMBUS Walter Brasch Walter Brasch 89 of 1317 Springer St Columbus died Thursday at his home The graveside funeral will be 4 pm Sunday at Parkhill Ceme tery Columbus according to Striffler Hamby Mortuary Mr Brasch was born Aug 8 1905 in Russell County Ala son of Annie Williams and Charlie Brasch He retired as a machin ist from Deaton Auto Parts Survivors include his wife Doris two sons Eugene Wayne Brasch of Smyrna Ga and John Earl Brasch of Columbus five grandchildren and two great grandchildren Thomas Byrd Thomas Byrd 71 of 701 Hav enbrook Court Columbus died riday at his home uneral arrangements will be announced by Sconiers uneral Home Columbus Mr Byrd was born Jan 5 1924 in Cusseta Ga son of Jonas and Ella Mae Byrd He retired from the sanitation de partment of the Columbus Con solidated Government and was a member of Twenty ourth Street Baptist Church He was the widower of Ola Mae Byrd Survivors include a daughter Vicky Williams of Columbus a stepdaughter Vernice Davis of Columbus a son Ricky Champ Williams of Columbus three stepsons Roger Williams of At lanta Eddie Williams and Cleve land Williams both of Columbus and three grandchildren Joseph Robert Cox Retired Chief Warrant Officer 4 Joseph Robert Cox 77 of 2119 Cushing Drive Columbus died Thursday at Doctors Hospital 1 The military graveside funer al will be 2 pm Monday at Main Post Cemetery ort Benning according to Striffler Hamby Mortuary Columbus Chief Warrant Officer Cox was born Oct 2 1917 in Cordova Ala son of John and Mary Marsh Cox He retired from the US 101st Airborne Divi sion after 30 years that included service in World War II and the Korean and Vietnam wars He later retired as a civil service communications specialist at ort Benning and was a ham radio operator Survivors include his wife Maijorie two sons Michael Cox of Los Angeles and Timothy Cox of Columbus a daughter Sharon DeStefano of Atlanta four grandchildren Terri Debra Guillory Terri Debra Guillo ry 34 of 5617 Perry Ave! Columbus died Wednesday at East Alabama Medical Center Opelika Ala i The graveside funeral will be 2 pm Sunday at Parkhill Ceme tery Columbus according to McMullen Mortuary Columbus Visitation will be 6 8 pm today at the funeral home Mrs Guillory was bom June 24 1960 in Columbus daughter of Carolyn Bagley Conrad of Columbus and Thomas Bullard of Cataula Ga A resi dent of Columbus most of her life she was a homemaker arid member of Edgewood Assembly of God Survivors other than her par ents include her stepmother Peggy Bullard of Cataula three daughters Candice Guillo ry Sarah Guillory and Kristen Guillory all of Columbus two sisters Janet Williams of Eller slie Ga and Angela Lynn Bullard of Columbus maternal grandparents James and Helen Shannon of Salem Ala and paternal grandmother Mary Tuck of Columbus Julia Reids Johnson Julia ields Johnson 76 of 4317 Oates Ave Columbus died Thursday at lint River Commu nity Hospital Americus Ga The graveside funeral will be 4 pm today at Parkhill Ceme tery according to Vance Memo rial Chapel Columbus Mrs Johnson was born March 25 1919 in Butler Ga daughter of Leona and Joseph ields She was a homemaker and a Baptist lived in Columbus 70 years and was the widow of Clarence Johnson Survivors include a daughter Patricia Atkinson of Columbus three sons Larry Johnson of Columbus Grover Johnson of Rochester NY and Clarence Lamar Johnson of Waterloo Iowa a sister Inez McClusky of Columbus sevdh grandchildren and three great grandchildren.