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'Death tape' slayer said insaneBROWNSVILLE(AP) — A psychiatrist says society would not be served if a young farmer goes to prison because the source of his stress has been removed.Richard Coons of Austin testified m state District Court Thursday that it's not Paul Wolf's ‘‘style” to repeat violent acts.Coons andpsychologist George Parker of Austin both testified at Wolf’s murder trial that he was legally insane the night he killed two people.Wolf, 21, of La Feria, is on trial for last summer’s slaying of Pharr schoolteacher Leticia Castro, 26. He will be tried later for the murder of Miss Castro’s fiance. Billy Staton.Wolf took the stand inhis own defense Thursday. He said the tape recording actually depicts an unplanned attack by Wolf spawned from desperation over hislove fora child.Cameron County District Attorney Key Cantu, however, alleged that Miss Castro and Staton were ambushed’’ and beaten to death because of problems Wolf and his wife, Sherry, were having with Staton over custody of Mrs. Wolf’s daughter, Melanie.Staton concealed the tape recorder to gather evidence showing the Wolfs displayed animosity toward him over his child visitation rights, Cantu says.Wolf, who often broke down during his testimony Thursday,said he watched repeatedly as Melanie cried and kicked when she was with Staton.Wolf did not charge Staton had abused his daughter.Wolf, who has pleaded innocent by reason of insanity to Miss Castro’s murder, told jurors that Melanie was taken to a child psychologist because of the reactions she displayed toward her natural father.Wolf’s attorney, James Mardis of Harlingen, said the psychologist told theWolfs the child visitations had to stop or Melanie would suffer psychological damage.Wolf’s fears for Melanie were magnified because he had been raised by a mentally ill stepmother and a hard-driving father who did not display affection toward his children, Mardis said.Wolf testified Thursday that he did not plan to kill Staton, but had, instead, plotted with friend Glenn Henderson to videotape Staton’s visit with Melanie at the Wolf house to demonstrate Melanie's reaction.But, he said, he became “enraged” when he saw Melanie scream that night and attacked Staton with an iron bar instead.
Newspaper Details
New Braunfels Herald Zeitung
New Braunfels, Texas, US
Fri, Apr 15, 1983
Page 9
Full Page
Clipped by
Jared T.
NA, NA 26 May 2023
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