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Jobless laborer stabbed to deathin South CountyBy FRED ABELandDOUGSTRUCKAn unemployed Lothian construction worker was found stabbed to death along a south county road last night, county police said this morning.The body of Leonard1 L. Smith, 23, of Bayard Road, was discovered lying on Plummers Lane near Route 4 in Lothian. A passerby saw the body about 10 p.m., and called a county policeman who lives nearby.Smith was a witness in the trial of a man accused of murdering Dwight N. Penny, another Lothian laborer, last summer. And he was expected to be a witness in the upcoming trial of a co-defendant in the slaying.But the prosecutor m that case said this morning that Smith's testimony was ah beds$300 contribution,” Mrs. Satterthwaite added wistfully. “Of course, we haven’t had one yet this year.”The goal for the 197% drive is $2,500, the same as last year. “If I could have any, wish in the world,” Mrs. Satterthwaite says with a gleam inner eye, “I guess I would wish for a place we could fix up to house people like the one we lost in the fire.” She pauses.. “Although I might wish for another $300 contribution. Yes I might. I’d have to think about that one. ”Mrs. Snowden would wish for “strength, more strength from the Lord. I need it when I get hung up, when I don’t get what I want I just get so mad.” She makes a fierce looking face assuring her visitor that yes, she will get the $2,500 that The Helping Hand needs.Contributions can be made at the office at 191 Clay Street weekdays between 11 a.m. and 3 p.m. or by telephone at 268-9075.“very minor” part of the evidence, and “I don’t think this (murder) had anything to do with the triaL I think it’s just a coincidence.”Smith’s body was taken to the state medical examiner in Baltimore, where as autopsy wfll be performed today.County police detectives have been working foroughougbt the morning trying to piece together the events leading to the slaying.As of this morning, however, there were no suspects, according to police.Annapolis City Police found Smith’s van, a 1979 Ford, near a baseball field on Bywater Road at 1:10 a.m. Investigating county police found the doors unlocked and articles of clothing, including a dark leather jacket, in the van.The vehicle was last seen about 9 p.m. last night in the area of Wayson’s Corner on Route 4 and 408, according to county police.Smith apparently died from multiple stab wounds, but police could not give the time «f death. Sgt Timothy R. Bowman, of the Crimes Against Persons section, said the body probably was on the road only a short time before being discovered.Two weeks ago, Smith testified for about five minutes in the three-day trial of Clove U. Creek. Creek and two other men are charged of murdering Penny Aug. 23 in a family feud. Creek was convicted of first-degree murder, but Ronald Gross of Churchton, and Larry Brown, IS, of Harwood, haven not yet been tried.Prosecutor Ronald M. Naditch had subpoenaed Smith to testify that he saw Creek and Gross together at a county tavern with a handgun several days beforePenny’s death.The point of the testimony, according to Naditch, was to refute Creek's claim on the stand that he had never seen his companion, Gross, with a gun before. The refutation was simply to cast doubt onCreek’s credibility, Naditch said.“It was reaily an insignificant point,(Continued on Page 12, Cod. 3)
Newspaper Details
Capital Gazette
Annapolis, Maryland, US
Mon, Feb 21, 1977
Page 2
Full Page
Clipped by
Anne A.
MD, USA 17 Aug 2020
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