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Police arrest ex-boyfriend in Gates murderBy Sharyn Maust . Gazette Associate Editor^ State police arrested a Martins-burg man Tuesday morning for tli£ murder of Dana Gates and the ^attack on her fiance, Lorin Burket, on Nov. 30, 2001.Cordell Paul Ebersole, 26, was charged with criminal homicide, criminal attempt homicide, aggra-'^dfced assault and burglary. He was taken into custody in BlairCounty, arraigned before District Justice Kathy Calhoun in Everett and jailed. No bail was set because the charges filed include first-degree murder.The evidence against him includes DNA traces, conflicting statements about his relationshipwith the victim, phone calls heclaimed he didn’t make, knowledge on how to enter the Gates home, and information that policefeel only he could know about where and how the victim was found.Much of the arrest warrant secured last week describes a disturbing relationship between the' victim and the accused, Ebersole was stalking and harassing Gates, 31, when she wanted to be let alone, in the view of those who were interviewed by police.Ebersole had been described as•• •.jfi?; Gazette photo/Sharyn Mausl“Penhsylvania State Police and Bedford County District Attorney Dwight Diehl held a news eon* ce at the Bedford state police barracks Tuesday afternoon to announce an arrest in the Drtd Gates murder case. From left are crime unit supervisor Sgt. Daniel Krauss, Diehl, and investigators Cpl. Rogei^Smith and Tpr. Craig Grassmyer.a “subject of interest” in the attack at Gates’ home in Kimmel Township since early in the investigation, He was the person named in a search warrant issued in December 2001 that the media went to court to obtain after it was sealed. The warrant and an autopsy report remain sealed at least through this week.The affidavit said that “a fresh deposit of trace evidence that contained DNA that matched Eber-sole” was found in the Gates home. At a news conference Tuesday afternoon, police would not say what that trace evidence was. (See related story)They also would not discuss “certain items of evidence” in the case but said they do not have the weapon used. Gates and Burket suffered blunt force trauma to the head when they apparently were attacked by someone who had entered the house on Schellsburg Road near Queen.Burket was struck in the head and face while he sat upright in a chair or sofa. He suffered severe head injuries but apparently has recovered sufficiently to provide some information about incidents prior to the attack, police indicated.Gates was attacked at an undisclosed location in the house but “was moving within the residence,” in a hallway and a bedroom, during the attack.A passing motorist discovered Gates bleeding and slumped on a low wall in front of her house about 6 a.m.. She was pronounced dead at Altoona Hospital at 6:12 axn.In the arrest warrant, police said Gates was naked and bound at the neck when she was found — circumstances similar to a story Ebersole had claimed Gates told him about having been the victimv:‘ i .*. v-• •*v1 / :?'V■,y ,CORDELL EBERSOLEof a rape. Her family told police they had no knowledge of any such crime.Police said Ebersole told a friend of Gates that the victim was found tied in the yard. He also claimed he had heard this from Gates’ sister, according to the arrest affidavit. No conversation had occurred between Ebersole and thesister regarding this information, police said.The seven-page affidavit to secure the arrest warrant through the office of District Justice Erika McVicker provides some initial information secured at the scene, background information, and a section titled “information received from Cordell (Ebersole) that conflicts with others.”The crime scene information states that Ebersole knew that Gates had a key-pad lock and alarm at her home and had seen her use it. But, she also had a hidden a key to the basement door and Ebersole was aware of that key and its location, police said.There was no forced entry and the doors were locked; nothing was missing or disturbed in the house; and the offender apparently brought the weapon and restraints used in the crime, police said.Gates did not have a key to the house on her key ring, police said, —- Continued on Page 8Gazette file photosTarps cover evidence on the day of the Gates murder marking the site near where she was found.
Newspaper Details
Bedford Inquirer
Bedford, Pennsylvania, US
Fri, Feb 21, 2003
Page 5
Full Page
Clipped by
Amy B.
USA 07 Aug 2020
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