Hide Article Text (OCR)
Pair admits child’s murderST ALBANS, W Va (CPI) A woman and her live-in companion have admitted dumping the lxdv of ho missing 4 year-old daughtei into the Kanawha River.police saidMurder warran.s werefiled Wednesday nightagainst Diane Welker. 20.and David Kugene Adkins28. who sat calmlv before amagistrate and filled outlegal documents.The two wore lodged in ti eKanawha County .Jail, amcuseri in the death last weekof Patricia Lynn Welkerwhose body remaim■missing. Charges were filer one week to the day the clhh was reported missing Authorities planned to resume a search for thebodv today in the river.State Police Col. J W. O’Rourke said the suspects were “questioned extensively alwut the child,reported missing lastWednesday bv her mother,* *who said Patricia Lynn vanished from her frontyard She said (he child%failed to answer a call to supper and she informed mt horitos.' 1'lu v subsequentIv ad-« »miffed placing the hodv in the river, () Itourke said, but declined to divulge any details of the confession. The officer also refused to sav how the c'hilcl was murdered.Patrieia IAnn s disappearance triggered a massive search that brought out more than 100 people, main of them volunteers. At the outset, police weren’t sure if the child had merely wandered off, or had been abducted.Police officers, National Guard troops, and civilians walked up and down themuddy, heavily wooded hollow for two days, looking foi a girl described as having long blond hair, standing 3Vi feet tall and weighing 38 pounds.The dav after the search•*began, flu* mother spoke softly to a reporter, She was just playing in the frontyard.%In the same soft tones, the accused woman talked Wednesday night to Magistrate Patsy McGraw at Kanawha County Cour-t house, where she and Adkins were hooked on murder charges.The two sat calmly on black plastic chairs, signing forms and answering questions.How many dependents dovou have'’ McGraw asked.»-None now. I guess.” Ms. Welker said, withoutemotion.Authorities confirmed last week that a child abuse case had been filed some time before Patricia’s disappearance in connection with alleged mistreatment of Ms. Welker’s other child, a 2-year-old sor.Sue Sergi, area administrator for the West Virginia Department of Human Services, said she couldn’t release any information about who was caring for the surviving childMs. Welker and Adkins are being held in the Kanawha County Jail, pending a hearing next Wednesday before a circuit judge.Police said the woman’s estranged husband, Ralph Welker, lives in Florida
Newspaper Details
Key West Citizen
Key West, Florida, US
Thu, Feb 23, 1984
Page 8
Full Page
Clipped by
Steven B.
AU 19 Sep 2020
Other Publications Near Key West, Florida
Key West OutPost
Key West Citizen
