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* •Police have suspect in bludgeoning deathBy KEVIN DOUGHERTYKaiserslautern bureau/RAMSTEIN, Germany - The son of a U.S. Air Force colonel at Ramstein Air Base was found bludgeoned to death in a wooded area near the base, and German police have arrested a U S. civilian who has confessed to the killing, German and American officials said Monday.Authorities found the body of foseph Lawrence Whitehurst, 21, late Friday, a day after his father, Dr, (Col.) Lawrence Whitehurst, the commander of the 86th Medical Group, reported his son as missingThe younger Whitehurst, known as Jay, had been living with his parents on base in government quarters.German investigators, who are ban-dling the case, would not identify the suspect other than to say he is a 20*year* old male from the United States. One news release from the German police described the suspect as a “homeless man living in the woods in the general vicinity of where the the crime occurred.“The suspect wasn't related to an at Ramstein” said Air Force Ll. Col. Tom Christie, the base spokesman, “and he wasn’t employed at Ramstein Circumstances surrounding the apparent homicide were sketchy German investigators weren’t elaborating much beyond their official statements, in part,they said, because they were still piecingtogether w hat happened German officials said Col Whitehurst called authorities Thursday to report his son missing from home The colonel had last seen his son May 30 Based on the missing person's report. German and U S military police located lay Whitehurst's ear laler that day The^ .w-•* Hit ■ 1MS-K#vtn DougtwtyTYm body of a 21-yoar-oM American, day Whitehurst, was found In this wooded area between the village of Ramstein and Ramstein Air Base, Germany, Whitehurst, the son of Air Force Col. Lawrence Whitehurst, apparently was bludgeoned to death by a 20-year-old American man who has confessed to the crime.car was parked down the street from the Ramstein village outdoor pool, which is on the edge of town in a section buffered by woods that separate it from an air base perimeter fence.Although police found the car, they did not find any trace of Whitehurst until late the next day.A military police officer who returned to the scene after his shift Friday evening ventured deeper into the woods andground and cording to German police On Saturday, while investigators were searching for clues at the crime scene, authorities picked up the suspect as he stood outdoors in the Center of town He confessed to the crime laler that day un der police questioning, said Luihar Wei dler. a spokesman fur the German crimiiu iiiv anvi iua auut « *vventured deeper into the v found the body lying on the j covered with leaves, aecordinal investigation office in Kaiserslautern.Thomas Lissman, a German prosecutor in Zweibriicken, said Monday that the suspect has given police and justice officials a confession filled with details that correspond to the crime scene. According to police, a dub of some type, bloodied and found at the scene, is believed to be the weapon usedLissmann said the suspect most likely will be indicted on a charge of manslaughter The trial should lake place in September or October, Lissmann said People convicted in Germany of manslaughter can face five to 15 years inprisonChristie, the base spokesman, said Col • Whitehurst has been assigned to Ham stein for almost four years Plans for a memorial and funeral strvuvs werepending
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European Stars and Stripes
Darmstadt, Hesse, DE
Tue, Jun 08, 1999
Page 18
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