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Capital murder trial goes to the jury todayAt'STIN. Texas «AP* -The capital murder trial of David Lee Powell onetime high school valedictorian accused of machine-gunning Patrolman Ralph Ablanedo. today goes to a jury that must decide which psychiatrist to believe State District Judge Tom Blackwell gave jurors the afternoon off Tuesdav soVhe could prepare his charge and so attorneys could polish final argumentsPowell. 27. faces death bv lethal injection if the jurv convicts him and finds he would present a continued danger to society if*allowed to live Ablanedo, 26 was riddled with at least 10 shots fired machine-gun style from an AK-47 automatic rifle about 12 40 a m on May 18 He had stopped Powell s car for improper paper registration tags then learned Powell was wanted on a petty theft charge As Ablanedo walked from his car to arrestPowell, a man opened up with the AK-47 from inside the Mustang shattering its rear window and cutting down Ablanedo Powell was that man. anevewitness testified*The driver of the car Sheila Margaret Meinert.27 also is charged withcapital murder but is free on bondPowell's defenseproduced testimony from Dr Kmrnanuel Tanav of Detroit a nationallyirecognized psychiatric expert on homicide that Powell was a paranoid schizophrenic and had been mentally ill for 11 vearsHe -aid Powell claimedto lead a band of followers and thought he was in aVietnamstyle fire fightwhen he killed -\blanedoTanay called Powell a drug pusher and there was evidence that Powell had between $5 000 and $14 000 worth of methamphetamine splt;*ed in the car when \blanedo stopped itProsecution psychiatrist Richard Coons said he believed Powell was sane, and several jailers testified Tuesday that Powell did not seem insane to themEasy Way To Kill Roaches and AntsB f Uih on ##/* r f la % I % tor month fCun’o*. ? .s.r.c- ire thec * w.». b-b S K ich mc.ihi'TCt cupb jr-S. .tr undKuhr « cn figures( \»i o . v1 - » *d ■ f! c s' n’JfingsUs cdcctr.c f« r monthsFURR’S
Newspaper Details
Odessa American
Odessa, Texas, US
Wed, Sep 27, 1978
Page 30
Full Page
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Jared T.
NA, NA 29 May 2023
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Odessa American
