Jury selection in Eskton capital murder trial begins
Odessa judge opens the capital murder trial of John C. Skelton, charged in the bombing death of 46 year old Joe Lee Neal. Selection of 12 jurors and two alternates could last three weeks with potential death penalty if convicted. Skelton, 53, arrived from Arkansas on $150000 bond. prosecutors from Ector County and the state AG home office lead the case.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
R.L. McKim
John C. Skelton
Ector County
Skelton
Joe Lee Neal
Neal
Brentwood Drive
McKim
Odessa
Arkansas
Cliff Hardwick
Mike Holmes
Linda Walden
State Attorney General's Office
Husky Steam Cleaners
Department of Public Safety
Hardwick
Torney
Cadra
Connally
Housing Starts Rise in Odessa May Permits
Odessa saw an upswing in housing starts in May with 13 new single family permits valued at 1.23 million. May building permits totaled 4.35 million, below April's 6.63 million, while additions and alterations reached 160 permits valued at 885,843. Judy Miller, planning and inspection director, called the May activity encouraging though the core remains commercial and residential alterations.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Odessa
Judy Miller
Odessa building permits show mixed activity in May 1982
May 1982 permits issued totaled 90 with value 866 054 as firms expand into larger spaces while home renovations rise. Cumulative construction value reaches 29.19 million versus 64.32 million last year, though 1982 remains a banner Odessa year.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Miller
Odessa
Plea bargains cut court cost in Ector County
In Ector County, plea bargains speed justice amid crowded dockets. Judge Joe Connally defends the system after 17 year old Joe Aragon pleads guilty to robbery for a March grocery store hold up, receiving 10 years probation. Prosecutors say pleas conserve courts, juries, and weak cases. Officials note 1982 yielded 559 guilty pleas vs 39 trials, with 757 cases pending.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Aragon
Ken D. Cowling Jr
Ector County
Ector County District Attorney’s Office
David Rosado
Rosado
Michael Sharp
Michael Sharp To 25 Years?”’ Rosado
Dennis Cadra
Yankees learn the law in Odessa as new officers arrive
Seventeen certified officers from 14 states join the Odessa Police Department after completing a 120 hour Texas law course. They begin patrol, investigation, or motorcycle duties, adapting to Texas statutes and facing initial taunts about being Yankees.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Odessa
Nation
Texas
Sidney Lyle
Lyle
James McKown
Globe, Ariz
Also Mentioned on This Page
John Skelton
Joe Neal
By Tim Madigan
By Robert Halpern
Dazzie
Rhonda Norman
Globe
McKown
John Cronin
Long Island, N.Y
Cronin
Long Island
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