The Michigan Daily - Tuesday, February 18, 1992 - Page 3
I
Dahmer
sentenced
flS~n0
to lifem
Pn
MILWAUKEE (AP) - Serial
killer Jeffrey Dahmer was
sentenced to life in prison yesterday
after some relatives of his 15
victims called him a devil and
Dahmer told the judge, "I know
society will never be able to forgive
me."
"I take all the blame for what I
did," he said.
Nine relatives of Dahmer's vic-
tims described the painthey have
suffered because he killed,
butchered and had sex with the
corpses of their family members.
The hysterical sister of victim
Errol Lindsey shouted "Satan!" at
Dahmer and screamed, "Jeffrey, I
hate you !" as she lunged toward
him, shaking her first and shouting
obscenities. She was led away.
A jury decided Saturday that
Dahmer, 31, was sane when he
killed 15 young men and boys he
lured to his home. Dahmer pleaded
guilty but insane.
The former chocolate factory
worker confessed to 17 slayings
since 1978 after his arrest last July.
He is to stand trial in an Ohio
killing, and wasn't charged in one
Milwaukee death because of lack of
evidence.
"I hope God has forgiven me,"
Dahmer said. "I know society will
never be able to forgive me. I know
the families of the victims will
never be able to forgive me for
what I have done."
Milwaukee County Circuit
Judge Laurence Gram Jr. sentenced
Dahmer to consecutive life prison
terms. Under consecutive
sentences, if Dahmer gained parole
in one sentence the next sentence
Student groups sponsor
tribute to author Haley
by Sarah McCarthy lives ,by asking what images the
Author Alex Haley once quoted media is presenting to the African-
from the Koran that "the death from - y - ;American community today. "Is
which ye flee will truly overtake there a natural progression from
you. Then will ye be sent back to the ' Roots to The Cosby Show?" Shaw
Knower of things secret and oven, ..w asked.
AP PHOTO
Rita Isbel, sister of Errol Lindsay, one of Jeffrey Dahmer's victims, shouts
at Dahmer yesterday in a Milwaukee County Court..
would automatically take affect.
The prosecutor said Dahmer would
not be eligible for parole for 936
years.
Dahmer's lawyer, Gerald Boyle,
said no appeal was planned.
"I wanted to find out just what it
was that caused me to be so bad and
evil," Dahmer said. "The doctors
have told me about my sickness and
now I have some peace."
"This has never been a case of
trying to get free," he said. "I never
wanted freedom. Frankly, I wanted
death for myself."
Wisconsin has no death penalty.
"I should have stayed with
God," Dahmer said. "I tried and I
failed, and created a holocaust."
"I feel so bad for what I did to
those poor families, and I
understand their rightful hate," he
said. "I have seen their tears and if I
could give my life right now to
bring their loved ones back, I would
do it."
"Jeffrey Dahmer has erased a
million future memories for me of
my brother," J.W. Smith, brother of
victim Eddie Smith, said as he read
brief statements from each of
Eddie's 12 brothers and sisters.
"Jeffrey Dahmer, you have be-
come a hero for a few, but you have
become a nightmare for so many
more," said Stanley Miller, uncle of
victim Ernest Miller. "Did you ever
think this was someone's son?"
Dahmer's three-week sanity trial
included testimony from police and
psychiatrists who described how the
serial killer's urges to have sex with
the dead led him to drug, kill and
dismember.
Witnesses told how Dahmer
cooked and ate a heart, bicep and
thigh; how he slit corpses from ster-
num to toe and cut the flesh into
fist-sized pieces; and how he
soaked torsos in acid and kept
skulls and other parts as mementos.
Dahmer said he would not con-
test civil lawsuits some victims'
families have filed against him,
seeking any profits he might make
by selling his life story.
"If there is ever any money, I
want it to go to the victims'
families," he said.
and He will tell you the truth of the
things that ye did."
These words rang particularly
true as members from Alpha Kappa
Alpha Sorority and Alpha Phi Alpha
Fraternity sponsored a tribute to
Haley in Stockwell Hall last night.
The tribute was part of the sec-
ond annual service project targeting
education and the Black family.
Alpha Kappa Alpha saw Haley as
a figure who "let us know we are all
related," said Corie Morman, an
Engineering junior. "I look at my
skin color and I wonder how many
people I have in me."
"AlexHaley helped show us
what a unique people we are and
that our history is reflective of years
of struggle back to the days of slav-
ery," she added.
Haley visited the University three
weeks ago to participate in a panel
addressing African-American suc-
cess in the 1990s, which was at-
tended by 600 members of the
University community.
Haley, best known for his
Pulitzer Prize winning novel Roots,
a saga tracing his family genealogy
back six generations to colonial
Africa, died Feb. 10 of a heart
attack.
Haley is also known for initiating
the Playboy interviews that eventu-
ally led to his novel T h e
Haley
Autobiography of Malcolm X.
A presentation and discussion ti-
tled "An African-American Identity:
A Critical Need" was given by Todd
Shaw, a graduate student in African-
He emphasized that while
Haley's oral tradition began on his
front porch, there is culture being
made on different avenues, leading
to the same goals today.
The presentation was followed
by readings from Haley's works.
The tribute was later concluded with
a moment of silence, a prayer and
card signing which will later be
given to Haley's survivors on behalf
of the University.
"One of the best tributes an au-
thor can receive is to be remembered
as one who increased an understand-
'One of the best tributes an author can
receive is to be remembered as one who
increased an understanding of the arts.'
- Clifton Flowers
LSA senior
American Studies.
The discussion highlighted
Haley's emphasis on an accessible
history for the African-American
family.
"As Alex Haley thinks," Shaw
said, "real history is in our
grandmothers."
Those attending the tribute re-
lated Haley's words into their own
ing of the arts," LSA senior Clifton
Flowers said.
"Alex Haley will not only be re-
membered as such.an artist, he will
also claim the triumph of establish-
ing the African-American role in lit-
erature as a dynamic and versatile
instrument conveying emotions and
sensibilities particular for African
Americans," he added.
Today last day to register party
preference in Michigan primary
by Karen Sabgir Two booths are set up at each lo- ration or who are declared
Daily Staff Reporter cation, one Democratic and one Independents.
Hearng to decide if Kevorkian charged
with murder for assisting in suicides
Today is the last day for regis-
tered voters to state their party pref-
erence for Michigan's presidential
primary.
For those interested in making
declarations for the March 17 pri-
mary, 53 poll sites across the city -
one in each voting district - will be
open from 7 a.m. until 8 p.m.
tonight.
Republican. Unlike past elections,
people who wish to vote on the
Democratic ballot can declare their
party preference today or wait until
election day.
Steve Gools, spokesperson for
the Michigan Democratic Party, said
the only people who may make their
declaration on election day are those
who have previously made no delca-
Those voting Republican are also
not required to state their preference.
Alan Robertson, executive direc-
tor of the County Republican
Committee, said the hours will be
strictly enforced so the validity of
the election cannot be called into
question. Only those still waiting in
line after 8 p.m. will be allowed to
register.
ROCHESTER HILLS (AP) - A
decision on whether Dr. Jack
Kevorkian will stand trial on murder
charges will be announced Feb. 28, a
udge said yesterday at the end of a
earing for the man nicknamed "Dr.
Death."
Kevorkian was portrayed by his
attorneys throughout the three-day
hearing as an angel of mercy who
helped two Michigan women escape
terrible pain when he hooked them
up to his suicide machines in a re-
mote cabin Oct. 23.
Prosecutors say neither of the
women was terminally ill and that
hooking them up to machines to al-
low them to die was murder. One of
the women, Marjorie Wantz, of
Sodus, was mentally ill and should
have gotten treatment, assistant
Oakland County prosecutor Larry
Bunting argued.
Instead, she got a lethal injection
of drugs from Kevorkian's machine,
Bunting said. H
*Rochester Hills District Judge
James Sheehy said he would rule by
month's end whether Kevorkian
will stand trial in the deaths of
Wantz and Sherry Miller, of
Roseville.
During three hours of testimony
yesterday morning, Sheehy dealt
several blows to the prosecution's
case and at least one to the defense..
He agreed to allow into evidence
a videotape of the candlelit cabin
and the two women's bodies, which
defense attorney Geoffrey Fieger
denounced as a "Stephen King"
movie.
The judge refused to allow testi-
mony from witnesses Bunting had
planned to call to testify about the
ethics of Kevorkian's acts and about
the mental state of Mrs. Wantz.
In addition to two open murder
charges, Kevorkian is charged with
delivering a controlled substance.
Bunting said that to violate the law,
doctors must deliver the chemicals
in a manner outside legitimate medi-
cal practice.
I
THE
LIST
An expert on medical ethics,
Arthur Caplan of the University of
Minnesota, was to testify that giving
a patient drugs to help them die was
outside medical ethics. Bunting ar-
gued Caplan's testimony would
prove Kevorkian violated the drug
law.
Fieger argued, however, that the
drug law is designed to stop drug
dealers, not physicians who engage
in controversial practices.
Sheehy ruled that criminal court
was not the proper forum for a dis-
cussion of medical ethics.
"The bottom line here is whether
the acts and evidence support the
crime," Sheehy said. "To go further
with this would be to ask the court to
take the place of the Legislature, and
I'm not going to be a judicial
activist."
He also declined to allow two
psychiatrists who had treated
Marjorie Wantz to testify, and re-
fused to admit evidence that barred
Kevorkian from assisting with any
more suicides.
Detroit
chief tried
by federal
judge
DETROIT (AP) - The federal
judge overseeing one of the biggest
trials in Detroit history is described
by attorneys as an unflappable judge
well-suited for high-profile court
battles.
U.S. District Court Judge Paul
Gadola is handling the government's
embezzlement case against former
Detroit Police Chief William Hart.
"He's got just superb judicial
temperament," said Detroit attorney
N.C. Deday LaRene, who recently
tried a case before Gadola. "He's
diligent as hell."
"I really think he's a very inde-
pendent thinker and will render a
judgment based on what he thinks is
rioht not what's nonilar" Detroit
Produced by MSA Communications
Committee
Chair: Steve Stark
Vice-Chair: Melissa Saari
Staff: Megan Carey, Tom Hemr
MICHIGAN STUDENT ASSEMBLY
We are your student government, the student voice. We elected representatives from each
school and deal with issues of student concern on campus. We have direct contact with the
administration and are responsible for the allocation of over $37,000 to student organizations.
We meet every Tuesday at 7:30 p.m. in the 3rd floor of the Union. At 7:45 any student may
address the assembly. We have many committees and commissions that are always
looking for student help and input. For further information or to voice a concern, call 763-
3241.
Committees and Commissions
* Budget Priorities - Sejal Mistry, chair - Office Hours
* Campus Governance - Ken Bartlett, chair - Thursday 5:00
* Communications - Steve Stark, chair - Wednesday 5:00
" External Relations - David Englander, chair - Thursday 7:00
* Rules and Elections - Brian Kight, chair - Thursday 2:00
* Health Issues - Scott Gast, chair - Sunday 2:30
* Student Rights - Michael David Warren, Jr., chair - Tuesday 6:30
* Women's Issues - Heather Johnston, chair - Sunday 4:00
* Environmental - Nend Shaw, chair - Wednesday 5:00 at Dominicks
" Academic - Jeff Muir, chair - Tuesday 6:30
* Peace and Justice - John Vandenberg, chair - Monday 4:00
* All meetings take place at the MSA office 3909 Michigan Union
MICHIGAN STUDENT ASSEMBLY NEWS
* Passed a resolution calling for preserva- * Registered 44 student groups from
tion of students' freedom of speech at the January 1 through February 11. Registra-
University. The resolution will be placed tion allows use of University facilities.
before the student body for approval in " Appointed students to the Central:
the March election. Student Judiciary and the court of
common pleas.
" Distributing a petition in support of
student's freedom of speech. * Hired Sarah Flynn as a full-time
bookkeeper.
* Passed a resolution calling for Ann * Encourages student input via MTS on
Arbor city elections to be moved from the MSA:Talks computer conference.
pril ovember. Access the conference by typing Source
* Organizing a petition drive in support MSA:Talks at the MTS pound (#) prompt.
What's happening in Ann Arbor today
Meetings
Recycle UM Mass Mtg. 2520 Natural
Resources Bldg. 6:30 p.m.
Ann Arbor Committee to defend
Abortion and Reproductive rights
(AACDARR) general mtg, Michigan
Union, Tap rm. 6:30 p.m.
MSA Weekly meeting 3909 Michigan
Union, 7:30 p.m. 7:30 p.m.
IASA Board Meeting, Nikki lounge,
Mo-Jo, 9-11 p.m.
Asian American Student
Association, weekly meeting, Nikki
lounge, Mo-Jo, 7:30 p.m.
Anthropology Club, meeting
Dominick's, 7 p.m.
Speakers
"Die Bibel Hat Doch Recht" 3050
Frieze Bldg,, 4:00 p.m.
Colloquim, Dr. Muller, 1640 Chem,
4:00 p.m.
"The Emergence of a Chinese
Regional Economy," International
Center, 12:00 p.m.
"Latinas in Prison: in the U.S. and
,si A meia (_S. iAS)Socia,,lv
Furthermore
Stress and Time Management,
Consultations with peer counselors
available, 3100 Michigan Union, 11-1
p.m.
Undergraduate Psychology
Department, Undergraduate psychol-
ogy advising, walk-in or appointment,
K-108 West Quad, 9 a.m-4 p.m.
Spark: Revolutionary History
Series, "Revolutionary History Series,
1918-23" MLB rm B122 7:00p.m.-8:00
p.m.
Kaffeestunde, weekly German coffee
and conversation, 3rd floor Commons
Rm, MLB, all welcome, 4:30-6 p.m.
The Eskimo: Fight for life and
Yesterday, today: The Netsilik
Eskimo MLB Lecture Rm 2,7:00 p.m.
BABIO, An experiment with the
performance modes of the 12th
Century Latin "Comedy,"
Residential College/East Quad
Auditorium, 500 p.m.
ECB Peer Writing Tutors,
Angel/Msonn Ha ln ,mtuting Center,'