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Volume 91 No. 40
i-
=-
The
HINTON NEWS
(Continuing the Hinton Dally News & The Weekend Leader)
Home of the W. Va. Water Festival
Hinton, West Virginia Tuesday Jan. 26, 1993
25
m#
Cents
CONVICTE
KILLE
STILL AT LARGE
By Fred Long
Two days after convicted killer
William Cody Harvey, 30, was sen-
tenced to life in prison with no hope
of parole for the next 10 years, he
grabbed his chance for freedom, at
6:25 pm, Thursday night, and ran.
In what police believe was a split
second decision, Harvey, without
handcuffs or shackles, bolted from
the jailor while they were outside
the jail and escaped into the dark-
abouts and no substantial leads.
Harvey was found guilty last
December of killing Linda Rudisill,
31, on the morning of June 27, 1992.
Harvey claimed he killed her in self-
defense after she scratched his neck
and told him she was HIV-pesitive.
After the shooting Harvey fled to
relatives in Maryland and, two days
later, police arrested him in Dela-
ware.
=He bucked on me," said 10 year
vey turned and ran toward the
Confederate Statue and continued
up Union St., out of sight.
"I'm not saying Sheriff John
Plumley is personally at fault," said
Joe Aucremanne who prosecuted the
case, "but when you think about all
the time and trouble the State Police
putin i nvestigatingthismurder and
catching him, gathering the evidence
to bringing him to trial and giving
him a fair trial, bringing witnesses
she said yesterday, i:::!:i!!.i i::
"l haven't had a good night's sleep :
smce he escaped," she said. "If they ::::
can't find him why don't they call in i
someone to help them. Call the FBI,
or something. I want this man found. ......................... :
"I can't understand why they let
him walk around knowing all this
stuff about him and they let him
walk around with no shackles and i
handcuffs on," she continued. "I just
can't understand that. They should
ness of Hinton's downtown streets.
=Hopefully heql show up sooner or
later, Sheriff John Plumley said
late yesterday. "Maybe not as soon
as I'd like. He's got to show himself
sometime." Plumley, on the fourth
day of Harvey's escape, said they
still have no clue of Harvey's where-
veteran and Chief Jailor Jackie Ward
shortly after the alarm, visibly dis-
traught and shaken by the unex-
pected escape. Harvey had been
complaining of chest pains and
wanted to see a doctor, he said. Ward
was returning Harvey to the jail and
while unlocking the side door Har-
Jail Returned to
Sheriffs Control
By Fred Long
The Summers County Jail, under
federal receivership for over a year,
was turned back over to the Sheriff's
control following a 2 pm hearing in
Federal Court, Tuesday.
Sheriff John Plumley said ending
the receivership will save the county
about $20,000 a year "in unneces-
sary expense by no longer having to
pay the receiver his salary, travel
and lodging expense.
U. S. District Judge Elizabeth
Hallanan placed the county jail
under one-year receivership last
Aug. 1991 placing Ron G(,egory, for-
mer State Corrections Commis-
sioner, in charge of the daily opera-
tion of the facility. Last Sept. an
extension was ordered because of
the high turnover of county sheriffs.
"Ron Gregory never did anythi ng
to improve the jail as far as the court
order was concerned," said 10 year
veteran and Chief Jailer Jackie
Ward.
Plumley said Gregory was paid
$243 for"workingone hour and thirty
minutes at the most. He spent 30
minutes with me and 45 minutes
with the County Commission com-
plaining about me."
The order maintains the current
15 person cap on prison occupancy
and to help meet this requirement
the Sheriff will not be permitted to
incarcerate any person charged or
"convicted of only public intoxica-
tion, obstructing an officer, or resist-
Continued on page 2
from Delaware, all the time thejury
spent listening to the evidence and
deliberating to render a guilty ver-
dict, and they let him escape. I'm
very disapp.oited in the way this
was handled. It was negligent not to
have that man secure."
Correctional officers, Plumley
said, are "trained not to restrain a
prisoner, even a convicted killer, if
they are corn pl aini ng of chest pains.
"If they are experiencing chest pains
we want to try to keep them as
comfortable as possible. We don't
want to add to any discomfort that
could attribute to their illness."
Harvey, Plumley said, was treated
i n the hospital's emergency room for
flu like symptoms along with chest
pains.
started complaining of chest pains
shortly after his sentencing on Tues-
day. He had also been throwing up.
"Ifhe was well enough to ride in a
police car," Aucremanne said, "he
was well enough to be handcuffed
and shackled. If he was so sick that
he couldn't be handcuffed they should
have sent him to the hospital in an
have been more responsible.
Brenda said on the day Harvey
was sentenced she was outside the
courthouse in her car watching the
police take him back to the jail. "He
didn't have handcuffs on then and
he wasn't sick," she said. I-le could
have run then. The police officer
wasn't even looking at him, he was
walking six feet away and looking in
the opposite direction."
During the trial, last month,
Brenda said, recalling a conversa-
tion she had with Harvey's ex-wife,
=she told me Harvey made the bragg
that the police were so stupid he
could walk away any time he wanted
to. Iguesshedidthat. I feel sorry for
John Plumley. Here he is in a new
According to Ward, Harvey .. job and this happens.
ambulance with a guard."
For Brenda Rudicill, the mother
of the murdered girl, the escape
brought a night of fear and confu-
sion that still torments her mind,
Gill Sentenced to Home Confinement
for Killing Husband
their home, around I0 pro, on the
evening of Nov. ii, 1991. Earlier
that day he had threatened to kill
five people including Judge Lobban,
according to court documents.
The 3:30 pm hearing was held to
seek a probationary sentence follow-
ing a 60 day diagnostic evaluation at
Huttonsville Correctional Center.
Lobban said those results were fa-
vorable along with her local proba-
tionary report. At least 50 letters
had been received by the court sup-
porting probation while only one,
her sister-in-law, sought a peniten-
tiary sentence, he said.
Lobban denied probations, sen-
tenced her to prison, then suspended
the sentence and re-sentenced her to
five years probation with half the
term under home confnement.
Under the terms of home confine-
ment, Gill, unemployed, must not
leave home except for a scheduled
court appearance, medical reasons,
Continued on page 2
By Fred Long
Margaret Gill, 54, of Madam's
Creek, will serve two and a half
years in home confinement as part
of a five years probationary sentence
for a guilty plea to killing her hus-
band, Circuit Judge Charles M.
Lobban ruled Tuesday.
Gill was facing a mandatory five
to 18 years in prison after entering a
guilty plea to second degree murder.
Gill shot her husband, Bernie C.
Gill, four times in the chest outside
Hospital Gets New Roof
The Board of Trustees and Ad-
ministration of Summers County
Hospital are pleased to announce
that the local hospital is now in the
process of acquiring a much needed
roof for the hospital and clinic. The
Board and ActingAdministrator Scot
Mitchell have spent countless hors
in seeking financing, considering
proposals, dealing with contractors
and making final decisions regard-
ing specifications, warranties and
materials to be used for this project.
This is the first time since the hospi-
tal opened in 1969 that the roof has
been replaced. Financial constraints
have halted previous attempts.
The employees and patients who
have had to contend with leaks,
Shown above are workers from Tri-County Builders as they
began roofing the area over the X-Ray Dept. this week.
buckets, soggy ceilings and wet floors
over the past few years will be pleased
to know that the project will be
completed by early spring, and that
the roof will have a five year war-
ranty on workmanship and a twenty
year warranty on materials.
Tri-County Builders of Beckley,
WV., was selected as the contractor
to install the new roof. Actual work
began on Jan. 19, 1993, and will
continue so long as the weather is
dry. The roof will be installed in
sections which will include a one
inch expanded polystyrene insula-
tion board to be placed under the
EPDM rubber roof membrane. This
insulation will help the hospital
reduce its energy costs.
Knowing the financial problems
the hospital has .experienced over
the last few years and the immense
social contributions that it makes to
Summers County, Tri-County Build-
ers has agreed to finance this project
themselves, on an interest free ba-
sis. This will save the hospital thou-
sands of dollars in finance charges.
The Board of Trustees and Admini-
stration want to commend'Tri-
County Builders for their social
consciousness in working out the
financial arrangements for this proj.
ect.
Fear comes from the belief that
Harvey may try to harm her and her
family. He is a desperate person,"
Brenda said, "a violent person that
will do anything to stay free. You
never know what a desperate person
will do. The police want to say he
isn't dangerous. I'd call a murderer
dangerous. Now he's out there loose
and if he has to hell do whatever he
can to stay free. He has killed once
so he can kill again."
Aucremanne also expressed fear
of reprisal from Harvey. "I was
worried" Thursday night. When a
neighbor tells you they heard the
police say "he was headed this way,
you bet I was worried. I'd be a fool
not to fear for my life when a mur-
derer is on the loose.
Everyone involved with the trial
=has reason to fear for their life,
Aucremanne said.
SHe's not dangerous," said the
Continued on page 2
.,.....,......,...,.
: :, :: :i i
William Harvey is described in his jail record as"calm, cooperative,
polite and well mannered." Thursday night the convicted killer
escaped from the jail. Harvey, at the time, was wearing a blue
jacket over a long sleeve blue shirt and a white T-shirt, blue jeans
and tennis #]hlk He has gold framed glasses. Harvey is fair
eomplete¢ i five feet, seven inches tall, 180 pounds and has
redd|sh-blemde hair, a beard and mustache, and hazel eyes. He has
tattoo's on hie arms. Anyone with any information is asked to
contact the Sheriff's Department at 466-7111.
Reaches Goal
Loaves and Fishes is pleased to
announce that as of Jan. 22, 1993, it
has surpassed it's 1993 Community
Drive goal of $5,000. Through that
date 105 donors had contributed
$5,126. This means that I.mves and
Fishes will have adequate funds to
continue its services for those in need
in Summers County throughout
1993. =It's especially gratifying
knowing that the people of our com-
munity have once again responded
to our request for help. There are so
many people that we help each week
have made contributions to the
Continued on page 6
City Race
As of yesterday only six have filed
for a position in the race for mayor
and city councilman.
James A. Leslie, Jr., of 314
Bellengee St., has filed his certifi-
cate of candidacy for another term
as Hinton's mayor.
Council candidates to file thus far
are: Robert Smith, of 107 Cross St.,;
andwewouldbeunabletoassistany Gene Keffer, of 1319 Summers St.;
of them without this outpouring of Larry Meador, of 507 MillerAve.; Ed
community support. Hannah, of 514 3rd Ave. and Ralph
In addition to those previously ,Wilson, of 206 Cedar Ave.
recognized, the following persons The last date to file is Feb. 6.
dict in connection with the 1983
death of Rachel Crawford. Crawford,
according to Stanley Dwyer's testi-
mony during the December trial, was
last seen alive on King Mountain
with Danny when his brother, Lloyd,
allegedly shot her.
Wills called two witnesses in an
attempt to further discredit the tes-
timony of Stanley Dwyer. During
the trial, Dwyer's testimony, except
for the alleged shooting, was marked
with striking contradictions of the
facts.
Dwyer's former girl friend,
Roberta Adkins, 27 now living in
Ohio, said she had two children by
him and lived with him during the
period of Crawford's disappearance.
She said Dwyer told her his 1984
confession to the police, following
his arrest, was a lie and that he told
her the confession was beat out of
him by the police. Another witness,
Gary Cales, said he received letters
from Dwyer while he was confined to
the jail, charged with the murder,
claiming the police beat a confession
out ofhim.
Dwyer also took the stand, but
said he was only hit =once in the gut"
when the police were taking him off
King Mountain when his claim that
he could point out where Crawford
was buried failed.
Loblmn said even if it were true
that the police beat him in 1984 it
had nothing to do with his state-
ment to the police after Crawford's
remains were found in 1991. That
statement recounted much of what
was said in 1984, =and there isn't
any indication that he was beat
Continued on page 2
By Fred Long
A Hinton woman, last week, filed
a formal complaint against Talcott
Postmaster Bill Dillon because he
refused to sell her three sheets of
Elvis stamps.
=He had the stamps," said Mary
Yancy, "but he said, I can't sell you
all of these stamps because if other
people want some I won't have them.
He told me I could have 10offa sheet
and I told him ill couldn't buy a full
sheet I didn't want any. He finally
let me buy a sheet and I bought the
other two at Pence Springs .
Each sheet contains 40 stamps
and Ymmy wanted to give them as
gift;s, she said.
Dillon, when contacted, refused
to comment on the incident advising
the press to talk with his Beckley
supervisor, Mark Williamson, and
abruptly slammed down the phone.
Wiiliamson said the incident is an
=unfortunate misunderstanding"
that is getting blown out of propor-
tion. He apologized to Ms. Yancy
twice, he mid, but Yancy said she
wanted an apology from Mr. Dillon
"and never gotit: That's what makes
me mad.
Williamn said Yancy wanted
=400 stamps and he didn't have 400
stamps to sell her. He tired to make
a common sense decision, ifl sell all
my stamps to one person, lql make
everyone else mad. He was just
trying to do what he thought was
right."
Williamn did say a "directive
was issued €oncerning the Elvis
stamp" mald'ng it a first come first
served bases, but he said some post
offices =didn't get that directive."
The government printed 300 mil-
lion Elvis stamps and sold 800,000
in the Charlsaton district, he said.
Most of these were sold the first day.
Another issue of the stamp will be
release shortly for psople that didn't
get the amount of stamps they
wanted, he said.
=I hope theydoit again next year,
Williamson said. "I wouldlike to see
them issue another stamp with the
old Elvis on it. Most of thane stamps
will never be used. This is almost
100 percent profit for the govern-
ment."
Postal Complaint
Elvis Stamp Sparks
sentence, with mercy, making him
eligible for parole in I0 years. Sen-
tencing was set for 9 am, Feb. 19.
During his sentencing hearing,
Tuesday, Vanda]l's attorney, Mark
Wills, asked Circuit Judge Charles
M. Lobban to reverse his guilty vet-
By Fred Long
A motion asking the court to set
aside a murder conviction or grant
Danny Vandall a new trial was
denied last week; but, sentencing
has been delayed until next month.
Vandall, 44, faces a mandatory life
Vandall Sentencing Delayed