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About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (Jan. 18, 1980)
The Battalion Vol. 73 No. 82 Friday, January 18, 1980 USPS 045 360 12 Pages College Station, Texas Phone 845-2611 ”'S police remain baffled )y Muhlinghaus murder By RICHARD OLIVER General Assignments Reporter Although the investigation into the murder of LeShan Muhlinghaus is ap proaching its fourteenth week, College Station police are stymied. They have no leads, no suspects, and the list of possibilities is gradually growing smaller. Major Edgar Feldman, assistant College Station police chief, said the investigation has reached a stalemate. “As far as finding the individual who committed the crime, nothing has sur faced,” he said. “Most murder cases in volve two people who knew one another. We’ve exhausted all our suspects, and now we re just waiting for something to break. ” Muhlinghaus was stabbed to death on Oct. 12 in her Travis House apartment. The original police report described the body as having only one stab wound in the pelvic region, but subsequent reports re vealed the body had over two dozen wounds. The murder touched off several rumors of additional murders, threatening notes and strange men frequenting apartment complexes in the Bryan-College Station area. For several weeks after the investigation began, the College Station police depart ment reported a deluge of prowler re ports, notes on cars and break-ins. At this time, however, the reports have died down, Feldman said. “All of those have pretty much slowed down,” he said. “Nothing new has been happening, in any case.” Although there was talk of connections between the Muhlinghaus murder and murders committed in Amarillo and Aus tin, Feldman said ho leads have been found. “We haven’t had any new suspects, no new leads,” he said. “Nothing’s happened. We keep in contact with all the other cities, but nothing’s turned up. Feldman said the department is still in vestigating the case with the aid of the Texas Rangers. ^ampasas escapee may still be n this area, investigator says By NANCY ANDERSEN City Staff jocal police are still searching for a jipasas County jail escapee who aban- led his getaway car in a ditch off the it Bypass Wednesday night. I could only guess if he’s still in the a, Bryan police Major Lee Freeman iThursday afternoon. All police officers e a description of 19-year-old Bradley iultz, he said, but he has not been seen ce Wednesday night. ichultz is a white male, with a sandy iwn crewcut, blue eyes, 5 feet 8 inches I, weighs 130 pounds and has a tatoo on his left arm. Police received several calls from people who reported seeing a man answer ing that description driving down Texas Avenue Wednesday night. Freeman said. Bryan police immediately began check ing every open business in the area, he said. Police arrived at the Kentucky Fried Chicken on 3220 S. Texas Ave. just min utes after a man though to be Scbultz left. A woman, who asked not to be iden tified, was working when the man came in. She said a man wearing blue jeans and a white T-shirt walked in off the street and asked for a drink of water. He left after drinking it, she said, adding that he ap peared to be hitchhiking. The woman said she didn’t think much of the incident until a police officer came in an excitedly asked her where the man had gone. She said she didn’t know if he’d been picked up by a motorist or not. College Station police said they are aware of the situation, but are not actively searching for the suspect. Police said Schultz was being held on charges of auto theft when he escaped from the Lampasas jail Wednesday after noon. lussian dance company cancels nsit to A&M and tour of U.S. The Russian Krasnayarsk Dance Com- ny has cancelled its American tour for 80, including a performance at Texas StM University Jan. 24. The company did it give a reason for the cancellation. James Randolf, adviser for the Opera and irforming Arts Committee which booked egroupas part of its spring schedule, said le received a telegram saying only the the roup was not coming to the United States, ut not why. Randolf said he felt the cancellation was rone of two reasons: fear of defection by Ulcers while on tour in this country, or the irrent controversy over the Soviet inva- on of Afghanistan. “The most reasonable explanation is the tuation due to the conflict between the Allies agree on punitive actions United Press International WASHINGTON — Backed up by broad ipport from European allies, the United lates is examining “strong punitive ae on against the Soviet Union, including ostponing or moving the Moscow Olym- ics. A senior administration official said Ihursday Deputy Secretary of State War- p Christopher found European allies ;reed the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan ift the spirit of detente “wounded and leeding. ” To restore detente, they feel the West Mist “respond vigorously” to the aggres- ion, the U.S. official said. Christopher is reporting to President iarter on the allied response to America’s wves against both the Soviet Union and ran. The message also is being carried to loscow by U. S. Ambassador Thomas Wat- on, who is to leave the United States today o return to his post, He was recalled to Washington after the Dec. 27 Soviet inva- ion of Afghanistan. “We believe his presence is needed in tfoscow to convey the strong views of the 'resident and Secretary of State Vance to he Soviet leadership,” the spokesman aid. “We want the Soviets to understand first land how serious a re-evaluation of our elationship has taken place here. ” The department’s chief spokesman, lodding Carter, said, “I expect the an gers will be clear in the next few days. ” The future U. S. policy on Afghanistan, Upected to be announced within a day or o, and the parallel actions against Iran, will “e an extension of the present moves, a IS. spokesman said. The senior administration official said Kristopher found a lot of support for United States and Russia over Afghanis tan, Randolf said. “But whether the can cellation was on the part of the United States or Russia, I couldn’t say. It could also be something totally different.” Richard Stevens, chairman of OPAS, said several refund options are being con sidered for the 1,400 season ticket holders and the additional $3,000 in tickets sold for the performance. One option, Stevens said, would be to substitute the Russian dance tickets for another OPAS performance with an additional cash refund to compensate for the higher price. Other options would be a full refund or working in conjunction with Town Hall and allowing the tickets to be exchanged for the boycotting the Moscow Olympic games. He said the Western Europeans “widely questioned the propriety of holding the Olympic games in Moscow at this time.” He said the allies discussed the Olympics in terms of alternatives rather than a cancel lations — a delay, until next year, a differ ent site, or even breaking up the summer games into numerous sites, with each event contested separately. The official said the allies generally agreed that “strong, punitive” measures against the Soviet Union were called for, and he listed some specifics: — Agreement that the Europeans would production of “Showboat, coming in March. Stevens said a final decision on the re fund will be made by Monday. The trouble in finding a replacement act of the same caliber as the 80-man dance troup could have serious effects on the OPAS budget, Stevens said. “This could really hurt us financially. It was selling better than any other show,” Stevens said. “We re really going to have to sell out our other performances.” Stevens said he was also concerned about the possibility of a cancellation for the last act this year, Lazar Brman, a Russian pianist. But, Stevens said he had heard nothing about the act cancelling so far. not undercut the American embargo on grain and soybean sales to the Soviets; con sideration of European measures, includ ing embargoes on sales to the Soviets of poultry and butter. — Cutting back some European export credit, which the Soviets use to finance purchases in the West; further cutting back on the kind of high technology items the Western nations sell the Soviet Union. — Cutting out all European economic assistance to Afghanistan, with the excep tion of some minor humanitarian programs; cutting down the size of all European dip lomatic missions in Afghanistan. Staff photo by Lee Roy Leschper Jr. Show time Steve Crouch of Bryan Marine positions one of the dozens of sport boats to be featured at this weekend’s Brazos Valley Boat and Sport Show. Show exhibits will include boat and sporting equipment dealers from throughout the Brazos Valley area. The show, held in the Brazos Center Friday through Sunday, is open to the public free of charge. Jugglenaut Brian McAuliffe, a junior psychology major from Houston, has a unique way to relax during a hard day at school—juggle. McAuliffe has been juggling for about one year and has been known to even juggle air hockey discs. Battalion photo by Lynn Blanco Insurance agent asks board for stronger regulations United Press International AUSTIN — A Dallas insurance agent Thursday called for a moratorium on sales of life insurance in Texas until the State Insurance Board finds a way to prevent deceptive sales pitches that he said cost consumers $22 million a year. Joe A. Mintz of Dallas, an insurance agent, said the sales presentations allowed under current Texas regulations and new rules being considered for adoption by the state agency encourage deception in insur ance sales. “This department for 12 years has per mitted deception in the sale of life insur ance,” Mintz said. “You followed the rec ommendation of industry spokespersons and complied with their vested interest by adopting methods of cost comparison and replacement of existing life insurance that are profitable to industry and costly to the consumer.” Industry representatives appeared be fore the three-man insurance board Thursday to support adoption of so-called model regulations developed by the Na tional Association of Insurance Commis sioners. Several representatives urged exemp tions for policies of $5,000 or less or annual premiums of $200 or less on grounds it would cost too much to require all com panies to comply with regulations on such small policies. The insurance company representatives said the model regulations will require companies and agents to provide a net payment index and comparison data on dividends in addition to the cash- surrender cost information currently re quired under Texas rules. “The use of one index by itself can put the individual in a position of making a mistake,” said Robert D. Nicholas, as sociate general counsel of the American Council of Life Insurance. Mintz, however, said the computations used by the insurance companies prevent comparisons between cash value or so- called whole life policies and term insur ance. “Texans,” he estimated, are “spending $22 million annually in premium dollars because of misleading, deceptive and fraudulent sales pitches.” Mintz said Texas does not need new or additional regulations on how agents or United Press International Today is Friday, Jan. 18, the 18th day of 1980 with 348 to follow. The moon is in its new phase. The morning stars are Mercury, Mars, Jupiter and Saturn. The evening star is Vertus. Those born on this date are under the sign of Cap ricorn. American orator and statesman Daniel Webster was born Jan. 18, 1782. Actors Cary Grant and Danny Kaye were born on this date — Grant in 1904 and Kaye in 1913. On this day in history: In 1943, Moscow said the 16-month Nazi siege of Leningrad, Russia, had been companies can solicit business or encour age customers to replace existing policies. “You just need to crack down on people using deceptive mathematics,” Mintz told the insurance board. William P. Daves Jr., board chairman, said the mathematics used under Texas regulations would look more favorable if inflation was not so high, making interest returns of 3 and 4 percent less attractive. “I would presume there hasn’t been as much misrepresentation about insurance as there has been by the federal govern ment about money,” said Durwood Man- ford, longtime board member. lifted. In 1966, Indira Gandhi, daughter of the late Indian Prime Minister Nehru, was named as the new premier of India. In 1968, the United States and Russia agreed on a draft of a nuclear non proliferation treaty. In 1978, Egyptian President Sadat or dered his foreign minister home from Is rael and informed President Carter talks would resume after Israel changed its posi tion. A thought for the day. Daniel Webster said, “Let our object be our country, our whole country, and nothing but our coun try.” The almanac