■|B| ■ Texas A8dVl ■ hi ■ ■
The Battalion
December 15, 1982/Page 1B
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Harrelson, wife, Liz Chagra all found guilty
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United Press International
lN ANTONIO —Contract
liller Charles V. Harrelson, his
»ife Jo Ann, and Elizabeth
iagra were found guilty Tues-
lyin the slaying of tJ.S. District
jdge “Maximum” John Wood
in a vendetta allegedly paid for
iElPaso narcotics kingpin Jim-
ny Chagra.
Harrelson was found guilty
([shooting Wood, 63, for a
1250,000 payoff from Chagra.
Jla Harrelson and Mrs. Chag-
fevere found guilty of lesser
offenses, conspiracy to murder
([obstruction of justice.
Mrs. Chagra, now a born-
ijain Christian who emotionally
admitted delivering the payoff
to Harrelson’s family, had been
given the best chance of an inno
cent verdict. However, the nine-
woman, three-man jury dismis
sed her claim to being an ignor
ant dupe of her highrolling,
tyranical husband.
While the jury was being pol
led, both female defendants
blinked back tears and dabbed
their eyes. Harrelson had a
smirk on his face. Eight of the
female jurors and one male
juror cried as the.verdicts were
read.
There were audible gasps
when Mrs. Chagra was found
guilty. Stunned by the verdict,
Wood killing 3rd
n Harrelson list
iroom
Bath
'X. 810 $(|,
ace
is convenient)
-M 2818 in
de Drive
United Press International
SAN ANTONIO — With his
tonviction for shooting federal
jidge John Wood in the back,
ontract killer Charles V. Har-
ttlson has established himself as
multi-time loser who has final-
|duga hole so deep, he is un-
lely to ever escape.
After Harrelson’s conviction
Tuesday of taking a $250,000
jayment to kill Wood, a crime
iat carries a mandatory sent-
isceof life in prison, the Bexar
County District Attorney’s office
sysitnow wants to try Harrel-
m on Texas capital murder
Aarges—which carry the death
lenience.
Wood was the third man Har-
itlson has been charged with
"mg.
In 1968 he was charged and
nquitted — despite eye witness
(stimony — of killing a carpet
slesman. In 1973 he was con-
deted of killing a Hearne grain
dealer.
Although he was sentenced
io 15 years in prison in that
(time, Harrelson was paroled in
~ — about eight months be
fore shooting Wood to death.
Harrelson, 44, already was
serving another jail sentence
ulien the jury returned the guil-
ttverdict in the Wood case. He
been found guilty on
cocaine and weapons charges
and sentenced to a total of 40
tears.
During the Wood trial Har
relson showed he could be both
a charming man out of place in a
murder conspiracy trial and a
vicious ill-tempered convict
when caught in circumstances
he could not explain — such as
testimony placing him at the
scene of Wood’s death about an
hour prior to the shooting.
Harrelson likes to brag he has
spent more time in courtrooms
than some attorneys. For seven
of the last nine years he has
either been in jail or on his way
there.
He also likes to brag about his
success with women.
Although currently married
to Jo Ann Harrelson, during
secretly tape recorded visits at
his jail he promised three other
women he loved them and was
anxious to be with them.
One of the most sensational
parts of the trial came when Jo
Ann Harrelson’s daughter,
Theresa Starr, testified she had
an affair with her stepfather for
several months behind her
mother’s back.
Harrelson is the son of a
Texas prison guard and shows
little respect for authority.
“The Gestapo is alive and well
and highly refined and doing
business as usual in Washington
D.C.,” he once said. “First they
pick on the ones that are easy to
deal with like me, but before
long they’ll be herding all you
poor bastards into boxcars that
don’t go anywhere and showers
without any water.”
she sucked in her breath and
weaved at the defense table, sup
ported by her attorney.
The panel deliberated 20
hours over four days before re
turning its verdict at 9:55 a.m.
CST in the 9-week trial — en
ding part one of an investigation
that took three and a half years,
thousands of FBI hours and $5
million to bring to court.
Despite the lengthy investiga
tion, the government’s case ulti
mately hinged on testimony by
Joe Chagra, who turned state’s
evidence against the Harrelsons
and his sister-in-law, Elizabeth,
28, in exchange for a chance to
plead guilty to a lesser charge
and a promise he would not
have to testify against his older
brother.
The trial of Jimmy Chagra
himself has not been scheduled.
Harrelson, 44, was found
guilty of shooting Wood, 63, in
the back as the judge walked out
of his north San Antonio tow-
nhome May 29, 1979.
Sentencing for all three has
been set for March 8. Federal
Judge William Sessions ex
plained he wanted to wait until
possible other trials involving
some of the same principles are
completed.
A conviction on the federal
charge of murder carries a man
datory life sentence. Harrelson
also was convicted of conspiracy
to commit murder — for which
he also could be sentenced to life
in prison.
There is no death penalty in
federal law, but the Bexar Coun-
ty District Attorneys office has
indicated it may try Harrelson
on Texas capital murder
charges — which carry a possible
sentence of death by injection.
Jo Ann Harrelson, 41, who
previously had been found guil
ty of using a false name to buy
the high-powered rifle used in
the slaying, was found guilty of
obstruction of justice. She could
face five years in prison. Mrs.
Harrelson also is under charges
of perjury before a grand jury.
Mrs. Chagra was charged
with conspiracy to commit mur
der and obstruction of justice,
and still faces charges of income
tax evasion in the case.
Prosecutors argued that
Wood, nick-named “maximum”
by convicts because of the stiff
sentences he handed down, was
ordered killed by Jimmy Chag
ra, because Chagra faced a drug
smuggling charge scheduled to
be tried in Wood’s court. Chag
ra, 39, is currently in federal
prison in Bastrop having been
found guilty on those charges.
Wood and the Chagra family
crossed paths several times the
year before the judge was shot to
death. In August 1978 Wood
presided over a drug trial that
sent Chagra brother-in-law Rick
De La Torre to prison. El Paso
criminal attorneys Joe and Lee
Chagra (who was shot to death
in a robbery in December 1978)
had several of their other clients
imprisoned for lengthy stays at
Wood’s direction, including en
tertainer Joe Renteria four
months before Wood was killed.
After the verdict was read,
Sessions thanked the jury and
said they had been “splendid.”
“None of these defendants
agree with your verdict at all,”
Sessions said. “Yet each of them
has believed in a system where a
trial by jury is a very precious
right.”
After court was dismissed,
Harrelson — who has paraded
his hatred of law enforcement
officers and cynical view of life,
told reporters: “It’s a necessary
step in the progression of things.
It was expected.”
Assistant U.S. Attorney Ray
Jahn called 83 witnesses and in
troduced more than 100 ex
hibits in the case. The witnesses
placed Harrelson at the scene of
the crime as little as 50 minutes
before the shooting — but no
one could positively say Harrel
son pulled the trigger.
Defense attorneys produced
another 50 exhibits and several
witnesses placing Harrelson in
Dallas a short time after Wood
was killed at 8:40 a.m. Prosecu
tors contend those witnesses
either lied, had faulty memories
or that Harrelson took a fast
plane trip to Dallas with the in
tention of being seen in his
hometown.
On the witness stand for
seven days, Harrelson conceded
he had met Chagra shortly be
fore Wood died and was in the
cities where Wood held court in
his final days. But he said he was
set up by his gambling friend
Pete Kay of Huntsville who col
lected $200,000 from Chagra by
claiming Harrelson had killed
the judge.
Jahn, however, reminded
jurors Harrelson had once brag
ged to a friend, “Killing people
and getting away with it is my
long suit.”
Jahn said Harrelson failed in
earlier attempts to kill Wood be
cause other people were nearby
and Plarrelson did not want to
harm them, Jahn said.
“Charles Harrelson, for all
his faults, is not a mad dog kil
ler,” Jahn said. “He’s cold, he’s
cunning, he’s heartless. But he
kills people — in his own words
— because they deserve it or be
cause he gets paid for it.”
UTE BEER IS UKE A QUARTERBACK.
WE CANT WAIT TO KNOCK ONE DOWN
Bubba Smith and Dick Butkus
Reagan reveals
MX compromise
United Press International
WASHINGTON — President
tagan announced Tuesday a
ipartisan agreement with Con
gress that would ensure produc-
ionfunding for the MX missile,
bulelay any actual outlays until
Congress approves a basing
sjstem.
Reagan appeared before re
porters in the White House
press room after meeting with
Republican and Democratic
senators in an effort to save the
1IX after House rejection last
»eekof$988 million in produc-
lion funds.
"I’m pleased to announce
Aat we’ve reached a bipartisan
igreement that we hope will
Preserve funding for the the
missile and enable us to continue
foe restoration of America’s de
fense capabilities,” Reagan said.
Flanked by members of the
Rouse and Senate GOP leader
ship, Reagan said it has “become
apparent” that many members
of Congress support the missile
itself, but have qualms about the
“dense pack” basing mode he re
commended Nov. 2.
“The agreement we’ve
reached...is a reasonable balanc
ing of those interests,” he said.
Under terms of the com
promise, outlined by Senate
Armed Services Committee
Chairman John Tower, R-
Texas, Congress would approve
the $988 million Reagan has re
quested, but tie its actual use to
approval of a basing mode.
The president would be re
quired to resubmit his certifica
tion of a basing mode — not
necessarily dense pack — as well
as information on alternative
schemes. Congress would have
45 days to approve Reagan’s re
commendations or an alterna
tive plan.
The deployment plan would
have to be approved by the
House and Senate.
Dallas facing fight
over ozone pollution
3)
140
p.m-
United Press International
DALLAS — The Environ-
teital Protection Agency could
foap the city with sanctions for
ling to comply with the Clean
■lit Act, and those penalties
«include a ban on industrial
Mansion.
Dallas is not the only city
"niggling against pollution and
foeEPA. About 200 other cities
and counties are facing the same
Rtc. 31., deadline without
ttight prospects. Among them
ate five other Texas cities:
Houston, Fort Worth, El Paso,
Corpus Christi and San Benito.
The EPA said Dallas among
other cities has failed to clean up
air since the passage of the act
in 1970. The Dallas problem is
ozone, a gas found naturally in
'he outer atmosphere, but also
produced by hydrocarbons bel
ched by car emission systems
and industry smoke stacks.
Dallas has exceeded the fed
eral ozone standard by 10 times
in the past year.
The city and state joined
forced three years ago to reduce
the level of ozone in the city’s air,
but Dallas air is no cleaner now
then it was then, and the city is
sure to miss its Dec. 31, clean-up
deadline.
When that happens, the EPA
has promised to act. Officials
said they would probably im
pose sanctions such as a ban on
industrial growth and the loss of
federal highway funds and
money for sewage treatment
and pollution control programs.
It could also force the city to
implement an expensive and
controversial inspection prog
ram to monitor car emissions.