Page 2
Monday, June 5.1
STATE
THE BATTALION
San Antonio millionaire goes
on trial for 1997 Florida murder
Two indicted in alleged kickback schem
SAN ANTONIO (AP) — More
than two-and-a-half years after the
mother of quadruplets was shot and
stabbed in her Florida home, her ex-
husband, a San Antonio millionaire,
goes on trial Monday, accused of ar
ranging her murder.
Allen Blackthorne has a wealth of
financial resources at his disposal, as
well as a legal team that started prep-
ping for this trial two years before he
was even indicted. His trial is expect
ed to last three to five weeks.
A two-count federal indictment
charges Blackthorne with interstate
conspiracy to commit murder for hire,
which carries a mandatory life sen
tence, and interstate domestic violence.
Blackthorne's ex-wife, Sheila Bel-
lush, was shot and stabbed in her
Sarasota, Fla., home in November
1997, shortly after she moved from the
San Antonio area. Her 2-year-old
quadruplets from her second mar
riage were found wandering in blood
near their mother's body.
Blackthorne was indicted by a fed
eral grand jury in January. A day lat
er, a Bexar County grand jury re
turned state charges. The federal case
is the first to go to trial.
"He is innocent, not just 'not
guilty' innocent," said Richard Lubin,
the West Palm Beach, Fla., lawyer
who defended famed defense attor
ney F. Lee Bailey before representing
Blackthorne.
First Assistant U.S. Attorney John
“He is innocent,
not just 'not
guilty' innocent.’
— Richard Lubin
defense attorney
Murphy said prosecutors won't
"shock anyone with any of our evi
dence."
One suspect in the case, Samuel
Gonzales, has already pleaded guilty
to solicitation of capital murder.
Gonzales' cousin and the alleged
triggernaitm, Jose Luis Del Toro, es
caped into Mexico but was returned
by Mexican authorities last year. He
faces trial next month in Florida.
Gonzales testified against his
friend, Daniel Rocha, an accom
plished amateur golfer, who was sen
tenced to life in prison last year.
Gonzales claimed Rocha told him
the money for the murder, like the
plan, came from Rocha's frequent golf
and gambling partner, Blackthorne.
Legal experts told the San Antonio
Express-News that Blackthorne's best
bet is to focus on Rocha, who has been
inconsistent with his statements about
the case.
In an August 1998 letter to the
Sarasota Herald-Tribune, Rocha wrote
while awaiting trial in Florida that the
plan had been to scare Bellush and not
murder her.
A few months later, in January
1999, Rocha failed a polygraph test in
which he answered yes when asked if
Blackthorne recommended killing
Bellush.
Blackthorne, who turns 45 Mon
day, has denied any part in the killing.
He has said authorities have over
looked a likely suspect in his ex-wife's
second husband, James Bellush.
Accusing Jam£s Bellush, an appar
ent victim, of being a villain poses oth
er risks because the widower has be
come sole guardian for at least one
teen-age daughter born to Black
thorne, as well as his own quadru
plets, said St. Mary's University law
professor Michael Ariens.
EL PASO, Texas (AP) — Authorities say more charges
are expected after a grand jury last week indicted two for
mer Socorro school system vendors, accusing them of par
ticipating in a kickback scheme that beat the school district
out of $4.6 million.
Michael Christopher Rhinehardt, 32, and Toya Michelle
Pinkston, 26, both from the Dallas area, were indicted
Tuesday and charged with theft over $200,000 and misap
plication of fiduciary property, the El Paso Times reported.
The charges are first-degree felonies and punishable by
up to life in prison.
Pinkston was arrested Thursday and placed in the Dal
las County Jail. She was released Friday after posting
$100,000 bond, officials said.
Rhinehardt was still at large.
The indictments are the latest development inar
vestigation by the El Paso County Sheriff's Depai
said Capt. Ralph Mitchell. He said more arrestsanl
dictments are expected.
On April 4, the former director of risk managemem
the Socornj Independent School District in El Paso,M
li T. leremia, was arrested on similar charges. He
at the El PasoCountyJail Annex in lieu ofa$l million
Mitchell said Rhinehardt operated a privateinvestigaii
business in Dallas that allegedly billed the Soconx)school
trict for background checks on district employees thati
not performed. Pinkston was his administrative assistair:]
leremia was suspended from his job lastyearwhil
ficials looked into irregularities in the school dish
funds. He later resigned.
jnday, June 5, 200
Tips
Continued from Page 1
Kretzschman also said, that even
though College Station is not a large
city, students should still take the
necessary steps to protect their be
longings. Students living in resi
dence halls should pay close atten
tion to who is coming into the dorm
behind them. Students living on
campus should question anyone
they do not recognize entering the
dorm; if visiting, students should es
cort them to the room.
Kretzschman said, students should
use care at night when going to bed.
"Students need to lock their doors,
they should remember that at any
time anyone in the dorm can enter
their room," Kretzschman said.
Apartment and dorms are not the
only targets for theives, cars are often
burglarized in the summer as well.
When junior English major Aaron
Teague's car was stolen he lost $2000
worth of property and his insurance
only gave him $800. His insurance
did not cover the cellular phone, com
pact discs, or books he kept in his car.
Teague's experience changed the way
he viewed the world around him.
"First I was mad, and then 1 felt
unsafe, I lost my sense of security,"
Teague said.
The College Station Police De
partment has shifted its focus to ar
eas with a high occurrence of car
theft. Major Mike Patterson of CSPD
said, the area around Northgate is
prone to car burglary. *
"Car thieves know that ladiesn;
leave their purses in cars whileatll
bar," Patterson said.
Led by eight /
xas A&M mer
ar's NCAA 1
rough June 3 a
anford Univei
hile confereno
Texas finishec
All-Americai
ivelin earned th
tie for 38th plac
versity's womer
A&M coach
would finish in
)rts of the team
"Overall, I th
Patterson also said, people e I VVe wm , hopn
avoid being a victim if theytakeE
active role in protecting theirprope
tv. Patterson said car owners shooli
not leave anything of value sudij
purses, checkbooks or portablec®
pact disk players in open viewinsis
the car. Car owners should makes?
all doors are locked and windows®
secure before leaving the car. PatteBian in two ever
son said, if someone must leavethalvith a time of 2
purse or valuables in the car, lbHnilerelay,
should lock them in the trunk, i; The400-mel
"People should remember, rpndseniorsJoh.
:’s been a great i
hrough for us, ■
lad coming in."
Sophomores
wo runners wh
ig 12 Champii
ted the eigh
|o earn All-Amt
few minutes it takes to securetb
car can save lots of trouble
Patterson said.
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THE
HQ Wi n l ft I **;V*.* A6 VRi Vi * :R1 f ft*
Beverly Mireles,
Jeff Kempf Managing Editor
Jason Bennyhoff, Aggielife/Radio Editor
Beth Ahlquist, Copy Chief.
Jennifer Bales, Night News Editor
April Young, City Editor
Jeanette Simpson, Asst. City Editor
Editor in Chief
Eric Dickens, Opinion Editor
Reece Flood, Sports Editor
Stuart Hutson, Sci/Tech Editor
JP Beato, Photo Editor
Ruben Deluna, Graphics Editor
Brandon Payton, Web Master
News: The Battalion news department is managed by students at Texas A&M University in the
Division of Student Media, a unit of the Department of Journalism. News offices are in 014 Reed
McDonald Building. Newsroom phone: 845-3313; Fax: 845-2647; E-mail: Thebattalion@hot-
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tising, call 845-0569. Advertising offices are in 015 Reed McDonald, and office hours are 8 a.m.
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Thursday, June 8
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404 Rudder
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404 Rudder
Tuesday, July 11
2:00 p.m.
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3:00 p.m.
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10:00 a.m.
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Thursday, August 3
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