Page 6
NEWS
THE BATTALION
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Inmate on suicide watch
Condemned killer attempted to kill self before execution
HUNTSVILLE (AP) — A con
demned Texas inmate set for execution
Wednesday evening was under close
scrutiny by prison officials after a
weekend attempt to kill himself.
Juan Soria, 33, faced lethal injec
tion for fatally stabbing a Fort Worth
teen-ager in 1985 so he could steal
the victim's car.
Soria, with a history of self-mutila
tion and repeated suicide attempts in
recent years, nearly severed the hand
of a prison minister in a razor attack on
death row in June.
Details of the most recent suicide at
tempt were not immediately known al
though Soria's attorney said his client
had tried to kill himself.
"He is back on suicide watch," said
Larry Fitzgerald, a Texas Department
of Criminal Justice spokesperson.
Since the attack last month on the
prison chaplain, Soria has been held at
a prison medical unit where he has
been under doctor's care.
He met with relatives over the
weekend and was moved Tuesday to
the Terrell Unit, which houses death
row inmates, to meet with his lawyer.
"I think the guy is mentally ill," said
Bill Harris, Soria's attorney. "I don't
know the extent. Of course, there's a
distinction between being mentally ill
and being competent to be executed.
"You've really got to be pretty
profoundly mentally ill, and you
have to have people to believe that
you legitimately don't know you're
going to be executed, or that it's im-
“Of course, there's
a distinction be
tween being men
tally ill and being
competent to be
executed”
— Bill Harris
Juan Soria's attorney
minent or why you're being execut
ed. You can be pretty sick and still
know those three things."
The U.S. Supreme Court was con
sidering a request to review his case.
Attorneys contended there were prob
lems with jury selection at his trial.
The Texas Board of Pardons and
Paroles, on an 18-0 vote, refused a
clemency petition.
Harris said he had no plans to
; seek a 30-day reprieve from Gov.
George W. Bush, who by law can is
sue such a reprieve once.
"I don't expect he would grant it,"
he said. "And at this juncture, I don't
see the justification for it. Thirty days
is great if you have something to do
with the 30 days."
Soria's lethal injection would be the
second this month and 26th this year
in Texas. At least six executions are
scheduled for August.
The Texas Court of Criminal Ap
peals in 1994 reduced Soria's sentence
to life, saying the trial jury had insuffi
cient evidence to decide one of the
questions required for a death sentence:
that Soria was a continuing threat to so
ciety. Prosecutots, however, appealed
the ruling and two years later the court
reinstated the death sentence.
Soria was condemned for killing
Allen Bolden, 17, who worked at the
Fort Worth Boys Club which Soria fre-
quented. Soria, 18 at the time, and a
companion, Mike Lagunas, then 19,
hitched a ride with Bolden, then pulled
a gun on the victim and forced him to
drive to a secluded area.
Court records showed Lagunas
knocked him out by striking him with
a rock and Soria killed him with a pair
of knife thrusts to the back of his neck.
Men court-martialed for assault
WICHITA FALLS (AP) — A Sheppard Air Force Base
trainee is accused of assaulting two Midwestern State
University students in this Northwest Texas city.
Airman 1st Class Maurice A. Longsworth, a technical
training student assigned to the 362nd Training
Squadron, is charged with assault and wrongful use of
controlled substances under the Uniform Code of Mili
tary Justice.
General court-martial proceedings were scheduled to
start Tuesday for Longsworth. He is accused of assault
ing Japanese college students Yuro Ueda, 20, and Aya Ito,
19, on MSU's campus on May 25, according to the Wi
chita Falls Times Record News' editions Tuesday.
The victims contend that Longsworth and Tyrone L.
Wilkinson, also of the 362nd Training Squadron, attacked
them around 1 a.m. as they were talking by the univer
sity's fountain.
• Since the attack, Longsworth and Wilkinson have
been in military pretrial confinement at a Fort Sill, Okla.,
correctional facility.
If convicted, Longsworth faces up to 20 years in the
military prison system. Wilkinson's trial date has not yet
been scheduled.
Barrel racin’
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Local Bryan/College Station resident Cathy Colby, makes her last turn during the barrel race at the#
annual Texas Fire School Shriner's Benefit Barrel Race and Team Roping
Cheney
Continued from Page 1
number of candidates, including for
mer Senate George Mitchell of Maine,
Florida Sen. Bob Graham and Massa
chusetts Sen. John Kerry.
Among the GOP stalwarts in ad
dition to Hagel and Frist who had
been under consideration: Gov.
Frank Keating of Oklahoma, Ridge
and Pataki; former Gov. Lamar
Alexander of Tennessee; Sen. Fred
Thompson of Tennessee; and Rep.
John Kasich of Ohio.
Former Missouri Sen. John Dan-
forth lingered on tht^ short list until
the end but came up short despite the
advantage of hailing from a battle
ground state.
Cheney changed his voting regis
tration from Texas to Wyoming last
week to get around a constitutional
problem that arises when both mem
bers of a presidential ticket live in the
same state.
All signs had pointed toChf:|
for days. He told business assodi
he had a good chance of getting
job and leaving his company,H|
liburton Co. of Dallas; and he
warded an all-clear health rei
from his doctors to Bush.
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rushed to the scene. Hours after the crash, huge clouds of
smoke continued to billow over a nearby wheat field, and
an acrid smell filled the air.
Sid Hare, a Federal Express pilot who was at a hotel sev
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of fire. He said he could "see smoke trailing" from one of the
plane's two left engines before the crash.
Jospin and French Transport Minister Jean-CUifr, but many ar
Gayssot visited the scene of the crash Tuesday aftemoo:
"It's a terrible moment," Gayssot said.
An official at Peter Deilmann Shipping in the Germancit
of Neustadt said the passengers came from variousGermai
states and met in Paris to fly together for the cruise atari
the MS Deutschland, which is anchored in New York.
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interview with APTN that he hoped
peace talks would continue because
"the alternatives to a peace agree
ment are very ugly."
Rahman said he hoped Clinton's
efforts would not be wasted. "It's al
ways useful to engage in negotia
tions," he said.
It had become clear earlier in the day
that no serious headway was in sight de
spite an offer by Barak to Arafat to rec
ognize some sort of Palestinian sover
eignty in east Jerusalem.
Clinton credited both sides with
seeking a compromise on the city's fu
ture, but appeared to suggest Barak
took bolder steps.
"The Palestinians changed their po
sition, they moved forward," he said,
lifting the veil of secrecy he had im
posed on the details of the negotia
tions. "The Israelis moved more."
At another point, the president said
"Prime Minister Barak showed courage
and vision" and Arafat "made clear he
remains committed to peace."
Palestinian sources said the break
ing point was Israel's refusal to recog
nize Palestinian sovereigny over
Miss Texas
Continued from Page 1
contestants in the second-largest state
pageant. An extensive package, in
cluding over $100,000 in cash and
prizes, is presented to the winner.
"Included in the package I re
ceived is a Ford Mustang," Krueger
said. "I seem to get a lot of attention
here in College Station from people
who recognize the car."
A contestant in the last two Miss
Texas pageants, Lana Wright, a se
nior agribusiness major, represented
South-Central Texas in the 2001
show. In last year's pageant, Wright
won the swimsuit portion of the con
test. Wright said each contestant be
gins the competition with a three-
minute interview with each of the
eight judges. Contestants are then
judged on their poise and presence
on-stage during the evening gown
and swimsuit competitions.
. "Kandace is a very sweet girl,"
Wright said. "I met her last year
Jerusalem's walled Old City,
only access to the A1 Aqsa mosque,the
third-holist sitx in Islm. Arafatwasin-
furiated,the sources said
Rahman said Israel's offeroflimit-
ed sovereignty was unacceptableanl
a "nonstarter." He said the Palestinian
had insisted on sovereignty overall
the Old City.
'Israel refused to accept therigi on fees will res
of the Palestinian people to havesoi
ereignty over east Jerusalmandth lajor, said he v
Muslim holy places," he said.
"Regarding the issue of Jerusalet tudents.
"I think if th
as with other issues, the Palestinia'
did not change their positions durif ion system be
the discussions, so there was no chat he prices of fi
of arriving at an agreement," saidGpudent will uli
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At 3 a.m. Tuesday, Arafatsental forced to pay
ter to Clinton, saying hesawnopeftrker said,
in continuing because the Israeli pfL However, C,
tion on Jerusalem could never lealffictor of trans
an agreement, Palestinian sources si the burden of h
"If you ask me did they m< ppssed on to th
enough progress to get this do 1 "The fuel v
'yes,' " Clinton said. "But they've*
to go home and check, they've
feel around.
"I feel that we have the eleiw
here to keep this process going,
think it can happen," Clinton said.
A&
' P a 8 eal,:
through a mutual friend, and I a'
so excited for her that she won.S
deserved it."
With the honor of being crown
Miss Texas come the additional
sponsibilities and obligations.
Krueger said her duties over
next year will consist of speaking
various charitable events and
moting the sponsors of the
Needing only 13 hours to earn her f
gree, Krueger plans to take the year*
from school, enabling her to focus 1
the duties of her position.
"By taking a year off from sch 1
I feel I will be in a better position 1
dedicate myself to my reig 11
Krueger said. "I don't feel
would be able to share timebetvv :ft
my academics and the obligate
en titled to Miss Texas without sat
ficing the effort that each desef
My public relations representat
schedules appearances across
state for me to speak to charitie:
other organizations, and my
ule has to be flexible with it."
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