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Monday, January 29, 2001
THE BATTALION
FBI may have found body of missing atheist
CAMP WOOD, (AP) — Federal agents un-
arthed human bones on a remote South Texas
anch Saturday, the FBI said, after returning to the
ite with the chief suspect in the disappearance of
missing atheist leader Madalyn Murray O’Hair
and two of her children.
I “We have what appears to be a leg bone, maybe
femur, that is of substantial size and appears to
cut off on one end,” said Roderick Beverly, spe-
al agent-in-charge of the FBI’s San Antonio di-
sion. “We also found what appears to be finger
nes and parts of a hand.
“The bones appeared to be charred like they
were set on fire.”
I Burnt fabric was also found buried with the
Bnes.
I Investigators believe O'Hair, her son and the
Banddaughter she had adopted were killed, dis-
ftmbered and dumped on the 5,000-acre Cook-
||y Ranch in 1995. Previous searches of the prop-
2fty, including one in 1999, failed to find any
■dies.
■ Beverly would not comment on whether David
Upland Waters participated in Saturday’s search,
■iters, who was facing kidnapping and extortion
:h; ges in the case, struck a deal with investiga-
ors Wednesday that was ordered sealed by a fed-
ral judge in Austin.
■But a law enforcement source who spoke to
'he Associated Press (AP) on condition of
nbnymity confirmed that Waters was taken to
le ranch Saturday. His two lawyers also were
ent.
bout two dozen federal and state agents using
three cadaver dogs beganLscouring a spot about 15-
feet-by-15-feet near a greive of live oak trees short
ly after arriving at the ranch around 10:30 a.m.
Internal Revenue Service agents, Texas De
partment of Public Safety troopers, Texas Rangers
and local sheriff’s deputies helped in the search on
the private ranch in the Texas Hill Country about
((
We have what appears to
be a leg bone, maybe a fe
mur, that is of substantial
size and appears to be cut off
atone end."
— Roderick Beverly
special agent-in-charge
of FBI's San Antonio division
120 miles west of San Antonio.
The bones were revealed by agents using shov
els and picks to dig about 2.5 feet down, Beverly
said.
Beverly said a forensic anthropologist on site
from Southwest Texas State University deter
mined that the bones are human. The remains will
be examined at the anthropologist’s lab in San
Marcos, Beverly said.
Beverly said the search would continue into the
night.
The 53-year-old Waters, who previously plead
ed innocent in the case, was to have gone on trial
next week.
The AP has objected to U.S. District Judge Sam
Sparks’ decision to close the plea agreement at the
request of defense attorneys. A hearing has been
set for Monday.
In 1999, about 100 investigators brought heavy
digging equipment, a helicopter and dogs to the
area in an unsuccessful search for the bodies.
O’Hair, 77 and suffering diabetes and heart dis
ease when she disappeared, enjoyed calling her
self the most hated woman in America. She was
involved in successful court battles in the 1960’s
to ban prayer and Bible-reading in the nation’s
public schools.
O’Hair, her son Jon Garth Murray and her
granddaughter Robin Murray O’Hair left their
Austin home in August 1995 under mysterious cir
cumstances. Breakfast dishes were still on the table
and O’Hair’s medication was left behind. The fam
ily’s beloved dogs were left at the house.
The trio was later seen in San Antonio but
dropped from sight along with about $500,000
in gold coins from one of O’Hair’s atheist orga
nizations.
Prosecutors contend the victims were dismem
bered at a public storage shed in Austin, placed in
55-gallon drums and dumped on the ranch prop
erty under Waters’ directions. He worked as
O’Hair’s office manager before being convicted
of stealing $54,000. He is now serving 60 years in
prison.
Last August, Sparks sentenced Gary Paul Karr,
52, a former jailmate of Waters, to life in prison for
extorting money from the O’Hair family.
News in Brief
r aco student
ireatens class-
lates with gun
i WACO, (AP) — A state judge has
•rdered a Waco fifth-grader to un-
irgo a psychological evaluation
ter police said the youngster de-
tanded oral sex from a girl at gun-
oint.
Jlhe 12-year-old boy then threat-
ned another student, telling him,
This is your day to die,” said dis-
■ict Judge Ralph Strother.
Strother on Thursday ordered
ie youngster detained for at least
.0 days, during which time he’ll be
xamined by psychologists.
Strother will have a hearing with
the boy in 10 days to determine
whether he should remain in cus
tody or returned to his parents.
On Wednesday, police took the
boy into custody on suspicion of
making a terroristic threat and
deadly conduct after school police
found an unloaded, small-caliber
handgun above a ceiling tile in a
school bathroom.
The boy, who attends Bell’s Hill
Elementary School, told police that
he and a friend found the gun in an
alley.
Escapees’ leader
to plead guilty
DALLAS (AP) — George Rivas,
mastermind of the escape of sev
en inmates from a Texas prison,
told a Dallas television station on
Saturday he thinks he should be
executed for killing an Irving po
liceman during a robbery of a
sporting goods store.
“I do not even know where to
begin,” Rivas said to a question
from WFAA-TV whether he has any
thing to say to the family of slain
officer Aubrey Hawkins.
“No amount of apologies could
make up for what I have done,” Ri
vas said. “Except that I hope that
by me now confessing to this and
admitting to my guillt, I can give
them some sort of closure when
my life is taken,” Rivas said.
His interviewer asked him what
punishment he should receive.
“The death sentence; I deserve
what I can get,” Rivas said.
He said he will plead guilty.
Bill proposed to
change voting V
AUSTIN (AP) — Those hanging
chads that plagued Horida’s election
were not a factor in Texas electidfe
this past year. And if one lawmaker
has his way, they never will be.
State Rep. Dale Tillery fs
proposing a bill seeking to ban the
use of punch-card voting systems
— the kind that can leave hanging
chads.
“We need to stop using a Third
World technology," said Tillery.
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RESIDENCE LIFE
Invites all students to
An Open Forum
Topic:
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When:
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&
Thursday, February 1, 2001
Time:
6:30-8:00pm
Where:
Room 146 in the MSC
£
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