European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - August 14, 1990, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Page 4 the stars and stripes tuesday August 14,1990 Mother s quest leads to son s killers san Francisco a for More than a decade. Rose Hoffman nosed around biker bars braved threats and talked to virtually everyone she met in an Effort to find her son. Her search ended this month when three men were convicted of sodomizing and murdering 20 year old Gus Hoffman or. And stealing his motor Cycle. His Mother s ordeal began in 1978, when the Young Man did t return to his san Jose Home the night of july 4. We re a very close family and when your son does t come Home All night you right then know something is definitely wrong mrs. Hoffman said. I would brag he was Home every night and i would say at least i know where he  Hoffman was last seen on his rebuilt Harley Davidson motorcycle at a san Jose intersection witnesses said he was being chased by two other motorcycles and a car filled with people. Neither his body nor the motorcycle was Ever found. My son was a very Gullible Young kid. He helped a lot of people in his life. He had a heart of Gold mrs. Hoffman said. The Bike was the Rea son he was killed. He spent almost All his Money. On that Bike. He Only had it running for three weeks and then he was  immediately after their son s disappearance the hoffmans hired private investigators sent out fliers and offered rewards. Mrs. Hoffman now 55, began checking out biker bars and other places for information. I did t care if i went into a grocery store or liquor store i talked to people she said i just would not give up. I m very very persistent. He Rose Hoffman holds up the flier used 12 years ago inthe search for her son. She said she was threatened and told to Stop was my son. What would you do for your asking questions. But it did t bother me she said son adding that there Are a lot of Good bikers out there.". The Case had been assigned As Well to police who did t find much. But mrs. Hoffman Kepi dogging them to pursue the Case. On her own she Learned that a Man named Michael Lee Stevenson might have had something to do with her son s disappear inc in 1987, the san Jose police department s Homi cide chief in an attempt to close the books on old cases by assigning them to night detectives gave the Case to sets. Jack Baxter and Jeff Ouimet. They took it from we knew we had leads and witnesses to talk to which led us to other witnesses Ouimet said. There was a Ray of Hope there which Felt pretty  key prosecution witness turned up the sex wife of suspect Richard Morris Dollar who said she witnessed the attack. Deputy District attorney Don Shearer said the woman whose name was withheld had kept silent for years for fear of retribution from Stevenson and the Legal  Stevenson in whose garage the assault is believed to have occurred was shot to death in 1986 by an elderly Man after Stevenson tried to shake Down the Man s son Shearer said. In 1988, Dollar and two other alleged motorcycle gang members were arrested in Gus Hoffman s slay , 34, Michael Allen Hodges 38, and John Michael Stelle 49, face a mandatory sentence of life in prison without parole at sentencing oct. 17. Hodges attorney Francis Cavagnaro said he will seek a new  did not bring our son Back mrs. Hoffman said of the conviction. But we did what we could to get Justice and our prayers were  epidemic of juvenile violence predicted Boston a poverty drugs child abuse and the widespread availability of guns is pushing up the number of teen agers who Are Likely to kill a Foren sics psychologist warned sunday. We re about to see an epidemic of juvenile violence such As americans have never before witnessed said Charles Patrick Ewing who has written a Book on the topic called kids who  in the past five years juvenile Homi cide has increased five times faster than homicides committed by adults Ewing said. And it s not just murder. Murder is just the awful tip of the iceberg he said at a news conference sponsored by the University of Buffalo at the american psychological association s annual meet ing Here. After falling sharply Between 1982 and 1984, the number of juveniles arrested for murder and non negligent homicide began a steady Rise in 1985, according to figures supplied to Ewing by the Federal Bureau of investigation. In 1989, 2,208 juveniles nationwide were arrested on charges of murder or non negligent manslaughter 25 percent More than the year before Ewing said. In his study of 225 juvenile killers Over the past 10 years Ewing found that More than half the killers come from poor backgrounds the majority used guns in committing their crime and 25 percent had drugs in their system at the time of the killing. But Ewing believes that child abuse is most closely linked to later killing by teen agers. Kids learn to be violent and they learn from their role models especially their parents he said. And kids who Are especially brutalized by their parents learn to be the most brutal the mostly Likely to kill  child abuse May result in the sort of brain damage that hurts the child s ability to Deal with frustration and is associated with violence Ewing said. Richard majors a psychologist who chairs the newly formed National coun cil of african american men agreed with Ewing s outline of the causes of youth violence. In addition he said Church school and parents have become a less important influence on some children while their Peers have become More important. He called on Large corporations to sponsor Mentor programs to give inner City children self esteem and Hope for an escape from  of these youths Are bored they Lack stimulation. Unemployment Forback youths is 40 percent majors said. The gang member in the United state symbolizes the frustrated Black male like nothing  to combat the increased number of killings by teens Ewing recommended gun control Laws at the Federal level. He praised a Massachusetts program i which school children Are taught nonviolent techniques to resolve disagreements. Souter Given tips by confirmation specialist Washington a Tom Korologos has some advice for supreme court nominee David h. Souter. It s the same advice he s Given countless nominees he has shepherded through Senate confirmation get ready. Expect the  Korologos a Veteran Washington lobbyist and for Mer White House aide is Active Only on the fringes of the Souter nomination lending his counsel when called upon. But he has been in the thick of the Battle for confirmation of several current justices As Well As in the bruising and unsuccessful 1987 fight to win Senate approval for Robert h. Bork. In the past two decades he estimates he has helped steer Between 200 and 300 ambassadors judges and other government officials through confirmation rang ing from two vice presidents to people nobody Ever heard  you Tell them the hearing process is not fair he said Iran interview in the ornate reception room just off the Senate floor. His not judicial. It is not done on a level playing Field. The senators even sit higher than you do. You say the Constitution stops at the hearing room door he said. Hearsay evidence is admissible re mors Are admissible. There is no subject on Earth to which a senator might not wish to address himself whether it s about Roe is. Wade or the designated Hitler. So get ready expect the  telegraphs what s going to be coming at  Korologos 57. Former Salt Lake City poetical re he asks the nominee if there is anything in his Back ground that would be embarrassing to him or the presi Porter came to Washington As an aide to sen. Wallace Bennett a Utah and became an assistant to presi dents Nixon and Ford. He now is president of the Washington lobbying firm of Timmons and co. And offers his help for nominees As a free serv ice. The first step he said is to sit Down with the nominee and ask some questions such As do they know what they Are getting into most do not said Korologos. Chances Are he has never gone through a Senate Confirma  Souter has been through the Mill once before when he was confirmed As a member of the 1st . Circuit court of appeals but such hearings usually Are perfunctory. This time around is sure to take longer. The Senate judiciary committee says it will open hearings on sept. 13 on Souter s nomination to succeed retire Justice William j. Brennanjr. Korologos said one of his next Steps is to study the voluminous financial disclosure and other papers that a nominee must fill out to see if there s anything thai Souter Dent. I am not asking you to Tell me he says. I masking you to get an answer in your head because those Guys on the Hill Are going to find it  come Courtesy Calls on members of the Senate judiciary committee and other senators with key roles in the confirmation process. An aide tags along taking notes on what questions the senators ask. The next step is known As the murder Board. You get a Bunch of people to sit around a table and fire the Rotten est worst questions you can possibly think of at these Guys Korologos said. He usually starts out by asking or. Jones when did you first find out the Young lady in question was Only 15 years old everybody laughs and i make the Point that u could be that bad said Korologos. You help him with answers he said. You Don t try to insert anything into his principles. But if he bobs and weaves and ducks you say to him that s unacceptable you be got to get a better answer than that soon though he s ready and the questions from the senators Aren t half As bad As the ones you  at least not usually Korologos said. Occasionally they Are worse