European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - December 13, 1991, Darmstadt, Hesse Friday december 13, 1991 the stars and stripes a Page 7killing spree has town asking Why by the new York times California to. A slowly this shaken town in the Hills of Central Missouri began to come out from behind its barred doors and shuttered windows and live free again wednesday As James r. Johnson was led into the red Brick county courthouse. Johnson 42, a crack shot who honed his Eye in Vietnam and later in the National guard was arraigned wednesday on four counts of murder and one count of assault in a journey of violence that began monday night and ended Here tuesday evening when trapped and tired he surrendered. Authorities say he stalked shot and killed a county sheriff two Deputy sheriffs and a sheriffs wife in an inexplicable shooting spree that also left one Deputy seriously wounded. So far authorities say there is Little in Johnson a known past to Point to what happened Over the last two Days. Despite Johnson a Choice of victims deputies who knew the longtime California resident said they were not aware of any particular animosity he May have held toward Law enforcement figures. Pamela Jones the sheriffs wife who was killed was a High school English teacher of Johnson a stepdaughter but authorities said they believed the connection was incidental. Will Graham who was getting his hair Cut at Simpson s Barbershop across the Street from the courthouse said Johnson was in his sunday school class at the main Street Baptist Church in California when he was a teen Ager. A the was a Well liked kid a a Graham said. A the biggest question around Here is Why a the shootings began minutes after a sheriffs Deputy arrived at the Johnson House to investigate a Domestic disturbance complaint. Johnson had been married to his current wife Jerri for about a year said the Rev. Loren Belt who presided at the wedding in his Salem Baptist Church in Jamestown. Belt said that Johnson had been married at least twice before but that he had never heard any hint of Domestic trouble until the events of this week. A they were both very regular churchgoers a Belt James r. Johnson is escorted from Maniteau county courthouse in California mo., by Law enforcement officials after his arraignment wednesday on murder charges. Said. A i would never suspect that from Johnson graduated from California High school. According to military records he was drafted into the army in april 1969 shortly after he turned 20. He served in the infantry in Vietnam received the combat infantry badge and became an expert Marksman said Joyce Wiesner an army spokeswoman. Life in California began to return to Noribal wednesday. The schools and shops that were closed on tuesday reopened. But the shootings May have gravely wounded californians sense of Small town safety a feeling that allowed people Here to go to sleep at night with their doors inmate hunted after slaying officer Mountain City Tenn. Apr authorities from three states searched for a jail inmate who escaped Early wednesday after fatally wounding a Deputy sheriff with a gun he stole from another Deputy. More than 100 officers along with Federal agents helicopters and tracking dogs set up roadblocks in the Hunt for Charles William Saylor in a Nigger mountainous area in northeastern Tennessee. Saylor 24, escaped from the Johnson county jail about 3 15 . By overpowering two officers and shooting a third to death when he arrived in the Jailhouse parking lot sheriff de Casey said. A the assaulted the Jailer got the keys and went out the door a said Mildred Lunceford a sheriffs department clerk. A the assaulted a Deputy in the Yard got his gun and shot another Deputy then took his Allen Lipford 28, an eight year Veteran officer was shot in the head As he stepped from his patrol car and died at a Hospital in Boone n.c., about 40 minutes later. Saylor who was being held for trial on charges of armed robbery burglary forgery and theft was one of 16 prisoners being transferred from the Washington county jail because of overcrowding Casey told reporters. Deputy Terry Gregg whose gun was used in the shooting was treated for a dislocated shoulder at a Hospital and later released. Jailing of elders in triggers mafia rampage Brooklyn officials say new York a Brooklyn a biggest mafia War in 30 years has claimed two septuagenarian and another mobster who was stringing Christmas lights outside his House. A runaway getaway car hit three pedestrians and innocent blood was spilled in a Bagel shop on a sunday morning. And whom do lawmen hold ultimately responsible for what a tabloid newspaper the daily news Calls a the big whack attack in the new York City Borough of Brooklyn themselves. Prosecutors and investigators agree that the Colombo crime family feud is largely the product of their own decade Long War on the City a five mafia families which has jailed Many elders and left the Field to hotheaded neophytes. Ronald Goldstock director of the state organized crime task Force called the violence a a Cost that society will have to Bear for the destruction of the mobs experts said the incarceration of successive Colombo Bosses Carmine a a Junior Persico and Jerry a Jerry Lang Langella effectively threw its leadership up for grabs. Although Persico appointed Victor a Little vice Orena acting Boss Orena apparently stopped following orders authorities say. With the Bosses in jail no one on the Street was powerful enough to Settle disputes Over turf and rackets peacefully. Howard Abadinsky author of an organized crime textbook put it this Way a the mafia is composed of murderers who done to murder because they re afraid be murdered if they when the Boss who enforces the rules sex cop charged As spy for new York a a former detective was charged wednesday with spying for reputed Boss John Gotti by giving him top secret police information through a powerful Captain in the Gambino crime family. In 1986, William Peist 44, was assigned to the City police intelligence division where he had Access to sensitive information on organized crime cases. Those cases included gottis alleged violent takeover of the Gambino family. A the confidential information obtained by Peist included the locations of electronic listening devices wiretaps and bugs the identity of confidential sources of information and cooperating witnesses and the timing of prospective indictments Quot . Attorney Andrew j. Maloney said in a statement. Named with Peist in the Federal indictment for racketeering bribery and obstructing Justice were reputed Capo or Captain Joseph a Joe Butch Conrao and alleged associate George Helbig. If convicted Peist and Helbig face up to 70 years in prison Corrao could get 65 years Maloney said. Court papers said the detective was paid for the information that Corrao and Helbig delivered to the top of the Gambino Hierarchy. The indictment did no to say How much he allegedly was paid. After Peist a alleged involvement with the Gambino became known he was allowed to retire with a $23,000 annual pension after 16 years on the Force officials said. Is removed or weakened he said bullets Start to Fly. In the past two months five Colombo members or associates have been shot to death and five others have been wounded. Three bystanders were hit when one of the wounded men lost control of his car. Last sunday a teen age clerk at a Bagel shop owned by reputed Colombo members was shot to death apparently in a Case of mistaken identity. The War began this summer when Orena spotted four Persico loyalists lurking near his Home and sneaked off into hiding authorities say. In the months that followed several of the mobsters shot were not the primary targets and the Bagel shop clerk had no ties at All police said. The Bagel shop shooting was the last Straw for Brooklyn District attorney Charles j. Hynes who complained a a they be turned this into a class b movie for heavens Sake a declaring a a we re not going to allow this county to become a shooting gallery a he subpoenaed 50 to 100 Colombo members and associates even though they would have to be Given Broad immunity in return for any grand jury testimony. The strategy explained a Hynes aide who spoke on condition of anonymity a is to get them to put their guns up until cooler Heads can police have stepped up patrols in the italian neighbourhoods of South Brooklyn
