European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - January 23, 1993, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Saturday january 23, 1993 the stars and stripes Page 3 a a. 1 a Quot. A a a Quot _ a a a. 1 a _ a \ a a a airmail s death baffles loved ones 7 by Nancy Torner . Bureau Raf upper Heyford England for the last three Days of her life Keelyn Ann Ward checked into a resort hotel in Weymouth England. During her stay the Raf upper Heyford airman bought a bottle of wine and asked hotel staff for two glasses. She told hotel employees she was expecting a guest. But on the morning of oct. 15, Ward 20, was found hanging in her hotel room. More than three months later family and friends in the United states know Little More about the death of a Young woman they describe As an unlikely candidate for taking her own life. And they say they have been unable to obtain information from air Force officials. A a it a been three months said Rose Ward who adopted Ward at age 7. A when i Call they say it s under investigation. Quot everyone feels that there s some piece missing Quot said to Ellen Sheffield who was one of wards teachers at Columbus High school in the Bronx n.y., and with whom Ward briefly lived. Sheffield said that Ward s biological family was several of her daughters friends. A i can to believe that she a done this to herself and i wont believe it a Ward said. A a Mother knows a child j Eccl there is something  Keelyn Ward joined the air Force in april 1992 Ait was assigned to upper Heyford in late August. She was last seen at the base about noon oct. 11, according to a missing per Sony a flier posted at the base. Rose Ward first Learned that her daughter was missing oct. 13 when air Force officials called and asked if Ward was there. Talented Quot she said. Air Force officials say their continuing investigation prohibits disclosure of details about wards death. However some information has been available through British and . Officials. Ward was found hanging from her neck in a room at the Moon Leet Manor hotel in Weymouth. The Seaside Village is about 200 Miles South of Raf upper Heyford where Ward was assigned to the 20th Security police so. The local Coroner determined that Ward died of asphyxiation by hanging. But he declared the incident a a an undetermined death because there was no Conlu Sivc evidence that anyone else was involved or that Ward intended to kill herself such As a suicide note. Dorset police who conducted an initial investigation said they do not suspect foul play. The Case was turned Over to the . Air Force for a More in depth investigation under the visiting forces agreement Between the . And British governments. The upper Heyford Public affairs office issued a statement thursday saying that investigators Are awaiting a psychological autopsy and Laboratory results and that it would be inappropriate to comment until the investigation is Complete. Keelyn Ann Ward and her Mother Rose. The photo was taken in August 1992, just after Ward graduated from air Force Baste training. However Rose Ward said that special investigator Gino Gray who is assigned to the upper Heyford area called her thursday and questioned her desire to see information about her daughter s death appear in news accounts. She is angered about the Lack of information she has received from air Force officials she said. And she also is upset that her daughter s belongings have not been returned although she received a letter about a month ago saying she would receive the items in january. The Bill for her daughter s funeral in the Bronx also has not been paid by the air Force Ward said. An air Force officer collected receipts for the burial she said. Ward said that when air Force officials informed her of the death they led her to believe her daughter had com melted suicide. Comments made during a memorial service at upper Heyford on oct. 22 also alluded to suicide. During the service chaplain capt Joseph d. Lim said a a time like this is very difficult to fathom. They have their own reasons. Only their hearts  but something does no to add up for Rose Ward and into the Wymoth hotel oct. 12 under the name v. Kobler. Police said she was last seen alive by hotel staff oct. 14 when she paid for her previous nights lodging. When hotel staff round her dead the morning of oct. 15, she had to form of identification and Only 10 British pounds in Cash. Hotel staff deferred questions about Ward to the air Force. A a according to Michael c. Johnston the local Coroner about half a Glass of wine was in wards system when she was found. He said that nothing was found under her fingernails and that there were no signs of a struggle. He said there was no evidence Ward intended to kill herself. Ward was an Honor student in High school. She also held a Job while in school to support herself. She moved out of Rose wards House when she was 17. Aura Sanchez one of wards friends in new York received a letter from Ward postmarked oct. 5, asking her to mail a Glass Snow dome with a wizard inside. Ward had received the Snow dome As a gift just before she left for England. She included $10 in the letter to cover postage. \ �?o1 done to think it was suicide a Sanchez said. Quot Keelyn would t do  in the letter Ward said that she liked her Job that she was excited about leaving in a few hours for London and that Quot it s really Beautiful  another Friend intended to visit Ward at Christmas and Ward had been making the arrangements. Plans also were being made with another Friend to meet in Ireland later this year. Quot she was very Strong in the head and in the heart Quot said longtime Friend Veronica Sweeney. Ward had asked to be stationed in England Sweeney said because Quot she wanted to see the  Sweeney last talked to Ward on the Telephone about a week before she died. Quot when she called everything was great Over there a Sweeney said it s no snap to get by Kevin Dougherty Kaiserslautern Bureau in his inaugural address president Clinton spoke of a bygone Era when news from Washington travelled slowly across land and sea. Today he said words and pictures Are dispatched instantaneously. But that immediacy does not apply to his official picture which is destined for the hallways and lobbies of military installations throughout the world. Pictures of Clinton and defense Secretary Les Aspin will be fit for framing in about two months according to the Pentagon. Quot it will be at least a couple of weeks before we get anything to work with a said Ken Carter a visual information specialist with the defense department. Ltd in the meantime some military installations in Europe already have removed pictures of former president George Bush and former defense Secretary Dick Cheney from Chain of com Mand boards. However other bases were not so Quick to give Bush and Cheney the Hook. Quot its the kind of thing that Ripples Down and it does no to Ripple Down that fast a said army maj. Edd Hingula Secretary of the general staff at 21st theater army area come in Kaiserslautern. Quot president Bush s picture is still on the Wall which i will take Down As soon As we hang up Quot said tech. Sgt. Rickey Harrell a spokesman at Iraklion air station Crete Quot we never thought to go out there and take Down the old  several Servic members had the same thought. The reason they said is that there Are More pressing matters such As turmoil in Iraq Somalia and Bosnia and Herzegovina. Quot done to be surprised by the delay quipped it. Col. Virginia Pribyla a spokeswoman for . Air forces in Europe. Quot there might be some Reagan photos floating  except for a few Hundred photo prints the pictures sent to military installations actually Are lithographs. The Pentagon will order about 50,000 lithographs for Clinton alone said Carter the Pentagon visual information specialist. Litho prints also Are available to the Public. Quot its amazing How Many people there Are who want them a Carter said. Carter expects to obtain portrait photos and negatives of Clinton and Aspin in a couple of weeks. It will take about six weeks after that to bid the project hire a contractor and receive the photos and lithographs. The Price should Range from 22 cents to 27 cents a copy for a lithograph and at least $5 for a color print said Bettie Sprigg who works with Carter. She said the defense department began using lithographs in the late 1970s to save Money. The entire process cannot Start earlier Carter said because the incoming president is usually too Busy during the transition. Quot i recall when Bush became president it was several months before his photo made its Way into the Field a said maj. Dave. Cannon a spokesman at Raf Lakenheath England. Still Lakenheath officials were prompt in removing Bush a and Cheney a pictures from their Chain of com Mand Board Cannon said. The names of the new president and defense Secretary will occupy the Blank space until their pictures arrive Navy it. Joe Quimby a spokesman for the Iceland defense Force said that because his installation Quot is at the end of the pipeline a it could take longer to fill in their Blanks. But he envisions no problem As far As knowing whom to Call. Quot its very Clear that there is a new Chain of command a Quimby said Quot we done to necessarily need a picture up on the Wall to recognize