Salt Lake Tribune | 1999-06-05 | Page 26

8 | The Salt Lake Tribune UTAH Saturday, June 5, 1999 Officer’s Calm Helped Catch Shooting Suspect. NO-PAROLE PLEA DEAL Daniel Ray Troyer. charged with murdering two el- derly women and suspected bypolice of two other slayings, is considering a plea-bargain agreement Troyer. 39. is charged in the 1985 deathof 83-year-old Drucilla Ovard and the 1985 death of 88-year-old Ethel Luckau. The victims’ family members said Fri- day they have approved a dealin which Troyer can ‘avoid a possible death penaltyconvictionif he agrees to spendlifein prison without thepossibilityof parole Troyer was to appear before 3rd District Judge Pat Shot four times Thursday, MurrayCity police Bnan on Friday, but he mistakenly was not transported fromtheprison. Another hearing has beenset for June11 Troyer considered the plea-bargain offer this Officer Ross Huff managed. to radio for help and give fellowofficers a vehicle description that led to the arrest of the alleged gunman. Huff's quick thinking drewpraise. “I'm very impressed with the way he handjgd himself.” said Murray Assistant Police Chief Pete Fondaco. “He did an excellent job, certainly agreed to the admissibility of cheduledfor June23. Tests of semenleft at the murderscenesallegedly tie Troyer to the slayings prosecutors claim Defendattorneys cidedto forgo a lengthychallengeof the DNA admissi bility after similar evidence was allowed at an unrelat- ed Mayrape trial. Troyer is serving a his actions had a lot to do with the {gunman’s} 15-year sentence arrest.” Huff, 35, who is the first Murraypolice officer to be shot in the line of duty, was conscious and alert Friday andlisted in serious, but stable condition in intensive care, said LDS Hospital spokesman Jess Gomez. “His family has been with him andhe is recovering from his injuries,” Gomezsaid. a for a 1985 burglary ofan elderly woman's home That term expiresin September 2000 MOTHER’S HEARING POSTPONED Thepreliminary hearing for a womanwhoallegedly Huff, his wife, children and extended family beat and starved her 6-year-old daughter was continued Thursdayafter her attorney requested a doctor's have asked for privacy and turned downall.re- examination to determine her mental competency Lezlee Susan Magee. 41, appeared frustrated when 3rd District Judge Leon Anthony Dever explained her quests to be interviewed. Huff was not wearing a bulletproof vest aad was fortunate to be alive, Fondaco said. “The rounds actually hit below the waist so the yest attorney's request. Her attorney, Michael Humiston. wasnotpresent. “I gave him my powerof attorney and wouldn't have protected him, but, yes, he should now I'm having all kinds of problems,” Magee com. plained. Dever rescheduled the hearing for July 6 Photo by Ron Boswell Humiston is Magee’s second attorney. the first filed a petition to withdraw earlier this year Magee is Crashes Clog Freeway charged with second-degreefelonychild abuseafter her waifish daughter wanderedinto a stranger's Salt Lake County home in March, begging for food. The girl and her three brothers — ages 2. 5 and 9 —arein state custody. Magee turned herself in on March 23 and remains in Oxbow Jail on $50.000 bail STANDOFF IN ROY A scream for help began a two-hour standoff be- tween Roy police anda domestic violence suspect. Police received the 911 call at 1:11 am. Thursday, The woman caller screamedfor help andthen the line went dead, Lt. Greg Whinhamsaid. Officers arrivedat the residence wherethe call originated and had a confron- Paramedics and South Davis fire crewsassist victims of a pileup Friday afternoon on I-15 near Centerville. A series of multivehicle accidents began around 1 p.m. when eight cars and two semis collided on the rain-slickened freeway, shutting the artery down for morethan an hour, and clogging traffic well into the afternoon commute.Five people weretaken to area hospitals. Daughter Seeks to Exhume Body of Founder Of Faith Temple to Determine Cause of Death tation withthe suspect. Thevictim wasfreed bypolice but thesuspect retreated into the house while making BY BOB MIMS THESALT LAKETRIBUNE threats. With backupof the Weber County Sheriff's Department and the Ogden Metro SWATteam. offi- cers surrounded the home. After two hoursof negotia- tions, the 30-year-old suspect surrendered and was Lawyers for a daughter of the late Rosemary Mama” Cosby Friday petitioned 3rd District Court booked into the Weber County Jail on charges of domestic violence assault and criminal mischief, Whin- to exhume the remains of the founder of Salt Lake ( Faith Temple Pentecostal Church for an au- ham said. No onewasinjured topsy to determine the causeof her 1997 death Theshooting of a Salt Lake City bank robberysus: pect who appearedto becarryingarifle, but was actu ally wielding apellet gun, was justified, the Salt Lake District Attorneyhas ruled. Demetrius Cosby. 30, was fatally shot April 7 by two Salt LakeCitypoliceoffi- cers after he robbed two Salt Lake City banks and was about to takea hostageas he ranacross 400 South and State Street during downtownrush-hour traffic. The armed Cosby was shot by officers Randall Hendry and smith. Cosby allegedly robbed a KeyBank, 410 E 400 South, and ran about a half-block east to rob a Washington Mutual Bank at 376 E. 400 South Hewas pursued byofficers before Hendry and Smith opened fire and hit him in the back several times. He died about an hour later at the hospital. It was later deter. mined that the weapon Cosbyhadwasanair rifle that . shoots BBs A 19-year-old man was charged Friday with ob- structingjustice, a second-degreefelony, for purchasing planetickets for himself and another man who is accused of gunning down a womanlast November Diego Cruz Silva allegedly bought the tickets to Chica- go for himself and JesseVegashortly aft edly murdered 19-year-old Trisha Marie Berenstain in Big Cottonwood Canyon, according to charging documents filed in 3rd District Court. If Si is convicted as charged, he could spendupto 15 years inprison CHARGED WITH THREAT A Midvale man was charged Friday with interfer ence with a public servant for allegedly threatening a Salt Lake County prosecutor who was prosecuting him for a protective order violation. Patrick M. Beamish 39, allegedly made threats to Sirena Wissler in an at tempt to get the chargesdismissed whilethe two were alone in a conference room on March 30. Beamish could spend 6 months behind bars andface a $1,000 fine if convicted of the misdemeanor charge officer Keefe, 47, who has been onthe force for more than 20 years, will retire from the department on “June 30. He will beginhis new job on July 1 ‘This is a unique opportunity to and hasaninterest in the results of an autopsy,” the petition noted Employees immediately became suspicious. refused to cash the check and contacted police, Fondaco said. When Huffarrived at the bank, an employee pointed out the man. The officer approached the suspect's vehicle. The shooter then grabbed a handgun from. bis car and ambushedthe officer, striking him twiee in the waist and once each inhis calf and Jeft hand, police said. Huff was able to return fire and struck the suspect's car several times. On the 911 tape released Friday, Huff could be heardtelling dispatchers the “suspects are ina red Firebird and going northbound on State Street.” i He also calmly told a 911 operator there wagfan “officer down” and asked for medicalhelp. ‘f've been shot twoor three times,” Huff said evenly. Hoursafter the shooting, Hurlich wasarrested at Bubba's BBQ, 4291 S. 900 East, where he' Had been having dinner and drinking a beer. A confidential informant tipped authorities to the alleged gunman’s whereabouts. stakeis an estate estimated to be worth millions of bloodpressure and had runout of her medication Jail on suspicion of attempted homicide and forgery. He is scheduled to be transferred to the Utah State Prison on the parole violation, Fon- death. The petition also notes that while police did find several prescription medicines when theyar- the passengerin Hurlich’s vehicle. Investigators agement and document doctoring. with stepfather andcurrent Faith Templepastor Robert C. Cosby, At dollars. Friday's petition argues that under state law in Florida, where Mama Cosby purportedly died of a heart attack Jan. 4. 1997, an autopsy should have been performed. It was not. thepetition alleges, when Robert Cosby opposedthe procedure. Since [Mama] Cosby’s death, even more troubling circumstances have come tolight,” the petition stat- ed. alleging that Cazares’ signature was forged to a document naming Robert Cosby personal representativeof his late wife's estate Expect Road Work Through Parleys Canyon Next Week Travelers heading nex! w through Parleys yoncanexpect traffict ye squee ed down to one in eachdirection for the nyon first ninemiles east of Salt Lake City. Andovernight travelers couldfindclosed ramps at the canyon’s mouth Monday and Tuesdaynights The work is part of the reconstruction of Interstate 80 throughthe canyon’s west end. Workers arepaving a 1,000-foot sectionof the freeway andthe two ramps that connect 1-80 and Interstate 215 Mondaynight, the ramp from northbound1-215 to eastbound 1-80 will be closed from 10 until 6 am. ‘Tuesday Tuesday night, the ramp from westbound1-80 to southbound1-215 will be closed from 10 until 6 a.m. Wednesday The narrowed lanes are scheduled to last through June10 WestValley’s Keefe to Become Layton Police Chief West Valley Police Chief Terry Keefe announced Friday that he will be leavingthe post to become Layton’s new top law enforcement gationfile on the cause of death of RosemaryCosby. bad check. battle, replete with allegations of financial misman- whorepresent Rosalind Cazares Cazares also is engaged in along-running probate Cazares’ probate litigation also alleges forgeries of OBSTRUCTING JUSTICE CHARGES Cloud, Fla., police department has an open investi- Huff was shot Thursdayafternoonas he tied to apprehend forgery suspect at Zions Bank at 5595 S. State in Murray. His alleged shooter, Quentin Hurlich, had goneinto the bank to cash a Calls to both Faith Temple and Robert Cosby's home in Sandy late Friday went unanswered. His attorney, Bruce Reading, had left his office and did not immediately return a message. The petition states that the Florida Medical Examiner's Office, unable to perform an autopsy 2% years ago, apparently based its determination of the cause The petition was filed with Judge William A Thornejust before court offices closed Fridayafternoon byattorneys Paul Moxley and Nanci Bockelie, SHOOTING JUSTIFIED Mama Cosby's nameon a number of quit-claim property deeds. “In addition, petitioner has learned that the St. have had thevest on.” not pass up. Keefe said Assistant Chief C: raig Gibson will become the interim police chief while thecity launches a national search for a new chief, said City Manager John Patterson. Terry Keefeis the best law en forcement official in the state Patterson said, “Hewill be greatly missed by our community. Layton is fortunate to have such ahigh: caliber and talentedindividual. Keefe has worked in law en- forcement for morethan 25 years He became thechief last August after Dennis Nordfelt retired from the police department to become WestValley City's new Olympiccoordinator. Keefe was Nordfelt's assistant policechief for 11 years ive cardiovascular disorder’ y's assertion that his wife had high Cazares questions that, saying her 65-year-old mother appeared in goodheaith shortly before her Police describe Hurlich asa “career criminal,” whose history includes convictions for forgery and burglary. He also was wanted on a parole violation and second-degreefelony theft. Hurlich has been bookedinto Salt Lake County dacosaid, adding thatpolice will screen charges with prosecutors on Monday. Meanwhile, police have been unable to locate St. Cloud, Fla., vacation home, none of them was MamaCosb have few cluesas to his identity and are not opti- an exhumation order could be signed by Thorne. a potential witness,” Bockeliesaid Fridayit likely will be weeks before First, it mustsurvive an expected appeal by Robert Cosby’sattorneys The 400-memberFaith Templehas beensplit by controversy over Cosby's leadership Republicans Will Vote to Change Election Policy @ Continued from D-1 ‘I pray for the day when we could openly have primaries everywhereunder the sun At least two of Utah's current members of Congress never would have been elected under the 60-percent rule. Sen. Bob Bennett in 1992 and Rep. Merrill Cook in 1996 would have been eliminated by stronger convention opponentsif not for the 70 percent threshold. mistic about quickly finding him. “Right nowwe'relookingat him as a suspect or Fondaco said. Officers are looking for a woman who waseating with Hurlich at the restaurant. 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