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Show Experts Cite Mental Illness in afferty Murders By Mike Carter Tribune Staff Writer Ronald Watson Lafferty PROVO was suffering from paranoid delusions and believed he was granted a to God given "moral imperative law and her inmurder his sister-ifant daughter last July, according to mental health experts testifying Monday in 4th District Court The mental illness, according to the doctors, was a reaction to cope with the intolerable loss of his divorced wife, who at one point was named m a revelation to be removed unless she repented her sms n against him When he couldn't justify murdering her, he subconsciously singled out Brenda Lafferty and two othboth of whom aided er enemies e as his his in the divorce scapegoats The doctors also testified that Lafferty shared his paranoid delusions with his younger brother, Dan, who in fact dominated Rons acting out his revelations And they testified that the disease was firmly entrenched when he and his brother forced their way into the home of Brenda and Erica Lafferty last July 24 and slit their throats with a boning knife While the prosecution staggered under the weight of the potentially damaging psychiatric testimony, it likely gained ground with the jury when the judge allowed the nine-mapanel to view a grisly videotape of the bloody crime scene Lafferty likely knew his actions were legally wrong but, because of his mental illness, felt his moral obligation to God overrode any legal constraints, Dr Robert J. Howell told jurors, who must decide whether Lafferty will serve life in prison or die for the brutal killings three-woma- n five-minu- te . Dr Howell was one of five exports testify me in the first day of the penalty phase for Lafferty, who last week was convicted of two counts of capital homicide for the murders The hearing will continue Tuesday at 9 a m before Judge J Robert Bullock Four of the five psychiatrists and psvchologists who testified said they believe that Lafferty was suffering from a severe mental illness called a paranoid delusional system," created to cope with the devastating effects of a divorce from his wife of 20 years He created a grandiose system of beliefs of himself as a prophet of God. and subconsciously used those beliefs to justify the death of Brenda Lafferty, who had supported his wife in that divorce But the doctors who testified said Lafferty was able to appreciate that his acts were illegal, and that he knew what he was doing when he slashed the throats of his two victims Although three of the doctors were called by the prosecution, under examination by defense attorney Richard Johnson, two of the experts, psychiatrist Dr Jess Groesbeck and both of psychologist Dr. Howell whom have had extensive contact Local Tuesday Morning Section II By Rodd G Wagner Tribune Staff Writer Under extremely high security, accused killer Ronnie Lee Gardner was returned to 3rd District Court Monday for the first time since his deadly April 2 attempt to escape from custo- 7, 1983 Page 1 Excess att That excess capacity could translate into steep rate hikes for the six rural electric associations that make Ifs as Easy up DG&T and own Bonanza. How steep an increase will depend how much power DG&T can sell and at what price. DG&Ts management is fairly certain 265 megawatts, including 20 Tribune Staff Photos by Lynn R. Johnson percent allotted for reserve capacity, will be sold by September, said Mer. . . rill Millett, DG&Ts general manager. If we do that, then we would have to is GoGo Sunshine a called Cycle. predicted contraption some surplus in 1986, but essentially warm but to skies Tuesday, give way partly cloudy in 1987 have no surplus. peratures should continue, according to weather service. And the cooperative is placing its hopes on winning a power sales contract with the Southern California participants in the Intermountain Power Project. Drop in Demand DG&Ts predicament, however, is on the cost of the work, but he estiby the upcoming construction. He not unusual. Utilities throughout the mated it would be between $10,000 said the developer, Bono Developand $20,000. ment Co., wants to begin its work Intermountain West were blindsided the unexpected drop in demand Sept. 1, well after the July 31 date by by on by a surge in conservabrought Helping design the bid specificahe which wants the digging finished. tion. IPP was downsized from 3,000 tions will be an LDS Church archaeolIf any bodies are found they will be ogist, T. Michael Smith, and several megawatts to 1,500 megawatts, for moved where is not certain yet example, and Utah Power & Light Co. people at Brigham Young University. for a said Wilson Marhas cancelled its Hunter IV Power Mr. Chitwood said he will propose tin, deputy state historic preservaPlant. tion officer. that payment for the work be footed That DG&T originally projected its Mr. Wilson said some heirs have members would need by the heirs, the redevelopment agenonly half of Bocy and donations. expressed a preference to have the nanzas 280 megawatts of net generbodies buried at Pioneer Trail State ating capacity only worsened its More Options Sought Park. That idea, however, has not yet problems. The cooperative also Some donations have already been garnered approval. planned to build two power plants. accepted and placed into a Burial If graves are found, artifacts deThe second unit is now on hold. Site Account opened at Zions First the pioneer lifestyles can also tailing Bonanza will generate 280 megaNational Bank, Ms. Churchill said. be expected, Mr. Wilson said. watts, excluding the 40 megawatts More donations are being sought, she A lab report explaining the signifineeded to operate the pollution conadded. cance of those discoveries would be trol equipment and 80 megawatts of Mr. Chitwood said he does not think expected from the firm receiving the reserve capacity. the excavation work will be rushed excavation contract, he said. The plant is owned by six rural electric associations: Flowell Electric Association, Inc., Mt. Wheeler Power Inc., Rural Electric Association, Inc., Garkana Power Association, Moon Lake Electric Association, Inc. and Bridger Valley Electric Association. The six rural electric associations serve primarily industrial and commercial revenue-sharin- g y BuildChambers of the money. Second customers in Utah, southwestern Wy$4,570,000 would be lost in Communiing. oming, northwest Colorado, northern Two sources of city revenues Arizona and eastern Nevada. ty Development Block Grants. would be slashed if the Reagan adRevenue-sharin- g The cost of building a power plant money helps fund ministrations budget finds congresdepartments such as police, fire, pub- accounts for roughly 50 percent of the sional approval. lic works, finance and others. See B-- Column J First, $4,364,000 would be lost from Heaviest hit by the cuts would be the police department, which would cut 111 people. Most of that would come through the elimination of the school crossing-guarprogram. The other 23 employee reductions would come from such areas as a n program and a beat. downtown walking 30 By Jim Woolf years Judge Greene, 55, leaves Public and Tribune Environmental Writer of law practice in Salt Lake City to Fire the Similarly take a fourth judicial seat created by Works departments, which each get for two tar sands proProposals 21 percent of their budgets from fedin the San Rafael Swell of south-centrCongress last year. He was a foundjects eral revenue sharing, would both be ing partner, president and most reUtah are being considered by trimmed in excess of $900,000 unless the U.S. Bureau of Land Managecently board chairman of Greene Callister & Nebeker. taxes are raised. ment. All told, Salt Lake City residents fedis Greerie Utahs Kirkwood Oil and Gas Co. has reeighth Judge eral judge since statehood, and he would have to raise taxes by 4 29 quested a special lease allowing tar mills to keep the revenue-sharin- g said Monday that he has had the honsands development on its 2,078 acre or to practice before five of those services intact. tract of oil and gas leases located In the area of Community Developnear Taylor Flat about seven miles judges. ment Block Grants, residents would south of Interstate 70. A much smallSenior Judge A. Sherman Christenhave to pay an additonal 4.46 mills to er project is proposed by Richard J. sen said Judge Greene's intellect and integrity were manifest early in his generate the money that may be lost. Valentine, who holds 160 acres of oil career. As an assistant U.S. attorney CDBG money, in place for 11 years, and gas leases near Oil Well Draw in the late '50s Judge Greene argued goes to such things as the citys Rede- about seven miles north of Interstate frequently in Judge Christensens velopment Agency, a program for 70. court. I recall that his presentations Both lease areas are in the relaemergency house repairs, street prowere low-kefair, considerate and jects and parks. tively flat interior section of the a geologic feature in which swell exceedingly effective," he said. Implementing the tax increases is Utah Supreme Court Justice J. Allogistically easy, but the council is a huge blister of rock was pushed up lan Crockett, for whom Judge Greene trying to learn whether an increase is and eroded away, leaving a circle of clerked in 1954, praised him as a conspectacular sandstone cliffs around palatable to taxpayers. stant friend who will harmonize well of the public hearing its edges. The timing with the other jurists in administerFederal law allows people with extime to decouncil the adequate gives ing justice. isting oil and gas leases in specially-designate- d sign its budget accordingly. tar sands areas to obtain Former law partner Louis H. Calis to Wilson scheduled Ted Mayor if combined hydrocarbon leases lister described Judge Greene as a present his budget proposal Tuesday, to dedicated attorney without malice," but the City Council has until June 15 they can show they have the means which he called a perfect quality for a to adopt Salt Lake Citys 1985-8- 6 fisca- develop the tar sands resource and See B-- Column 4 l-year judge. budget. as Walking Jeff Marker enjoys Mondays sunny and warm weather by flailing his arms and bends this way and that as he tries, this time, to ride a simple, but challenging Oops! Experts Will Sift Site for Pioneer Graves Archaeologists will excavate Salt Lake City land slated for a apartment complex to search out pioneer-era gravesites that may lie beneath the west side property. As many as 17 graves may be on the property just east of Pioneer Park and known as Block 49. The plots would be those of some of Utahs first settlers, with the earliest being dug only days after pioneers arrived in July 1847. Check Possibility Although it is unknown whether graves remain on the original site, the Salt Lake City Redevelopment Agency, which administers the Block 49 project, agreed to check the possibility. The Redevelopment Agency, heirs of the dead, officials of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-daSaints and 300-un- it y others, met last week and decided to have the ground excavated before construction begins, said Stephanie Churchill of the Utah Heritage Foundation. Bidding procedures will be handled through the Redevelopment Agency. Its director, Michael Chitwood, said Monday that he hopes to award the contract June 1. 3 Acceptable Options About 20 Utah firms do the kind of work required, and the agency wants at least three acceptable options to choose from, Mr. Chitwood said. He said a Utah company will probably do the work because of the short time allowed. The meticulous sifting is expected to take one or two weeks, Mr. Chitwood said. He said no figures are available yet Reagan Plan Would Cut $9 Million in City Funds Dixie-Escalan- te City Sets Hearing on Possible Budget Cuts By Conrad Walters Tribune Staff Writer Salt Lake City wants to know whats it going to be: higher taxes, reductions in city services or a mixture of the two? Anticipating the loss of nearly $9 citizen-s- uggested million to the city if President Reagans proposed budget is accepted, Salt Lake City officials will hold a public hearing to fend off complaints those cuts might spawn. The two-hohearing begins at 4 p.m. Wednesday in the City Council City-Count- 3, J. Thomas Greene Sworn In As Newest Federal Judge Colleagues and jurists praised J. Thomas Greene as a faithful friend and an excellent attorney characterized by compassion and a sense of humor minutes before he was sworn in as Utahs newest federal judge Monday. But Judge Greene quipped that the ceremony may mark the pinnacle of his professional popularity. As soon as I start making rulings, it will be downhill all the way, he said, adding from now on I wont know if my jokes are funny. U.S. District Court Chief Judge Bruce S. Jenkins, who administered the judicial oath, closed the hourlong ceremony with his own quip: If its any solace to Judge Greene, his jokes were never very funny." More than 100 people attended the swearing-i- n presided over by Judge Jenkins, U.S. District Judge David K. Winder, Senior Judges Aldon J. Anderson, A. Sherman Christensen and U.S. 10th Circuit Judge Monroe G. McKay. J. Thomas Greene, described as a compassionate man with a sense of bumor, takes oath as Utahs newest federal judge. ifii e 4 Nov. 8, 1984. y mi May ad-Se- Column B-- 3, By Guy Boulton Tribune Staff Writer Deseret Generation & Transmisis scrambling to sion find a market for the output of its $1.1 billion Bonanza Power Plant near Vernal. Scheduled to start generating electricity commercially in January 1986, DG&T is saddled with 2C3 megawatts of excess capacity enough power for more than 100,000 homes, according to a financial document dated August. The judge assigned to that case, Homer F. Wilkinson, denied the defense motion But after an immediate M In his testimony, Dr. Groesbeck At Bonanza Plant Facing two charges of capital murder, Gardner was taken there to hear his attorney ask for a new judge in the first killing that of a bartender shot while Gardner was at large last Judge Wilkinson refused to dismiss himself from the case, saying because he was not personally involved in the incident, there was no bias or personal effect." After moving the proceedings to the presiding judge's courtroom, Judge Fishier heard the same arguments and said he would announce a ruling Wednesday. Security throughout the hearings was among the tightest seen at the court. Gardner, now bearded and looking pale, stood shackled at the feel and with hands behind his back Sheriff's detectives screened reporters with metal detectors at Judge Fishlers courtroom. The remainder of the audience were bailiffs and prison guards over his older brother. 208-Megaw- dy plied. substantial domination ercised Power Co-o- p Looking For Market Lawyer Seeks New Judge in Gardner Case rehearing, the presiding judge, Philip R. Fishier, took the motion under advisement until Wednesday Gardner was scheduled for a pretrial hearing before Judge Wilkinson April 2 when he was handed a pistol and shot his wav out of the courthouse. Attorney Michael Burdell was killed and bailiff Nicholas Kirk wounded before the maximum-securitinmate was recaptured outside the building The hearing scheduled that day stemmed from charges that Gardner, two months after escaping from the University Medical Center last August, killed bartender Melvyn J. during a robbery at Cheers Tavern, 551 S. 300 West. Defense attorney Andrew Valdez is asking that Judge Wilkinson, and potentially most of the 3rd District judges, be disqualified from presidirg over the bartender murder trial because of the courthouse shooting. Mr. Valdez argues an appearence of bias will taint the trial because some judges witnessed part of the escape attempt incident and some of their colleagues were involved. Rulings from the judge could be construed to be revengeful, Mr. Valdez said If I told you I saw a man dressed very much like Mr. Gardner who is today, on the morning of April 2nd, sitting on the front lawn of this building, would that cause you concern? Judge Fishier asked It sure would, the attorney re- with Lafferty at the Utah State Hossaid their earlier findings pital were wrong Utah statutes governing the imp sition of the death penalty state that a mental illness is a mitigating circumstance to be weighed by the jury in its deliberations Another mitigating factor is the defense contention that Dan Lafferty, who is currently serving consecutive life sentences at the exprison for his role in the killings, tfMi ilit Iffrti I tifinunrErf- After Judge Greene recited the oath, his wife Kay helped him put on his black robes and he briefly joined the other jurists on the bench in the U.S. District Courtroom. "" 0 A M hi, BLM Considers d crime-preventio- Proposals For Tar Sands al .8u 4 .it lujA il ii n 4, 4 iu .nuirwti |