Thursday, April 21, 2011
DNA links killing to slain murder suspect ••Authorities•say•a•man• accused•in•a•2004•slaying•who• was•fatally•shot•by•police•also• had•killed•a•woman•in•2003.
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Leads• ran• dry• until• police• received• a• notice• in• June• 2006• that• a• DNA• match• had• been• found• in• CODIS,• the• national• Combined•DNA•Index•System,•Smith•said. A•DNA•profile•created•from•physical•evidence•obtained•from•Wright’s•body•matched• the• DNA• profile• of• a• man• who• previously• had•been•convicted•of•a•felony•in•Oklahoma. Once• a• DNA• match• is• made,• the• tedious• process•of•confirmation•begins•through•finding•and•interviewing•witnesses•and•confirming•the•lab•results. Another• sample• has• to• be• obtained• from• the• suspect.• In• this• case,• since• Lara-Martinez•was•dead,•authorities•used•samples•obtained•during•his•autopsy. “From• the• hit• until• now,• it• is• a• process,• and•we•did•not•want•to•rush•into•anything,”• Smith• said.• “We• wanted• to• make• sure• that• we• did,• in• fact,• have• the• right• person• and• wanted•to•verify•our•findings.” Because• entering• DNA• into• databases• is• an• unfunded• mandate,• backlogs• and• delays• occur• in• cases,• Huff• said.• Other• roadblocks• come• in• cold-case• investigations• when• sources•of•information•have•dried•up. “There• are• just• questions• that• have• to• be• answered,”•he•said.•“In•this•particular•case,• it• took• us• a• long• time• to• forensically• verify• that•his•DNA•would•be•present•in•this•homicide• victim’s• body• at• a• critical• time• period• close•to•the•time•of•her•death.” The• investigation• revealed• that• Wright• did•not•know•Lara-Martinez,•Smith•said. “There•would•be•no•reason•for•his•DNA•to• be•on•her•body•or•near•her•body,”•he•said.•“I• think•it•was•a•crime•of•opportunity,•and•she• just•happened•to•be•at•the•wrong•place•at•the• wrong•time.” Lara-Martinez’s• apartment• was• adjacent• to•the•creek•where•Wright’s•body•was•found. Huff• said• this• is• the• fourth• case• the• unit• has• closed• from• a• hit• through• the• national• database•and•that•another•case•is•awaiting•a• ruling•by•the•District•Attorney’s•Office.
Flames rip through trees behind an oil tank battery Wednesday afternoon near 76th Street North just west of U.S. 75 as Sperry firefighters put water on the tanks. See story below. MIKE SIMONS/Tulsa World
Man gets 10-year prison term in BA meth case
Nicole Marshall 918-581-8459 nicole.marshall@tulsaworld.com
Judge rejects tying drill to TU football player’s death ••A•disease•specialist•says•no• doctor•could•have•suspected• that•the•21-year-old•athlete• had•such•a•rare•condition.
SUBJECT OF TRIAL Devin Adair: His parents, David and Lin Adair, allege that TU’s negligence caused his death on April 28, 2006,. A federal jury in Tulsa is hearing the case.
BY DAVID HARPER World Staff Writer
Sexton• said• his• posthumous• analysis• of• Adair’s• case• indicates• that• the• fate• of• the• Manhattan• Beach,• Calif.,• native• was• sealed• by• the• time• Adair• was• reporting• rib• pain,• vomiting•and•running•an•intermittent•fever. He•said•there•would•have•been•no•reason• to• suspect• that• a• student-athlete• with• such• relatively•innocuous•symptoms•was•silently• harboring•a•disease•that•Sexton•compared•to• a•“marauding,•overwhelming•army.” “It•was•unknowable•to•any•doctor,”•he•said• of•Adair’s•condition. Also• Wednesday,• former• TU• Assistant• Athletic• Trainer• Keith• Thomson• testified• that•he•did•not•recall•Adair’s•mentioning•to• him•that•he•had•injured•himself•performing• “punishment•drills.” Luther• told• the• jury• Monday• that• Adair• had•to•do•a•“log•roll”•across•a•football•field•as• punishment•for•drinking•alcohol•at•a•party. U.S.•District•Judge•Gregory•Frizzell•found• outside• the• hearing• of• the• jury• Wednesday• that• no• scientific• evidence• had• been• introduced•that•the•drill•had•anything•to•do•with• the•condition•that•ultimately•killed•Adair. Adair•was•taken•April•21,•2006,•to•St.•Francis• Hospital,• where• he• was• diagnosed• with• septic• shock,• respiratory•distress• syndrome• and• rhabdomyolysis,• a• condition• in• which• skeletal• muscle• tissue• breaks• down• rapidly• as•a•result•of•damage•to•the•muscle. But•Sexton•testified•that•he•thinks•rhabdomyolysis•was•not•involved•because•Adair•did• not•have•the•kidney•damage•associated•with• that•disease. Former• TU• head• football• coach• Steve• Kragthorpe•was•seen•outside•the•courtroom• Wednesday•morning,•but•he•ultimately•was• not•called•to•testify,•nor•was•TU•Athletic•Director•Bubba•Cunningham. The•trial•is•scheduled•to•resume•Thursday.
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Would-be robber, store clerk exchange gunfire
Broken oil-tank pipe fuels large fire; no injuries
Shots were exchanged between a would-be robber and a clerk during an armed robbery at a convenience store Wednesday, police said. Officers are searching for the robber, and they were unsure whether he was struck during the exchange of gunfire at Ryan’s Convenience Store, 9848 E. 21st St. The robber entered the store about 12:15 p.m. and demanded money, Officer Leland Ashley said. The clerk pulled a gun, and the robber shot at him, Ashley said. The clerk returned fire and saw the robber fall to the floor. The robber shot at the clerk again before fleeing, Ashley said. “We are not sure if he was hit, but there is a possibility he was,” Ashley said. “We have notified all of the hospitals to be watching for someone with a gunshot wound.” The robber was described as black, about 6 feet 2 inches tall and 20 to 30 years old. He was wearing a blue hooded shirt and had a black bandana covering his face. Anyone with information about the robber is asked to contact Crime Stoppers at 918596-COPS or tulsaworld.com/ crimestoppers. The Crime Commission pays rewards for information that leads to arrests, and tipsters can be anonymous. — NICOLE MARSHALL, World staff writer
A broken pipe from an oil tank in north Tulsa County led to a large fire Wednesday afternoon, but a worker was able to escape without injury. The worker was doing maintenance on an oil tank battery near 76th Street North just west of U.S. 75, said Sgt. Shannon Clark, a spokesman for the Tulsa County Sheriff’s Office. As the worker was siphoning excess oil from the tank shortly
Four people were charged Wednesday with multiple drug counts after officers reported finding more than 400 ecstasy pills in Owasso. Christopher David Romere, 19, and Nicholas James BakerSummers, 20, are charged with
david.harper@tulsaworld.com
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A previously convicted drug felon has been sentenced to 10 years in prison in a Broken Arrow case in which police reported finding meth-lab materials in a child’s “Dora the Explorer” backpack. Cecil Doyle Martin pleadMartin ed guilty this week to a charge of attempting to manufacture methamphetamine. Tulsa County District Judge William Kellough imposed the 10-year term. A count of child endangerment against Martin, 34, was dismissed in November. Records show that he has Muskogee County convictions for possessing a controlled drug with an intent to distribute and for possessing marijuana. On Aug. 10, Broken Arrow police stopped a vehicle driven by Martin and occupied by his wife, Melissa Dawn Martin, and two children, ages 1 and 2, police reported. Police said they noticed the odors of marijuana and meth-manufacturing. Meth-lab components were found in the vehicle and in the backpack, reports show. Melissa Martin, 27, has a drug case related to the Aug. 10 arrests and is participating in the Women in Recovery treatment program, records indicate. — BILL BRAUN, World staff writer
aggravated trafficking in illegal drugs. Romere also is charged with maintaining a place for selling drugs. Jesse Lee Teague, 19, was charged with distribution of a controlled substance, trafficking in illegal drugs and use of a telecommunication device in a drug transaction. The three, along with Jordan Raylynn Rhyn, 21, also are charged with possession of marijuana with an intent to distribute. Baker-Summers’ address is in Claremore, but the other three are Owasso residents, court records state. Acting on a tip from a confidential informant, an undercover officer met with Teague on April 15 to buy ecstasy, according to an arrest report. Teague took the officer to Romere’s residence and told him to wait in the car, the report says. Officials allege that Teague came back with nearly 60 ecstasy pills. The officer then signaled waiting officers to arrest Teague and serve a search warrant. More than 400 ecstasy pills were found in the house, along with two small bags of marijuana and scales, according to the report. Ecstasy “produces feelings of increased energy, euphoria, emotional warmth, and distortions in time, perception, and tactile experiences,” according to the National Institute on Drug Abuse. It traditionally has been used as a “party drug.” All four defendants remain in the Tulsa Jail. — JERRY WOFFORD, World staff writer
Four people charged in ecstasy bust in Owasso
David Harper 918-581-8359
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Luis Lara-Martinez: DNA from the body of a woman found dead in 2003 matched his DNA. He was killed in 2004 by police after he pointed a gun at officers trying to arrest him in an unrelated homicide.
World Staff Writer
No•scientific•evidence•has•been•presented• that• a• “punishment• drill”• a• former• University• of• Tulsa• football• player• was• forced• to• perform•in•2006•contributed•to•his•death,•a• judge•found•Wednesday. That•finding•narrows•the•issues•that•ultimately•will•be•presented•to•the•jury•in•a•lawsuit•filed•by•the•parents•of•the•student,•Devin• Adair,•against•the•university. An•expert•witness•for•the•school•testified• Wednesday•that•the•disease•that•killed•Adair• five•years•ago•is•so•unusual•that•a•doctor•in• general•practice•might•not•see•such•a•case•in• an•entire•lifetime. Dr.•Daniel•Sexton,•a•professor•in•the•Infectious• Diseases• Division• at• Duke• University,• said•he•has•seen•no•more•than•seven•cases•of• pyomyositis•out•of•the•more•than•30,000•patients•he•has•treated•during•the•last•40•years. Sexton• testified• that• those• who• treated• Adair•before•his•death•on•April•28,•2006,•had• no•reason•to•suspect•that•the•21-year-old•had• contracted•the•“extraordinarily•rare”•bacterial•muscle•infection. “I• don’t• think• anybody• could• have• saved• Devin,”•Sexton•testified. His•videotaped•testimony,•recorded•recently• in• Durham,• N.C.,• was• played• for• jurors• in• federal•court•in•Tulsa•on•the•third•day•of•a•trial• in•which•Adair’s•parents,•David•and•Lin•Adair,• allege•that•TU’s•negligence•caused•his•death. Lin•Adair•testified•earlier•Wednesday•that• “not• a• day• goes• by• that• I• don’t• think• about• my•son.•Holidays•aren’t•the•same.•Birthdays• aren’t•the•same.•Nothing’s•the•same.” Plaintiffs’•attorney•Gregg•Luther•told•the• jury•that•Adair’s•death•was•especially•tragic• because• it• was• “preventable• and• curable”• with•antibiotic•treatment. But•Sexton•testified•that•antibiotics•alone• would• have• been• useless• to• combat• what• killed•Adair.•Even•if•the•disease•had•been•diagnosed• in• time,• he• said,• surgical• intervention•would•have•been•required.
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SHOT BY POLICE
BY NICOLE MARSHALL The•killing•of•a•woman•who•was•stabbed• to•death•and•dumped•in•a•creek•in•2003•has• been•linked•through•DNA•to•a•murder•suspect• who• was• fatally• shot• by• police• a• year• after•her•slaying. A• confirmed• hit• in• a• national• DNA• data-• base•indicates•that•Luis•Lara-Martinez•sexually•assaulted•and•killed•Alisha•Wright,•detectives•said. Lara-Martinez• was• killed• after• being• charged• with• the• slaying• of• Anthony• Overstreet•in•February•2004. Members•of•the•Northern•Oklahoma•Fugitive•Task•Force•tried•to•take•him•into•custody•at•an•apartment•complex•near•41st•Street• and• Garnett• Road.• He• pointed• a• gun• at• the• officers,•and•they•shot•him,•police•said. Sgt.•Mike•Huff,•head•of•the•Tulsa•Police•Department’s• Homicide• Unit,• said• the• Wright• case•demonstrates•how•a•DNA•hit•is•just•part• of•the•puzzle•and•there•is•plenty•more•to•investigate•before•a•case•can•be•closed. “Everybody• thinks• that• DNA• is• a• magic• bullet,• but• it• takes• tons• of• work• to• fully• investigate•the•cases•to•make•certain•you•understand•why•this•person’s•DNA•is•involved,”• Huff•said. “That• is• what• cold• cases• are• all• about• —• long-term• investigation.• If• there• are• readily•available•answers,•it•would•not•be•a•cold• case.” A• friend• reported• Wright• missing• Nov.• 3,• 2003,•Detective•Roger•Smith•said.•Nine•days• later,•her•body•was•found•wrapped•in•carpet• and• dumped• in• Jones• Creek• near• the• 1200• block• of• South• Memorial• Drive.• Her• body• had•visible•trauma,•he•said. “Basically,•we•did•not•have•much•to•go•on,”• Smith•said.•“We•talked•to•a•lot•of•people.•We• looked•at•a•lot•of•her•inner•circle.•She•was•in• a•volatile•relationship,•actually.” Police•determined•that•just•before•Wright• disappeared,• she• was• in• a• fight• with• the• woman• with• whom• she• was• in• a• relationship,•and•that•woman•let•her•out•of•a•car•near• the•spot•where•she•was•found•dead. “She•was•out•on•foot,•and•anything•could• have• happened• to• her• at• that• point,”• Smith• said.
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before 3 p.m., the pipe broke and spewed oil on the pump’s motor, Clark said. “With the heat of the motor, it just caught the oil on fire,” he said. The fire spread to the employee’s pickup and destroyed it before firefighters could arrive. The oil on the ground also started a wildfire. Thick, black smoke could be seen for miles around as the oil, grass and trees burned. Firefighters from Turley, Sperry and Owasso were able to get the main body of the fire under control in about 45 minutes, but grass fires continued to smolder. — JERRY WOFFORD, World staff writer
Oologah police chief’s son handed deferred sentence CLAREMORE — The son of Oologah’s police chief received a two-year deferred sentence Wednesday after pleading no contest to a 2010 charge of impersonating a police officer, a Rogers County court spokeswoman said. In accordance with a plea agreement, Curt Allen Thompson, 35, was fined $200 and ordered to pay a $100 victim’s compensation assessment. Thompson, the son of Oologah Police Chief Novale Thompson, must serve either 30 days in the Rogers County Jail or complete 120 hours of community service. Prosecutors allege that on July 1, while acting in the capacity of a police officer, Curt Thompson drove to a residence in a marked Oologah Police Department vehicle with the emergency lights activated, records show. Thompson was wearing a generic “POLICE” T-shirt and a ball cap with an Oologah Police Department patch sewn on, records state. While there, he made contact with occupants who were having an altercation, records state. Thompson reportedly left the scene in the police car but returned soon in a pickup and wearing clothing that didn’t identify him as a police officer. — RHETT MORGAN, World staff writer
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