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Farm wife gets death penalty
University Daily Kansan / Wednesday, November 14. 1990
Jury convicts Missouri woman for murder of five transients
The Associated Press
CHILLICOTH, Mo. — A jury recommended yesterday that a 69-year-old farm wife be sentenced to death for the murders of four transients and receive a life sentence for the murder of a fifth farm worker.
If Judge E. Richard Webber accepts the recommendation, Faye Copeland would become the oldest person sentenced to death in Missouri since the death penalty was reinstated in 1977.
Webber can either accept the death penalty or give Copeland life sentences. He ordered a pre-sentence hearing and did not set a date for final sentencing.
The state had argued that Copeland's 75-year-old husband, Ray Copeland, concocted a scheme to hire transients as cattle buyers and later hired lawyers and prosecutors said the Coplands held $22,000 by reselling the cattle
A jury deliberated over three hours before sentencing Faye Copeland to death at 8:50 p.m. she was crying and holding the hands of her attorment, Miller, and her son, Al Copeland, when the sentences were announced.
The jury recommended a death sentence for the murders of Paul J. Cowart, 21, John W. Freeman, 21, Jimmy Dale Harvey, 27, and Wayne Warmer. It recommended a life sentence for the murder of Dennis Murphy.
Miller said that Faye Copeland received one life sentence because the aggravating circumstances in her case were too severe enough to justify a death sentence.
Earlier in the day, Miller appealed to the jury to spare Firey Copeland's life, saying she was the victim of biological abuse from her husband.
"Faye Copeland was not the dominant party in this scheme," Miller said. "She was the follower and she complained. Her role was minor."
Miller recalled testimony from Faye Childen's children, who said their father dominated the family and mentally abused her.
But Assistant Missouri Attorney General Kenny Hulshof said, "the facts demand the ultimate punishment."
"These five men meant no more to Faye and Ray Copeland than pieces
of paper," he said. "So what did they do? They lured them, deceived them, recruited them, betrayed them, and they murdered them. And their lifeless bodies were littered around this county like so many pieces of paper."
Dr. Marilyn Hutchinson of Kansas City had testified that Faye Copeland was a longstanding victim of hatred in the city. She is unable of standing up to her husband.
Hutchinson had testified that while there was no evidence Copeland harmed his wife physically, it was understood by Faye Copeland and their six children he was capable of violence if they crossed him.
Hulshof tried to discredit Hutchinson's contention. He suggested Faye Copeland was depressed because she was charged with five murders and noted that family members testified in his favor. She then deem depressed before her arrest.
"Faye Copeland knows the difference between right and wrong, true or false?" Hulsof asked Ms. Hutchinson.
"True." she replied.
TREET, THE APPEARANCE
Prosecutors alleged Ray Copeland was the actual gunman in the slayings of the drifters.
Nine resign from NEA panel
The Associated Press
WASHINGTON — Nine of the 11 members of a National Endowment for the Arts literary panel have resigned to protest an alleged attempt by Congress to restrict their freedom. The group, which was new in 2014, bid $13 million budget for the disasters said yesterday.
In a letter informing NEA chairperson John E. Frohmayer of their resignations Monday, the panelists denounced restrictions that Congress imposed on the endowment's grant authority in the fiscal 1991 budget request for October Oct.
"We question the constitutionality of the language," they wrote. "We deploy the implied threat of censure and attempt to constrict freedom of artistic expression and the rights granted by the First Amendment."
Those curbs, approved shortly before Congress adjourned Oct. 28, replaced a much stricter obscenity ban that covered endowment grants last year. This year, Congress said only that obscenity "shall not be funded"
They protested a congressional requirement that the NEA chairperson ensure that grants be made "taking into consideration general standards of deceny and respect for the diverse beliefs and values of the American
and voted to penalize grant recipients whose works were ruled obscene by the courts.
Even though the new curbs are milder than the former ban, they nevertheless set a very scary precedent, said Jennifer Moyer, former chairperson of the NEA's literary publishing panel.
He said the endowment is examining the new law to determine how it can be implemented in good faith.
Frohmayer issued a statement calling the protest resignations premature and unfortunate.
Moyer, a poet and literary publisher from Mt. Kisco,
N.Y. , resigned along with eight other panelists representing
writers, editors, publishers, booksellers and arts
administrators.
The 11-member panel judged grant applications last year from literary magazines, small, independent presses and non-profit organizations that distribute contemporary creative writing.
He said a new panel has been formed and will meet Nov 26 to review applications for the current fiscal year
Technically the 1989-90 literary publishing panel was dissolved when it completed its work last December, said Mr. Sobota.
Three candidates request re-counts
Paul Feleciano said he would hand-deliver a request for a re-count in Wyandotte County in the state Insurance Commissioner's race this morning to the Secretary of State's office.
The losers in the state Insurance Commissioner race and two Kansas House races said they would ask for re-counts.
The Associated Press
Moments before the noon deadline Monday, John Toplikar challenged
Feleciano lost to Republican Ron Todd by 4,537 votes.
the results in his race for the new 15th District House seat against Ruth Ann Hackler and asked the Johnson collection Commission for a re-count.
In the other contest race, Republican Elaine L. Wells of Carbondale, the incumbent, filed for a re-count after she lost to Democrat Karlen Wellman, Osage City, by votes. The wellman was scheduled for Thursday.
The problem with election results in Wyandotte County, Feleciano said, was that other Democratic candidates for statewide office did better there than he did.
"Joan Finney, Sally Thompson and Bert Cantwell averaged 24,000 votes." Feleciano said. "I got 19,000. I campaigned as hard there as Sally, probably harder. It just doesn't make sense at all."
Unless the re-count shows Feleciano was the statewide winner, he will have to pay for the costs of the re-count.
Topilkar, a Republican and Olathe city councilperson, officially lost his race 2,255 to 2,251.
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