University Daily Kansan / Tuesday, November 26, 1991
3
Topeka man given four life terms on murder, kidnapping convictions
By Melissa Rodgers
Kansan staff writer
Tyrone Baker was sentenced yesterday in Douglas County District Court to four consecutive life terms for two counts of first-degree murder and two counts of aggravated kidnapping.
He also was given an additional three to 10 years in prison for aggravated assault.
Baker, 21. was convicted by jury in Douglas County District Court on Aug. 30 for the Dec. 4, 1989, murders and aggravated kidnappings of elderly Douglas County residents Lester and Nancy Haley and for the aggravated assault of Vern Horne, also of Douglas County.
Judge Ralph King said that although Baker was an articulate and bright person, he was a dangerous individual.
King said he would give Baker consecutive instead of concurrent sentences because giving concurrent sentences just means having just one murder instead of three.
Baker already is serving a life sentence plus 61 years for the Dec. 3, 1989 murder of Ida Dougherty. Baker was sentenced in June 1980 in connection with Court for Dougherty'smurder.
The bodies of Lester Hale6, 86 and Nancy Hale7, 69 were found Dec. 5, 1998 near an abandoned building in northwest Douglas County.
The Haleys were murdered after they went to check on Dougherty, who lived in Topeka, according to court testimony.
The Haleys and Horne went to see Dougherty and surprised Baker, who was burglarizing her house, according to testimony.
Dougherty was not there because Baker had killed her the day before and disposed of her body in rural county, according to trial testimony.
Baker then drove the Haleys and Horne to the area near Dougherty's body, according to court testimony. He told them to get out of the car and lie on the ground while he went to see if Dougherty was dead.
Horne, 70, managed to escape and notified Douglas County law
enforcement officials.
Before Baker was sentenced today, he told the court he questioned the fiber evidence found in the car that was used to kidnap the Haleys. He also questioned the legality of using the same evidence for both the Shawnee and Douglas County trials.
Baker said he had been singled out for harsh treatment because he was African-American.
"I cannot get better in prison," he said.
Baker said in closing that he had experienced psychotic episodes, and he asked the court to help him.
Baker's attorney, Ron Wurtz,
asked King to commit Baker to a mental institution.
Special prosecutor Pedro Irjonegaray said the prosecution was against brutality, not against an African-American man.
Trigonegaray was hired by the Haley family to work on the case with the district attorney.
"(Baker) should come out of that prison in a pine box," Irigonegaray said.
A KU expert on Haiti said refugees leaving the Caribbean country in boats were fleeing persecution and not poverty.
Professor says Haitian refugees need help
By William Ramsey Kansan staff writer
Bryant Freeman said the boat people began to leave almost a month ago when President Ber-Berard Aristide was deposed during a military coup.
Freeman, professor of French and Italian and of African/African-American studies, discounted the U.S. government's explanation that the refugees were leaving solely to escape poor economic conditions.
"You have an honestly-elected president who has now been thrown out," he said. ("Couple leaders") want to strike terror into the population."
Freeman said the boat people should be classified as political refugees, which would make it easier for them to set outside of Haiti.
Since the Oct. 29 coup, more than 4,500 people have been picked up by U.S. Coast Guard ships, State Department representative Margaret
Some are on harbored Coast Guard ships, some are at a U.S. Navy base in Cuba and others are at refugee camps in surrounding countries.
Tutwiler said.
Before the ban on the forced return of the refugees, 538 Haitians were sent back last week. A U.S. federal district judge has halted the return of Haitians to their country.
Freeman said that Haiti was in a state of distress. The country was the poorest in the Western Hemisphere and is still under an international embargo.
"The whole country is just winding down economically," he said.
The U.S. Embassy in Haiti will not be able to find much information about what actually is happening in the country, Freeman said.
He serves as an adviser to the embassy and has published 12 books about Haiti, he said.
Embassy officials are not well-trained in the Haitian-Creole language and would have difficulty finding returned refugees to see if they had been punished by the coup government, Freeman said.
CORRECTIONS
■ Because of an editor's error, Malcolm X was misspelled in a story on Page 1 of yesterday's Kansan.
■ Because of an editor's error, State Wint. Wend Jr. was incorrectly identified in a story on Page 1 of yesterday's Kansan.
ON CAMPUS
Informational meetings to discuss the requirements for changing tuition status from non-resident to resident will be at 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. today at the International Room in the Kansas Union.
OAKS - Non-Traditional Students Organization will meet for lunch at 11:30 a.m. today at Alcove I in the Kansas Union.
Kansas Ultimate Frisbee will meet
2:30 p.m. today at 23rd and fowr
a street
- KU Anime will meet at 6 p.m. today at 315 Art and Design Building.
Students Against Hunger will meet
Students Against Hunger will meet
the Walmart Room in the
Kansas Union
Good Luck to The'91-'92 Jayhawk Basketball Team from the men of Phi Kappa Tau Have a Great Season, see you in Minneapolis!
KU Panhellenic supports the 1991-1992 Jayhawks against Arkansas-Little Rock.
Beak 'Em Hawks!
The AGDs wish the best to the Jayhawks this season. Good Luck against Arkansas-Little Rock! KU HOOPS #1!
The Women of Delta Delta Delta support the 1991-1992 Jayhawks!
Jayhawk Basketball 1991-1992
The DGs wish the best of luck to the Jayhawks tonight against Arkansas-Little Rock. Go Hawks! Have a great season!
LXA would like to wish The Jayhawk Men's Basketball Team Good Luck on a successful season
The Men of ZBT would like to wish Roy Williams and the J basketball team good luck and hope for continued success!
- KU HOOP IS#1 • KU HOOP IS#1 • KU HOOP
JAYHAWK MEN'S VARSITY BASKETBALL
The Women of Sigma Kappa enjoyed hosting dinner for you at our home. You're welcome back any time!
GOODLUCK AND HAVE AGREAT SEASON!
- KU HOOP IS #1 * KU HOOP IS #1 * KU HOOP
KU HOOP IS#1 • KU HOOP IS#1 • KU HOOP IS
GOODLUCK JAYHAWKS
from the Sports Authority
KJHX
90.7
The University of Kansas Printing Service
for the faculty, staff & students 4 convenient duplicating centers
1520 Wescoe (864-3354)
431 Kansas Union (864-4908)
309 Burge Union (864-5098)
3018 Learned Hall (864-4479)
Stop by or call.
We're here to help.
Go Hawks!
The Women of
KAPPA DELTA
wish the KU Men's Basketball team Good Luck against Arkansas-Little Rock tonight , and in all games this
season.