University Daily Kansan / Thursday, January 18, 1990
9
Professor befriends convicted murderer
Lim will write story of William's life before, after trial
By Curtis Knapp
Kansan staff writer
After 10, two-hour interviews with convicted murderer John William, Paul Lim considers himself the only friend that William has.
Lim, assistant professor of English, became interested in William as a subject for a play after learning of his murder charge and following the William's court case. He has completed the preliminary research for the play, which will chronicle William's life story.
William was sentenced to life imprisonment last month for the July 1988 slaying of nine-year-old Richard Settlemire of Lawrence. He is now serving his prison term at the Kansas State Penitentiary in Lansing.
"I want to continue seeing him just as a friend," Lim said. "I mean, he has none.
"I do feel some sympathy for the man, because I think he is as much a victim of his upbringing, or rather his lack of upbringing, as he is a victimizer.
"Of course, you cannot condone what happened to this 9-year-old boy."
Settlemyre's mutilated body was found floating in the Kansas River in July 1988.
Lim said the intent of the play was to present the life of a homeless person "who ended up in a very sorry way."
"I will also present not necessarily John's version of what happened that night," Lim said, "but I would want more to present a picture of who this man is and what led him to Lawrence, Kansas, that culminated in the events of the night of July 12, 1988."
In addition to the interviews with William, Lim said he also had talked with Settlemyre's school teachers and Lawrence law enforcement officers and had purchased court transcripts. Settlemyre's mother, however, refused to talk with Lim.
"She said no, and I respect her privacy," he said.
Lim said he had little problem, however, talking with William.
"At first he seemed a fraction wary of me," Lim said. "He was a little bit distrustful during the first session
district critic . . . but eventually I think he got to trust me. Also John is, by nature, quite generous. He loves to talk."
However, William would not talk as freely about what his life was like before the murder, Lim said.
"It's been a bit difficult getting some of the information about his previous years," Lim said, "because at this point, he is fixing so totally on the events of July 12, 1988.
"Every time he starts talking about July 12, I would try to yank him back to whatever topic it was I would prefer to talk about."
Mary Horsch, press secretary for the attorney general's office, said Lim paid William $500 for the universal rights to his life story.
"The law states that the money must go to the state crime victims reparations board," Horsch said. "I think that was passed to prevent victims from profiting from their crimes."
Horsch said William had already spent some of the money before the attorney general had learned of the payments from Lim. A temporary restraining order has been filed to prevent William from spending any more of his money. She said William had $431.66 of the $500 left in his prison account.
Horsch said that if all the money given to William could not be recovered, the remainder would be deducted from Lim's state paycheck, which he receives for teaching.
Yesterday, Douglas County District Judge Ralph King Jr. ruled that William would be further restrained from spending the money at least until a trial is held.
until a trade comes. Despite the payment controversy, Lim said he was still on schedule to complete the play by March or April.
He said that because of the publicity, outside theater groups had contacted him about his play.
He said he hoped to get the play produced outside of Kansas. He did not expect the play to be received well in the area because of possible resentment toward William and sensitivity about the murder.
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