Evening star., 1942-01-29
Boy Slayer Of ;
Gets Life in
Penitentiary
16-Yeor-OId Virginia
Youth Pleads Guilty
To Robbery Murders
BY w. H. SHIPPEN, Jr.

WASHINGTON, Va, Jan. o.
Officers prepared today to take 16-
year-old Thomas Dewey Buck)
Cameron, jr., to the penitentiary
at Richmond to serve the rest Of
his natural life" for the triple
murder of the johnson family in a
post Office robbery at Huntley last
May.
The mountain boy, said by ex-
pert prosecution witnesses to have
the retarded" mental and physical
development of a child OF 10, was
sentenced yesterday afternoon fol-
lowing brief non-jury trial be-
fore Judge J. r. H. Alexander.
Testimony was devoted largely to
the mental status of the diminutive
prisoner.
DR.. Joseph R. Blalock, superin-
tendent of the Southwestern State
Hospital at Marion, where the boy
has been under mental observation
for the last six months, admitted
under croSs-examination the small
prisoner seemed more broken up
over the loss OF his bicycle than the
fact that he had shot three persons
to death.
Father Tells Of Fits.
DR.. David Wilson, second pSy-
chiatrist. attached to the staff of
the University, of Virginia Hospital,
declared Cameron showed symp-
toms of epilepsy. This was backed
by testimony of the father, Thomas
Dewey Cameron, an orchard work.
er, that his son from the age of
2 to 8 had been subject to fits, mus
cular spasms and fainting spells.
At conclusion of the brief testi-
mony the clerk of Rappahannock
County Court read indictments
charging Cameron with shooting to
death Edward Johnson, AZ; his wife,
Sadie, 40. and their daughter Edith,
Is years old. After each indictment
the boy was asked: Are you guilty
or not guilty?"
Cameron, the smallest person in
the packed courtroom, with the ex-
ception of several fretful babies held
by spectators, answered guilty" to
each question in loud, clear voice.
Gets Life for Each Plea.
Judge Alexander declared he
found the youth legally RESPONSE
BILE" for his acts and guilty of first
degree murder. He then pro-
nounced life sentences, to run con-
currently, for each of the guilty
pleas.
Defense Attorney William C..
Armstrong, who was appointed by
the court made no effort to chal-
lenge testimony that the boy had
confessed to the triple murder. He
centered his efforts on having the
defendant committed to an institu-
ton where he could receive treat
ment to improve his mental and
physical condition.
Mr.. Armstrong said he did not
plan an appeal.
Young Cameron was quoted as
admitting he shot the johnson fam
lily to death to obtain money to re-
deem bicycle which had been con-
f1scated by his grandfather after
the boy allegedly stole SIG from him.
Cameron, 1t was said, confessed he
killed the three to cover up the
robbery.
Leads Officers to Loot.
Officers arrested the boy, whom
they surprised asleep in his cabin
on a Blue Ridge mountain over
looking the scene Of the Staying.
Young Buck took them to the .38
caliber revolver he had hidden in
the bushes and later showed them
$3.50 he had taken from the cash
drawer and secreted under a stone.
The craftsmanship of the boy
was described by DR.. E. w. Brown,
Rappahannock County coroner. He
declared all three victims had been
shot through the forehead and died
almost Immediately
Mrs. johnson fell beside the front
door to the store, her husband be-
hind the counter and the girl in
living room at the rear, where she
had been listening to a radio pro-
gram.