Evening star., 1946-08-07
Murder Indictment
Comes Quickly After
|Heirens' Confession
BY the Associojed Pres,

CHICAGO, Aug. THE State
moved today to wrap up its case
against William Heirens by obtain
ing an indictment charging the IT.
year-old University of Chicago stu
dent with the murder of Mrs. Jose
phine Ross, one of the three killings
he confessed.
In unfolding detailed story of his
incredible criminal career yesterday.
he set forth how he knitted Mrs.
Ross, 43-year-old widow, in her
apartment in June, 1945, although
he had not been indicted for this
murder.
His confession solved the kidnap-
ing, strangling and dismemberment
of Suzanne Degnan, 6, on January 7,
and the shooting and stabbing of
Miss Frances Brown, 33, former
WAVE, on December 10, 1945.
Indicted After Hour.
Within less than an hour after
Wilbert Crowley, first assistant
States attorney, announced wit
nesses would go before the grand
jury, the jurors were reported to
have named Heirens in an indict-
ment formally accusing him of mur-
dering Mrs Ross.
Mr.. Crowley said testimony in
cluded that from police officials and
Mrs. Mary Jane Blanchard, 81, one
of Mrs. Ross two daughters.
In his statement Heirens said he
killed the woman but could not re-
member inf1icting the II knife
wounds Or covering the largest
wound, in the neck, with adhesive
tape.
14-HOur Confession.
The -visaged youth, calmly
and without hesitation, for more
than IA hours yesterday related and
re-enacted in full details of the three
brutal killings.
Officials, headed by States Attor-
ney William j. Tuohy, questioned
Heirens about the three killings
and % burglaries, robberies and as
sault with which he is charged.
At 2 am. after he had signed the
voluminous statements relating the
three slayings, he was led into his
cell at the county Jail.
In his statements yesterday
Heirens apparently cleared the way
for the State to set in motion legal
machinery which is expected to
send the youth to prison for the
rest of his life, with no possibility
of parole. 1t has been reported
that the States attorneys office
would, in exchange for the confess
sions of the three killings, recon-
mend life sentences, to be made
| consecutively and not currently, to
place the youth beyond the reach of
possible parole
Re-enacts Crimes.
After Heirens had related details
of the three murders he was taken
by Mr.. Tuohy and police to the
scenes to retrace his movements
The first stop was at the Degnan
home. While crowd watched IN
morbid eagerness, the curly haired
youth, hatless and wearing a sweat
shirt over a white shirt, and his
handouts unloosed momentarily
climbed ladder to Suzanne's bed
room window and jumped inside
Apparently unmoved by the large
crowd Heirens then went to a nearby
apartment basement and identified
the laundry tubs as the scene of
the dismemberment of Suzanne's
body.
He retraced his movements from
the basement dissecting room and
identified sewer catch basins where
he had thrown parts of the body.
Heirens, sometimes grinning and
talking with deputy sheriff, ap-
peared oblivious to the crowds of
some 1000 men, women and chill
dren who surged into the street and
alleys to get closer glimpse of
him.
The officials next took Heirens to
the Ross apartment and he re-
enacted how he had stabbed the
widow to death. The party moved
on to the scene of the third Staying,
the stabbing and shooting of Miss
Brown. All three homes are within
square mile area on Chicago's
North Side