Evening star., 1950-06-22
Airman, 18, Held
For Grand Jury
|nBo|Iing Killing
Youths Confession
Bares Robbery Attempt
To Aid Grandmother

out bond for the grand jury today
after admitting the murder of q
young parttinle taxicab driver or
the base, May 81. during a robbery
attempt. Es
Pvt. Gilbert w. Reynolds tolo
United States Commissioner Cyri,
Lawrence that witnesses quoted
him correctly at the arraignment
and he did not wish to take the
stand. He was sent to District Jail
How the tall, slender airmar
admitted he killed Gordon C
Brown, jr., "a, of 224 Carmody
Hills Drive, Carmody Hills, Md.
was related to the commissioner by
Detective Sergt. John L. Sullivan
and Capt. Murray H. Chasin, OF
the Air Force Office of Special
Investigation.
Sought Money for Grandma other.
The witnesses said Reynolds
told them he tried to rob his VIC
tim to give money to his grand
mother in New York State, who
had cared for him since in
fancy. He was quoted as saying
his grandmother was desperately
in need of $4,000 and that her
husband had been sent to an asy-
1um.
Reynolds, it was said, stopped
Mr.. Browns cab near the opera
tions building and instructed him
to drive to the south end Of the
field. There he hit him with a
homemade black Jack, but the
victim did not lose consciousness.
The soldier. officers said, then
fired shot to scare the driver,
and did not realize the shot had
struck him in the head. Reynolds
was quoted as saying they
struggled as he tried to take
money from the drivers pockets.
Fled Without Getting Money.
The airman fled without obtain
ing any money when he saw q
flash Of lights as if an automobile
were. approaching. He discarded
the green sport shirt he was wear
ing before returning to his quar-
ters.
Police later recovered the shirt
In a coal storage place on the
south end of the field. They tried
the shirton Reynolds and it fitted,
they said.
Reynolds was quoted as saying
that he left the next day for his
former home at Elmira, N. Y,
where he hid the pistol in his
grandmother's house and threw
the homemade blackjack in q
creek. ..,v as..
Investigators found the pistol
yesterday and were to return to
New York this afternoon to search
for the blackjack.
Although the Staying was on the
base, the young airman was
turned over to civilian author
tiles, in accordance with a recent
order by President Truman. This
says that, in time of peace, any
crime committed on a military
reservation, which may carry
with it capital punishment, must
be tried in civilian court.
IF he did it." the attractive
brown haired widow of the mur-
der victim said at her home
today, Il hope he gets the same
thing that happened to my hus-
band"
The 4-year- old son of the couple
was in another room while his
mother talked.
Found Near Cab.
Regularly employed in the Post
Office, Mr.. Brown was found
shot and beaten near his borrowed
cab shortly before 2 am. May 81,
He died two hours later.
Before joining the service or
February IL. 1949. Pvt. Reynolds
had lived with his grandmother
since he was 2 years old, when his
parents separated.
A member of the 11th Motor
Vehicle Squadron at Boiling
Reynolds was arrested at $50 pm
yesterday while at work at the
motor pool.
But before ne was taken into
custody, homicide squad detective.
and agents of the Air Forces Office
of Special Investigations already
had questioned and taken writer
statements from 4,300 military ano
civilian personnel at the base.
Reynolds was among those in
terviewed soon. after the murder
but there appeared to be nothing
at that time to implicate him.
Two Airmen Provide Clues.
The first break came in the
questioning of tive airmen, Pvt
Donald E. Firth, 1S, of Richmond
Ind, and Sergt. Alexander L
Granbacka, 20. of Ticonderoga
N. Y. They said they saw "a tall
man" dressed in civilian clothes
running across the south end o1
the base a little after 2 am. or
May q.
A day or two later, two more
airmen, whose names were not
disclosed, told police that they
understood Reynolds had a gun
The two men said it was not a
military weapon. A check showed
Reynolds did not possess a permit
to keep a civilian weapon.
Armed with these facts, Sergt
Richard r. Crawford of No
II precinct brought Reynolds
from the motor pool to the Homi.
eide Squads field Office at Boiling
According to 1t. Col. Kirby M
Gillette, OSI officer in charge o1
the 4th district, Reynolds made
oral admissions 10 minutes after
being arrested. He completed two
written statements by 9:15 pm.
the second more comprehensive
than the first.
Before being turned over to Dis
trict police, officers said Reynolds
re-enacted the crime at the south
a~l ~ 4ha RalI