Evening star., 1952-07-16
Coroner S Jury Holds
Airman for Murder
In Killing Of Woman

IN klIlIng OF woman
Charged with murder. q "a
year-old Air Force veteran was in
District Jail today awaiting Dis
trict Court action for the strangu-
lation murder of Miss Code Whit
man. 39-year-old Defense Depart
ment employe.
The airman. Harry c. Porter,
was ordered held for grand jury!
action by coroner's jury yester-
day after excerpts from his con-
fession of the Staying were read
by Homicide Squad Detective
Lionel Couture.
In the confession Porter told
how he strangled Miss Whitman
to death with q towel twisted
around her neck in her apartment
at 1881 Euclid street NV. Satur-
day afternoon.
Miss Whitman's body was not
found until Monday afternoon
when fellow workers. worried be-
cause she had not reported for
work, asked the apartment house
manager to investigate.
The crime narrowly escaped
being listed as a death due to
natural causes when investiga-
tors failed to notice the cloth
which was still twisted around
her neck. Her body had decom-
posed badly and swollen flesh
around her neck obScured the
cloth. It was discovered by Coro-
ner A. Magruder Macdonald at
an autopsy.
RecOuntS Circumstances.
Porter in his confession said
he worked in off duty hours as a
painter. He had been hired by
the apartment house manager to
paint Miss Whitman'S apartment.
He was painting the ceiling there
Saturday, he related, when Miss
Whitman came in with an armful
of groceries.
He said she placed the groceries
down and stood watching him
silently for five minutes. Then
she went to the bathroom and he
heard the shower running. Later
he looked around. his confession
related, and he saw Miss Whitman
standing unclothed in the bath
room doorway. When she saw
him looking she turned and went
back into the room. but left the
door open. He said he descended
from his ladder and closed the
door.
After about IS minutes. his
confession said. Miss Whitman
emerged clad in shorts, a white
shirt and tennis shoes. He was
on the floor, bending over a can
Of paint. he said.
Began to TuSSle.
Detective Couture testified Por-
ter in his confession said Miss
Whitman 'leaped on my back"
and he started to fall backwards.
He said he swung at her but
missed and as they tussled he be-
came aware he had a painters
wiping cloth in his hand. Then
he said he became dizzy" and
was not aware Of what happened
thereafter.
The next thing he knew, has
confession related, Miss Whit \
man was on the floor with her
eyes open and the cloth twisted |
around her neck. He felt her 4
pulse and knew she was dead. He /
carried her body to the bedroom,
placed it in a closet and left.
The following afternoon he re-
turnNd with a sailor friend and |
resumed painting the apartment. |
He returned again Monday
after the crime had been dis
covered. Detectives arrested him.
At first he denied knowledge of i
the crime, but confessed after 4
an hours questioning.
Porter. who won the combat in
fantryman'S badge in the Korean
fighting, was attached to the mo-
tor pool of the 1,025th Air Base
Group at Washington National
Airport. His Sergeants described |
him "a very quiet boy who never
gave us any trouble"
Porter enlisted in the Air Force |
last February. Priorsto that he
served in the Army from August,
1947, to July, 1851. He was sta
toned in Japan prior to going to \
Korea, where he served for eight
months.
Miss Whitman, who came to
Washington about six years ago
from Cumberland. Md. held an
administrative position in the Ma
tional Guard Bureau at the Penta-
gon.