Evening star., 1952-05-28

- - J
Alexandra Womun
And FoIls Church Pilot
Dead; Killer Seized
An escaped maniac armed with
shotgun killed his father, an
Alexandria woman and a Capital
Airlines pilot on a Loudoun County
farm near Leesburg, Va, last
night.
The victims were:
Miss Lillian Levona Hove, "a,
Of BIT South Pitt street, Alexan-
dria.
Capt. Robert O'Connor, ~, of
Falls Church.
William T. Fox. 10, of Arcola,
Va.
The killer, Maurice Ray Fox, 80,
was captured by a posse led by
three State troopers several hours
later in the home of his brother
about a half mile from his fathers
home.
Capt. O'Connor recently leased
the 70-acre Fox farm at Arcola,
about Is miles from Leesburg. He
drove to the farm yesterday, &C
companied by Miss Hove, an at
tractive brunette, who managed a
cosmetics sales agency in Alex
andria.
Shot Through the Back.
Capt. O'Connor and Miss Hove
were killed near a woodpile where
they had been sharpening beam
poles. He was shot through the
back at close range. Miss Hove
was shot in the back of the head
about so feet from her companion.
Police first thought Miss Hove
had been bludgeoned to death.
The body of Mr.. Fox, shot
through the back, was found in an
orchard about 200 yards from the
house.
The bodies were not found un-
til shortly before midnight al
though the triple Staying occurred
between S and 6 pm. The killer
was captured at 2 am.
Russell Melton, 16, who lives on
an adjoining farm about a quarter
of a mile from the Fox place, said
the killings occurred between 5:3OI
and 6 pm.
Il heard some shots over there
he told Star reporter. IT looked
over and saw MIR. Fox running
into the woods and his son run
ming after him like he was trying
to get in front of him and cut
him oil. Then I heard another
SHOT"
Did Not Investigate.
The youth said he did not in
vest1gate or communicate what l1eI
saw to any one because relations
between the two families had BEEN
cool" and he didn't think what
happened on the Fox farm was
any Of his business. The posse
awakened him about am, heI
said, and told him of the triple
Staying.
Other neighbors heard gunfire
about the same time, but did not
investigate. When they did mott
see any lights on the farm after
nightfall they decided to notify
police. State Trooper Vernon
Hickman of Middleburg was dis
patched to the farm at 10 pm. toI
investigate.
After he found the bodies, 12I
additional State policemen, re-
inforced by IL military policemen
from the Vint Hill barracks at
Warrenton. were rushed to the
scene. Sheriff Roger F. Powell
organized a posse of 100 citizens
and an organized search for the
killer began.
The fugitive escaped from the
Western State Mental Hospital inI
Staunton on May 10 and appeared
the same day at his fathers
home, explaining he had BEEN
released. He was first sent to the}
institution about three years ago
after severely beating his father.
He was furloughed last year, but
was returned to the institution
last fall.
Appeared on Good Terms.
His mother, Mrs. Ida Fox, rs,
said she left her home about al
pm. yesterday to spend the night
at the home of MIR. and Mrs.
c. c. Bolt, about S miles away.
Everything seemed tranquil when
she left. Mrs. Fox said. Capt.
O'Connor and Miss Hove were
working in the garden and her
husband and son appeared to be
on good terms.
She did not hear about the
killings until the posse reached
the Bolt farm about am.
State Trooper r. F. Hoskin
said other members of the Fox
family contradicted the mother.
They told him. Trooper Hcskins
said. that Maurice Fox had been
drinking and they feared he
would become violent.
For that reason. Trooper Hos
kin said. Claude Fox, brother