Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1954-04-10
Youth Guarded
From Suicide in
Killing Of Girl
Accused Veteran
ried to End Life
In Army, Police Soy

"A AOJSSCCA oulVOA NAloI ecu WIN
the Capitol Heights Staying Of
17-year-old Joan Marie Ruzza
was under 24-hour guard at Up
per Marlboro today after threat
to take his own life.
Prince Georges county police
said Eugene Elmer Bryant. 81
year-old dishonorably discharged
veteran of the Korean war. adj
mitted last night he pumped five
bullets into the girl Thursday
night.
If couldn't have her, nobody
could" detectives quoted him.
His suicide threat was made
shortly afterward, according to
Detective Sergt. j. Phillip Kearns.
Bryant's wrists still bear scars
from a suicide attempt while he
was prisoner in the Stockade at
Fort Belvoir.
Met Another Girl.
Bryant told police that he
planned to shoot himself with
one of the five bullets in the 3d.
caliber pistol, but fired them all
into the girls body.
After he had emptied the wea-
pom, police quoted him, he fed
in his car and picked up a Is
year-old girl within minutes in
an attempt to set up an alibi.
Bryant told police he and Miss
RuZZa had been engaged for
about six months before she
broke the engagement about a
month ago. Bryant told them,
police said. that the girl had in
formed him some time before
last night that he was the
father of her expected baby. Ac-
cording to police, an autopsy
showed the girl was pregnant.
Bryant, who lived with his
parents at 5403 N street, Hill
side. Md. and had been unem-
ployed for two months, was
arrested by police at his home
about am. yesterday. That
was about an hour after Miss
Ruzzas body was found sprawled
in driveway next to 420 Forty
ninth avenue. just down the
street from her home.
Police questioned Bryant on
and of all day yesterday, but
he insisted he had not seen Miss
Ruzza Thursday night. Early last
night. he submitted to a he
detector test. which police said
showed he was telling falsehoods
i'll many of his earlier state
mentS.
Chief RecOunts Story.
After another hour of ques-
tioning, County Police Chief VIM
cent S. Free stepped from the
interrogation room in Seat Pleas
ant headquarters to tell waiting
reporters Bryant had given them
the following story:
He bought the gun three or
four weeks ago and purchased
10 bullets for it. He had been
carrying the weapon around in
the trunk of his car and had
used five of the bullets in target
practice. Thursday night he
took the gun out of the trunk.
put it in his pocket and went
out to search for Miss Ruzza, ne
said.
He spotted her walking near
Fifty-seventh and Central ave-
nueS in Capitol Heights. He
stopped to talk to her for awhile;
then she walked on.
He caught up with her again
in about the 800 block of Forty
ninth avenue, parked his car and
walked with her to the corner Of
F street. There he showed her
the pistol. She reached for it,
and he shot her in the right
wrist.
Immediately afterward, he
fired the remaining four shots.
One struck her in the abdomen,
another just under the chin and
the rest in the right cheek and
behind the right ear. He was
so close that powder burns were
apparent around all of the
wounds.
This was about 7:50 pm. He
stood there for two or three
minutes. stunned by what he
had done. No one came at the
sound of the shots. Residents
of the area later said they
thought it was a car backfiring.
The body was not found until
about four hours later, when
Milton A. Hutchinson of 222
Maryland avenue. District
Heights. wheeled into the drive
way where the body lay. The
(See SHOOTING, Page A-3D
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