Evening star., 1954-05-30
FIFTEEN CENTS
Sailor Arrested
In Staying Of
Patuxent Wave
Suspect Held at Home
In North CoroIino;
Body Left on Beach

A 22-year-old sailor was being
held in Rocky Mount. N. c., last
night as a prime suspect in the
Staying of a Patuxent Naval Air
Station WAVE whose body was
found on the beach at Point
Lookout. Md, early yesterday.
The victim. 26-year-old Sea-
man Irene Marion Conole, Of
Rochester. N Y. had been beaten
and slashed, but st. Mary's
County Medical Examiner Dr. =
Julian Lane said death was due
to drowning.
She had been criminally as
saulted and Sheriff Willard Long
Speculated that. she drowned
after being thrown unconscious
into the water or left near the
water-line for the incoming tide.
There were three deep gashes
on her forehead and authorities
found bloody. broken soft
drink bottle on the beach nearby.
They also found bloodstains in
the sand, a six-bottle carton Of
a soft drink and two half pints
OF whisky. one of them partly
consumed.
Miss Conole was to have been
married within the next few
months.
The young sailor, who an ac-
quaintance said. left a Lexington
Park restaurant with the WAVE
about midnight Friday, has told
Rocky Mount Detective 1t. Paul
c. Zimmerman that he knew
about the murder" but denies
killing Miss Conole.
There After Murder.
He admits he was out on
the beach and says he was there
after it happened" the de-
tective told The Star last night.
On information from st. Marys
County, 1t. Zimmerman went to
the sailors home about 2 o'clock
yesterday afternoon.
1--WE known the boy all his
life. I knew his Daddy even be-
fore the boy was born.
Il just drove up to the house
and saw him standing on the
front porch with his wife and
his parents" 1t. Zimmerman re-
counted.
II called him out and asked
him what he was running away
from in Maryland. I told him
was afraid l had some bad news
for him. When / told him, he
said I don't understand that
Then he told me he knew
about the murder and said he
was there after it happened. He
said he saw the blood.
HE hasn't talked much since
then. He not saying much but
he realizes he's in a world Of
trouble" the policeman said.
His Clothes Bloodied, Says Wife.
1t. Zimmerman said the sail
or'S wife told him her husband
left their quarters at the air sta
tion at 10 pm. Friday, saying he
was going to Washington to get
parts for his auto.
She told the policeman, he
said, that her husband would re-
turn at 10 am. Saturday. In
stead, she said, he came back at
$50 am. yesterday, his pants,
shirt and hair covered with
blood.
Shortly thereafter, the woman
asserted. she and her husband
left Patuxent in the sailors car
for his parents home in Rocky
Mount.
On the way, she said, some
where along a wooded section Of
Maryland Route S, her husband
tossed a blood-covered shirt and
pair of pants from the auto.
I Lieut.. Zimmerman said the
sailor told his wife he had been
in fight while in Washington,
this accounting for the blood.
Later. however, the sailor when
questioned about details supplied
by his wife, corroborated that
part of his story about throwing
the clothes away.
He told the policeman he had
met Miss Conole Friday night
and had made the rounds Of
several bars with her. Both, the
sailor declared. decided to go
home early.
Picked Up A Stranger
En- route to the air station. he
said, WAVE Conole saw a man
she knew walking on the road.
She asked the sailor to give him
a lift. He agreed.
Before they reached WAVE
Conole'S quarters, the stranger
asked the sailor to drive them to
Hays Beach. He said he did.
leaving the couple two blankets
to sit on. on the sand.
On his way to his own house,
the sailor told It. Zimmerman,
he discovered the WAVE had
left her pocketbook in his car.
He said he returned to the beach.
found the blankets, but saw no