Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1954-07-23
Bryant 10 Hang
For Staying Of
Joan Ruzza
Judge Coils Shooting
By Korean Veteran
Cruel and Calculated
BY Richard Rodgers
ssur Stuff Correspondent

ELLICOTT CITY. Md. July
2s.Death on the gallows was
decreed today for Eugene =.
Bryant. who murdered Joan Ma
rie Ruzza. II. Suitland High
School drum n1ajorette.
Execution In Maryland Peni-
Tertiary is scheduled during the
week Of September 5.
With measured grimness.
Judge James Clark told the Sob
bling 21-year-old Hillside (Md0
Korean veteran:
You promised ITO marry that
girl.
"When she told you that she
was going to bear you q child.
and asked you to keep that
promise. you got q gun and shot
her down.
Guilt Called Certain.
eYour guilt OF deliberate and
premeditated murder is certain.
''There is no question as TO
your sanity.
THAT girl had the unalienable
right to live-a right given by
God snd guaranteed by the law
Of the land. You denied her that
right.
your crime was so brutal,
your killing Of that girl so cool,
so calculated. so cruel. that there
can be no question as to where
my responsibility hes"
Maryland law gives courts the
option Of imposing life irnprison-
ment after q first degree murder
f;conviction.
Miss Ruzza's body was found
In q driveway near her home in
Capitol Heights, Md. the night
Of April 8.
Dated Other Girl for Alibi.
Bryant emptied a five-shot
.38-caliber revolver into her
body. Then he went on a date
with a 15-year-old girl he
picked up to provide an alibi.
He was convicted last week
by an all-male Howard County
jury The trial had been trans
ferred from Prince Georges
County.
Bryant's insanity plea coll
Elapsed under testimony by three
psychiatrists. One Of the doc
tors was, q defense witness but
even he testified Bryant was
legally sane.
Before sentencing today, Bry-
ants lawyer. Howard Vogel. read
Ia letter he said Bryant tried to
tmail to the slain girls parents
i on April Is.
IT will ask them for death,
tMr. Vogel read. :" =. I will be
with Joan. If God can forgive
me for what I did I loved
her and I still love her ]
pray for her every night, ! dream
about her every night. y"
The letter, which the lawyer
said he decided not to mail. said
Bryant would have committed
! suicide but decided that "the
State will do it for me-" thus
relieving him Of the sin Of taking
his own life.
/ Mother Not at Sentencing.
AS Bryant was lead from the
courtroom he shouted back to
his father, dad. be sure to get
that stuff printed in the news
paper"
Bryant's mother was not pres
ent at the sentencing. Mr.. Vogel
told the court she is seriously
| i'll at home. because Of her sons
conviction.
/ The defense lawyer said he
may appeal the sentence.
Pleading for leniency, Bryant's
lawyer said that when the de-
PENDANTS mother was on the wit
ness stand, Bryant whispered to
! HIM:
| Look how pale she is, and
| thin. / wanted the death pen
/ atty but now I'm afraid that If
I got the death penalty IT. would
kill her"
Buries Face In Arms.
Judge Clark asked Bryant II
/ he had anything to say before
hearing his fate.
The wan, wavy-naired youth
stood up and leaned on his
hands on the table. Sobbing, he
managed to get out. I'D like to
go to the cemetery then he
/ collapsed into his chair and
buried his face in his arms.
| A moment later he half stood
up again and said. still weeping.
I'D like to go to the cemetery
so / can see Joan"
i Instead, he was hurried out
nf the courtroom after EN-