Evening star., 1955-07-14
Craven Pleads
Guilty in Staying

UulIly III 9Idylng
Charles Earl Craven, 22-year.
old Fairfax County youth, today
pleaded guilty in Alexandris
Corporation Court to numbering
his grandparents last March.
Judge Franklin p. Backu.
took testimony in the case prior
to imposing sentence.
Craven stabbed his grand
father, Ernest c. Craven, 80
and his wife Annie, 81, in theil
apartment at 113 North Colum-
bus street. The bodies were
found on March 20. about II
days after the murder.
Detective Robert L. Jones to-
day read q confession in court
which he said was taken from
Craven April IS at Jacksonville
Fla.
The statement quoted Craven
as saying he bought a hunting
knife Ito kill my grandmother
and grandfatherin Alexandria
because they kept accusing me
of stealing two watches which
I didn't do"
Bought Knife
The statement also said that
Craven admitted buying the
knife in Washington and COM
ing to his grandfather's apart
ment about 7::30. pm. on a bus.
He said he went to a back door,
wrapped a handkerchief around
his hand and broke the glass.
He said he couldn't find the
latch so he broke in the door.
MY grandmother came in and
told me to get out" he said. He
said he took the knife from his
pocket, pulled 1t out of the case
and put it back in his pocket
open. He said they then went
upstairs and talked some more.
He said he came back downstairs
to get a drink OF water.
"She followed me downstairs
and told me to get out again. I
grabbed her and choked her and
threw her down and that's when
I let her have 1t.
"She kept screaming and
turned blue and I pulled out the
knife and stabbed her in the
throat. then in the body several
times. Grandfather came down
the steps and yelled murder I
had the knife in my hand when
he stopped over Grandmother I
stabbed him in the back. stab
bed him several times and he
rolled over and I stabbed him
some more in the 'front.'"
Ripped OF Clothing
He said he tore of his Grand
mothers underclothing and
wiped of the knife. He said he
took the keys to the house and
three packs of cigarettes and
then left.
He said he walked out Duke
street and hitched a ride. The
police stopped the car for speed
ing and gave the driver a ticket,
he said.
Craven said he offered the po-
1iceman q pack Of the cigarettes
which he had taken but the Off
Ger did not take it. He told the
officer he bought the cigarettes
for his girl friend.
Police Officer William F. Pow
ell testified that he stopped the
car In which Craven was riding
on the night Of the murder. He
said that when Craven offered
him the cigarettes he noticed
blood stains on Craven's shirt
sleeve but thought nothing of 1t
because Craven was so shabbily
dressed.
Told Well Diggers
Two well diggers testified that
Craven had told them about the
murder Of his grandparents be-
fore they had heard about it
elsewhere.
John H.. wilkins and Leroy
Gray, said they were digging a
wei. near Vienna in Fairfax
County when Craven told them
about the murders. Mr.. wilkins
testified that Craven said some
one broke into his grandparents
house, stabbed them to death
and robbed them of some
change. two 81 bills and some
cigarettes.
He quoted Craven as saying,
If I had him (the murderer)
here I'd choke him to death and
throw him down the we'll"
Mr.. wilkins said he did not
hear Of the deaths, except from
Craven, until Alexandria detec-
tives told him about them about
10 days after the meeting with