Evening star., 1955-06-24
Police 10 Stage
Double Killings
|Re-endctmenf
| Efforts Concentrated
| On Time Element in
Shooting Of z Girls

Efforts on the Time element IN
the slayings of two teen-age girls
shot down June Is as they crossed
Northwest Branch Park near
their Lane Manor, Md. homes.
With the time of shootings
virtually certain at 8:l5 am.
police will re-enact the crime to
see how long it would take the
killer to move the bodies after
wards.
Maj. George Panagoulis, Prince
Georges County police chief, said
the experimenters will use
dummies and fire IA shots in
their re-enactment.
"Time is very important now"
Maj, Panagoulis said. He added,
however. that the re-enactment
would not be today.
Nancy Marie Shomette. 16, one
of the victims, was shot IL times
and the other victim. Michael
Ann Ryan. IA, was shot three
times. In addition. two bullets
were found imbedded in the
ground, but the chief said only
IA shots would be fired in the
experiment. 50
May End Police Conflict
Then, he said, the expert
menter will rush to the dummies.
each weighing about ITO pounds.
and drag them from where po-
lice theorize the girls were shot
to where the bodies were found.
It also appeared that the re-
enactment was planned in an at
tempt to resolve conflicting po-
lice views about where the killer
stood as he fired the .22-caliber
rifle.
| One view is that the girls were
shot from their right as they
walked toward rustic foot
bridge across Northwest Branch.
Several shell castings found be-
side a tree on the right support
that theory.
The other equally strong po-
lice view is that the killer fired
Through a screen of bushes from
the creek branch to the left Of
the girls. with the elected car
..tridges falling into the stream
and being washed away. The
; fact that the shot fatal to
michael Ann entered her left
: side supports that theory.
u 3 Persons Heard Shots
The time of 8:15 am. has
been given by at least three
. persons who said they heard
. shots in the park that morning.
Mrs. Doris Stadler, who lives
nearby at 1925 Twenty-fifth ave-
, niue, Lane Manor. Md. gave the
!. first public indication of the
time when she said she heard
shots as she washed dishes in
her kitchen that morning.
Later it was disclosed that q
! 42-year-old man and his wife.
! 38, questioned by police Wednes-
day night, also had fixed Sis
am. as the time they heard
shots. The couple approached
police after -four days of hesi-
ltation" over whether they ought
Ito tell their story.
A police spokesman said both
told of hearing shots fired in
rapid succession at that time,
, He said the woman described
them as sounding like Chinese
Ifirecrackers exploding. Mrs.
Stadler said they sounded like
someone rapidly firing a cap
pistol.
!, Police also have fourth wit
mesa man who was standing
on University lane at the time
who said he heard shots, but the
police have not disclosed the
time he mentioned, If he fixed
lit definitely.
In view of the people who have
: since come forward with stories
of hearing shots, police yester-
, day began a new canvass Of
Ineighborhood homes, looking for
; additional witnesses. Detective
teams called on about 800 per-
: sons yesterday. and were to con-
ltinue their door-knocking today,
4 Sewers Checked for Gun
: Crews also were at the scene
again, and planned to check
storm sewers nearby In their in
Itensive hunt for the murder
. weapon-believed to. be a .22-
caliber Marlin repeating rife.
| A Federal Bureau OF Investi-
igation agent surveyed the scene
yesterday afternoon. Although
he insisted that FBI agents wers
mot working in the field with
Washington and Prince Georges
County police, he made a MI
mute examination of the murder
larea.
Another visitor at the scene
yesterday was George McLeisn,
Iattorney for Norman William
Hager, 18. whom police ques-
toned extensively in the early
Iphases of the investigation. Mr..
lMcLeish said he lust wanted to
take a look" at the scene, and
told a reporter he hopes police
Iare successful in finding a rlys-
Itery man seen in the area carry
ling a rifle and a sheath knife
land wearing. bandoliers
other activity at the seems
Ilate yesterday included a visit
Iby four boys s to 10 years old,
accompanied by Detective Sergt.
j. r. Kearns. The boys pointed
out to the sergeant where an
Older boy had chased them from
1.-THE stream two days before the
shooting.
Police going over. the area
once more with the help Of mine
Idetector crews found a small
Iparing knife recently buried in
the sand in a bank Of the stream.
but discounted it as possible
Iclue to the murders.