Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1956-03-03
Defense Fails
To Block 1t
As Evidence

signed by him admlttlng tnat NJ
killed his rival in a love triangle
The trial entered its second
day at Circuit Court in Upper
Marlboro. The prosecution com.
pleted its case shortly before
noon. The case may go to the
jury by nightfall.
The defense charged the state
inent was wrung from the 23.
year-old airman by trickery and
that it was rewritten to suit
police aims.
The prosecution won permits
sion last night to introduce the
statement. Lawyers argued three
and one-half hours over it with
the jury out of the room.
Fought Over Girl
Sokolik is charged with muir
dering William N. Birkett, %
Of A Forester street S.W. in
a fight over Miss Lois Robey, 5407
Humphrey drive, Forestville.
Detective 1t. Earl j. Huber
Of the Prince Georges County
police read the statement which
included these points:
On October % Sokolik said
he saw Mr.. Birkett's car at the
girls home. He waited until
Mr.. Birkett left and followed
him home.
On the night of the killing he
drove to the Birkett home. He
waited Is to 80 minutes for
Mr.. Birkett to come out Of the
house. Sokolik's gun was in his
auto glove compartment. He
loaded it and put it in his belt.
When Mr.. Birkett. got into
his own car Sokolik got in with
him. 81 told him wanted to
talk to him about a girl" He
said he wanted ''to scare him
out of going with her and he
got mad" He said Mr.. Birkett
drove to Kirby Hills. an unoccu-
pied subdivision under develop
ment near Oxon Hill in South
ern Prince Georges.
Struck on Head
They walked some distance
from the car into the subdi-
vision. He said Mr.. Birkett sud-
denly charged him. Sokolik side
stepped and hit him on the head
with the .38-caliber pistol, the
statement continued.
HE hit my arm and the pis-
toll accidentally discharged into
the ground" the statement said.
Later in the statement, in an
swer to a question, Sololik said
he fired that first shot because
II guess / was scared.")
The statement said Sokolik
dubbed Birkett again with the
gun and fired four more shots
during the fight. He said Mr..
Birkett was motionless on the
ground when Sokolik drove the
victims car from. the scene.
When he unloaded the guns
cartridge cases later he noticed
"all six rounds had been fired"
the statement said.
II drove to a spot near Titanic
Monument across from Roose-
welt Island and threw the gun
into the Potomac" the state
ment said.
Denies Doing Anything
1t. Huber testified Sokolik
originally told police: 81 don't
know why you want to question
mel haven't done anything"
The defense lawyer. A. Gwynn
Bowie, sailed into the lieutenant
on cross-examination.
Mr.. Bowie charged the state
ment appeared a running MARIA
tive by the defendant himself,
whereas it actually was the prod
uct of the defendants answer
to numerous police questions.
Mr.. Bowie is also expected to-
day to attack the statement on
grounds it was extracted by false
promises from Thomas j. Weeks,
IT., a special agent with the Or
flee of Special Investigation at
Boiling Air Force Base.
Sokolik made the same decla-
ration yesterday when the jury
was out of the courtroom.
The Arlington Qowa) defend
ant, whose address here was in
the 2l0O block of Minnesota ave-
nue. Sc, testified he was tricked
into making the statement.
Assured on Air Force
Sokolik said Mr.. Weeks as
sured him "the Air Force would
take complete jurisdiction of the
case . that I would get much
better break with the military
than with the civilian police. :.
He told me, You know. the All
Force always takes care OF their
own"
Mr.. Weeks. however, withstooo
vigorous cross-examination in
declaring fatty he never made
any such promises. He en-
phasized he stressed to Sokolik
that he could not say whether
military or civilian police would
prosecute the case.
Sokolik also said he was in
terrupted so frequently while
making the statement, by police
demanding further explanation
that the statement wound ur
not even being his words.
His lawyer, A. Gwynn Bowie
cried: II think it's high time
something was done about how
these statements are obtained
I say it's time we broke up the
practice of getting statements
improperly"
While the jury was out, Mr.
Weeks testified Sokolik admitted
shooting Mr.. Birkett. Other wit
nesses testified Sokolik at first
denied any acquaintance witt
his rival for Miss Robeys atten.
ton.