Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1956-03-04
SokoIik Found
Guilty Of I'd
Degree Murder
By RICHARD RODGERS

Alrman Sneryl .. Sokollk was
convicted last night of seconds
degree murder in the staying
of his rival for Prince Georges
County girls love.
Sentencing was deferred. The
maximum penalty is Is years
in prison
The Sokolik jury Of five women
and seven men deliberated at
Upper Marlboro from $3.50 to
9:57 pm. And in that period
they returned for instructions
on the second-degree law.
Sokolik, %. an Arlington
(Iowa) man whose address here
was in the 2100 block of Minne-
sofa avenue Sc, showed no
emotion at the verdict.
The girl. Miss Lois Robey, 20,
was red-eyed when the verdict
was read.
The conviction removes the
sutton she spurned in favor Of
the one he killed October 81.
Suitor Shot to Death
William N. Birkett. %, Of a
Forester street S.W.-the tri-
angles other member-was shot
Ito death by Sokolik in a subur-e
ban development unoccupied and
still under construction near
Oxon Hill, Md.
John w. Mitchell, chief assist
ant to States Attorney for the
County called only for a suit
able verdict" in summing UP the
case he prosecuted.
| A. Gwynn Bowie. the defense
lawyer. spent his summation
time stressing that his client
was innocent altogether and that
the prosecution made no point Of
Labelling the killing a murder.
Blair H. Smith, the county's
chief prosecutor, elected to make
the rebuttal in closing argu-
ments. g.g.
He started out hammering at
the death of Mr.. Birkett. as q
terrible, awful. brutal murder
The Defense Objects
Mr.. Bowie shot to his feet
then and three times thereafter
he cried to the court that this
unexpected tack was unfair. He
said he had been led to believe
would have to contend with and
Mr.. Mitchell's theme was al he
that Mr.. Smiths tactic was B
foul. Judge Charles C. Mar
bury overruled the objection.
Judge John Raymond Fletcher
is accompanying Judge Mar
bury on the bench. So
The days testimony produces
fatty contradictory versions Of
how Mr.. Birkett was slain.
Altman Sokolik, %, tho
Spurned sutton in the three sided
romance, testified he didn't
know how he emptied his six
shot revolver at his rival last
October q and left him dead Id
a lonely development under cons
struction near Oxon Hill.
The prosecution has intro-
duced the statement he signed.
, The statement outlined in de-
tail the killing of Mr.. Birkett.
The two men were battling
over Miss Lois Robey, 20. of 5407
Humphrey drive. Forestville, Nd.
Sokolik and Attorney Bowie de-
rided the statement as a figmeTt
of 1.-The wild imagination Of
County Diet. 1t. Earl j. Huber.
1t. Huber testified he took Sokol-
ks statement. Thern was AM
original end four copies. #
Accused Denies
! Sokolik denied he knew what
he was doing when he siGned
all the copies under oath. signed
each of the copies five pages,
made corrections in his own
hand on all copies and initiated
the corrections. I'LL
| Earlier he testified he meant
only to scare Mr.. Birkett away
from the girl. Sokolik said his
rival had married and become
a father while in military serv-
ice and was still married when
he returned here after his dis
charge. M
Testimony brought out earlier
that Sokolik's courtship was
wrecked when Mr.. Birkett reg
turned and resumed dating Miss
Robey. Miss Robey told the jura
ors earlier that Mr.. Birkett8
return ended her consideration
of Sokolik's repeated proposals.
Deputy States Attorney John
Mitchell is the prosecutor. Judges
Charles c. Marbury and John
Raymond Fletcher are hearing
the case.