Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1956-11-02
Boy Charged
With Staying
Of Teacher
BY RICHARD RODGERS


Lawyers for the 14-year-olds
rested yesterday after putting
only three witnesses on the
stand. Jurors did not hear the
boy himself. charged with killing
his home room teacher at Mary
land Park Junior High last
May 4.
Prevatte also shot and
wounded two other teachers.
Attorneys for both sides were
to sum up their cases today. The
defense line is that Prevatte's
temper can overwhelm him and
that he was insane when he fired
the fatal shot into Fraser K.
Cameron in the classroom.
5 Possible Verdicts
The three women and nine
men jurors in Prince Georges
Circuit Court will be instructed
to report back with one Of five
possible verdicts. They are:
l. Guilty of first-degree MUIR
der, without recommendation.
The court then has the alterna-
tive of imposing the death sem
tence never done before in
Maryland with a minor this age
or sentencing him to life inn
prisonment.
g. Guilty of first-degree muir.
der, with the recommendation
that capital punishment not be
imposed. This makes a life sem
tence mandatory.
3. Guilty in the second degree,
with a minimum sentence Of
five years, and a maximum Of
10 years.
4. Guilty of manslaughter,
carrying a $500 fine, or not more
than 2 years in jail, or both.
5. Not guilty.
Psychologist Testifies
Leonard H. Ainsworth, a psy.
chologist employed by the SUI
Ipreme bench of Baltimore, testi.
fled for the defense yesterday.
: He said Prevatte is Subject TO
uncomfortable RACES"
Mr.. Ainsworth,. since he is not
ia psychiatrist, could not legally
testify on the defendants sanity.
The boys mother, Mrs. Delma
Prevatte, of Raleigh, N. c., told
the jury how her sons childhood
was rent with rage and torn with
tantrurns. When he was ii, he
attempted to kill his sister with
a knife, she said.
Mrs. Prevatte said the boy
was sent to his brothers home
in Prince Georges County last
spring so he could continue his
schooling. He had been expelled
from Raleigh school for
Threatening a teacher there with
a knife.
The mother wept almost con.
ltinually during her ordeal on
the witness stand.
i The big weapon for the de.
tense was the testimony of DR..
Manfred S. Guttmacher, a widely
known psychiatrist.
Maryland's law on criminal
insanity requires for decision
for an insane finding that the de-
PENDANT be unable to tell right
from wrong and unable to rec.
ognize the nature and conse-
quences Of his act as it applies
to himself.
No Fixed Opinion
DIR. Guttmacher would not say
fatty that Prevatte was insane
under that definition. He main
tanned, however, that he had
grave doubts the boy was sane.
adding that he had no fixed
opinion.
Il consider him sick boy"
he said. But Billy is sane now
and was sane before the start
OF the events that led to the
shooting, he said.
State psychiatrists have testi.
ned the boy was sane at the
time he killed Mr.. Cameron.
DR.. Guttmacher said his ex.
animation showed the boy hated
his father and resented anybody
or anything that interfered with
his wishes.
He said a pressure Of hate
built up in Billy on May 4. was
FED by various stresses. Thesa
included seedlings by teachers
and the refusal to elope BY q
girl classmate. who testified
earlier Of having sexual rela-
tons with him.
\ The intimacies became known
at school. SchooImates have
testified Prevatte threatened IA
XIII Mr.. Cameron TO prevent the
teacher from telling the girls
father OF her conduct with
Billy.
Confessions introduced
\ Prevatte's two signed comics.
sions, relating how he killed the
teacher, were introduced into
evidence yesterday. The defense
lost It's attempt 10 keep them
out.
During argument over ad.
hitting the documents. Jurors
we're excluded from the court
room.
During that period, Prevatte
took the witness stand. He
claimed he blacked out and
didn't know he killed Mr..
Cameron. He said he signed the
confessions because police ham,
mered away. urging him 70 sign.
7 The court noted there was no
evidence Of mistreatment Of the
boy. and the prosecution ridlculed
the boys testimony. Prevstts
said he signed 50 he could 20 70
the jail and get some sleep. The
prosecution pointed out he signed
AZ $3.50 In the afternoon.