Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1957-03-04
Mental Tests
SET for Boys in
Father 5 kiIIinq
Decision on TriuI
Awaits Report
Of Psychiutrists

Psychiatric and medical exam
nations were ordered today for
two young Arlington brothers
who admitted Staying their father
and hiding his body in a pad
locked Toulouse behind their
home.
Juvenile Court Judge Hugh
Reid. in ordering the examina-
tions, said no decision will be
made on how the boys will be
prosecuted until the reports are
completed.
While Judge Reid and Com
monwealth's Attorney William j.
HaSsan discussed their future,
Frank Dodd. jr.. 13. and James
Dodd, II. remained complacently
at the Arlington Juvenile Shei-
ter. They were confined there
after admitting the 5-week-old
crime Saturday night.
Appoints Attorney
One of Judge Reds first
moves today was The appoint
ment of William L. Winston,
Arlington attorney and Delegate
to the General Assembly. to rep
resent the brothers in court as
their legal guardian.
Mr.. Hassan said Mr.. Winston
agreed to his request for the ex-
aminations. Judge Reid was to
appoint a physician and psychia-
trist later today.
With a compoSure police said
they seldom met in adults. the
boys admitted shooting their
father three times on January "a
with a technique they learned on
television. They said he often
beat them.
In addition to written con-
feSSion. police had three notes
the boys admitted writing and
hiding in their home at l405
North Sycamore street. Arling4
ton, where the 52-year-old con-
struction worker and widower
was killed In his sleep.
Jurisdiction Question
The question of what court
will have jurisdiction revolved
around an apparent contradic-
ton in the Virginia law and may
lead to a legal argument. One
section Of the 1856 statute cover
ing juvenile offenses seems to
make it mandatory for all per-
sons under IA to be handled by
Juvenile Court.
Another section. dealing prin-
cipally with crimes of one men,
Der Of family against another
allows for prosecution in an
adult court in cases of man.
slaughter or murder.
Judge Reid said the problem
never before has arisen. In fact.
this is only the second murder
case involving juveniles in re-
cent Arlington history. The other
about nine years ago accused a
l5-year-old boy in the Rosslyn
area Of stabbing to death his
stepfather. The case never was
tried because the boy had been
IN earlier trouble in Massachu-
sets and was returned there. I
Taken From Home
After their fathers blanket
covered body was discovered Sat-
urday by fellow workers, the
Dodd boys were taken from the
home of Mrs. r. Duane Claussen
of near Waterford. Va. Mrs. /
Claussen had accepted them Feb 4
ruary II after welfare workers
were told by the boys their father
mad gone to Texas.
The brothers told a story of
how their father drank often,
and beat them. and how James
finally decided he would kill him
If he was beaten again. James
said he waited until Mr.. Dodd
was asleep, shot him once in the
stomach with a .22-caliber rife.
and turned the gun over to his
older brother who fired two shots
into their fathers chest.
Left Three Notes
Detective J. Gilbert Stream
said the boys wrote three notes
one to police, another to a neigh
Dor and a third to a friend, and |
hid them around the house
These notes telling of the MUIR
der were found by the brothers
in the trash-laden house and
given to police.
Their original plan was to
head for the mountains" in Mr.