Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1963-08-20
Young GI Charged
In Motel Murder
Police Insure
As to Motive
For Stobbinq

of William E. Clifford, jr., a
Falls Church motel night clerk,
but the reason for the Staying
remained a mystery.
Pfc. Steven c. Schinbeckler
of Greenfield, Ind, who was
stationed at Arlington Hall, is
being held in the Fairfax
County Jail with bond set at
$4,000 in the Staying Sunday
of Mr.. Clifford, 20-year-old
Georgetown University foreign
service student who was work.
ing at the Stratford Motor
Court, 300 West Broad street.
Weapon Not Yet Found
Police investigators said
Schinbeckler, who is 10, told
them only that he and Mr..
Clifford had argued, that he
became frightened and picked
up an 8-inch dagger and
stabbed the clerk with it.
No explanation of the argu-
ment was given and police
continued to press for the
answer. Police said that
Schinbeckler denied taking the
$340 reported stolen from the
motel office during the slayines
Police said further that they
have found neither the murder
weapon nor the money.
Schinbeckler also had been
"a part-time night clerk at the
motel until he was fired after
a wild party there on July TO-
He told police he did not attend
the party. 1t was during his
stint as a clerk at the motel
that he met Mr.. Clifford. "a
Police said Schinbeckler told
them the stabbing occurred
about 4:30 am. in the office.
apartment of the motel.
Shinbeckler was araigned at;
l pm. today in Fall Church
Municipal Court before Judge
William T. Finley. G
No plea was entered. Schin-s
becker was formally charged
with murder and the $40, 900,
bond set earlier in the case
was affirmed by the court. a
Events Reconstructed y
Police Detective Sergt. Mil
ton j. Robertson and Pvt. Gar-l
land Heatwole said they had
J reconstructed this chain Of
| events in the Staying: Is
Schinbeckler got off duty at
II pm. Saturday and rode
around the Northern Virginia
area in his car. About 3 am.
he decided to stop at the motel
to sleep a while until he had
to return to duty.
Schinbeckler knocked loudly
on the motel office door. The
noise awakened Richard L.
Herman, 81, of 1908 North
Twenty-third street, Arlington,
a former clerk at the motel,
who was staying there for the
night in a room about 20 feet
away. Mr.. Herman recognized
Schinbeckler and heard Mi.
Clifford tell him to come back
later. u
Mr.. Clifford, nevertheless,
gave Schinbeckler a room key
and Schinbeckler asked Mr.
Clifford to wake him at 4:30,
am. a
When the young night clerk
woke Schinbeckler at 4::30 am
the soldier went over to the
office to talk.
Plays Pinochle u
The soldier insisted he did
not remember what the argue
ment was about but that some-
thing made him angry and he.
picked up the dagger and
stabbed Mr.. Clifford three
times in the chest.
Schinbeckler, who told police
he had not been drinking, then
went back to his base and
stuffed his blood-stained shoes
and trousers into his wall
locker.
After that, he went to the
orderly room at Arlington Hall
where he played pinochle with
a friend. Schinbeckler at first
denied the crime but later, acz
cording to police, turned him.
self in to the Army provost
marshal and admitted his role.
Police said Schinbeckler had
asked for a court-appointed
attorney. A preliminary hear
ing is scheduled for September
3 in Falls Church Municipal
Court.
Funeral services for Mr.. Cliff
ford, son Of Army 1t. Col. and
Mrs. William E. Clifford of pit
Forest drive. Falls Church, will
be held at 10 am. tomorrow at
st. James Catholic Church,
Falls Church. Burial will be in
Arlington National Cemetery.
Mr.. Clifford would have been
a senior at the Georgetown
School Of Foreign Service this
fall. He was a graduate OF
George Mason High School and
was born in Medford, Greg.
He had TWO brothers. Paul
H.. 10, and Mark F., IA, and a
I sister, Jane, IL.
Col. Clifford recently fin
ished a four-year tour of duty
in the Office Of the Assistant
Chief OF Staff for Intelligence
and had been assigned to Car
Isle. Pa, but has not yet
moved.