Man guilty of murdering Eugene woman
MADRAS (AP) — A
jury has found John
Arthur Ackroyd guilty
of murdering a Eugene
woman who was
attacked while she was
out logging 15 years ago in the ump sner
man area
The jury deliberated for four hours Tues
day before finding Ackroyd. 43. guilty of two
counts of aggravated murder and three
counts of murder.
Each of the five charges against the former
mechanic for the state Highway Division
was based on a separate theory about the
slaying.
Ackroyd has admitted seeing Kaye Turner
the morning of Christmas Eve, 1978, when
she disappeared while jogging. Eight months
later, he led police to the site where some
of her remains were found.
A second man. Roger Dale Beck, is also
charged in the slaying and is to go on trial
beginning Oct. 19.
“It's a great win," said Jefferson County
District Attorney Bill Hanlon. "It's a tremen
dous case of inter-agency cooperation and a
‘John Is not the brightest
guy In the world. He was
scared he eras going to be
blamed for this — and he
was.1
— Duane McCabe,
defense lawyer
lot of hard grunt work "
Defense lawyer Duane McCabe of Bend
had no comment after the verdict.
Prosecutors told the jury Tuesday that
Turner's remains were too decomposed to
determine exactly how she died, but Ack
royd provided graphic descriptions of stab
wounds and what no c alled a "large-caliber
gunshot wound" to her chest
The cause of her death was not officially
determined until last year, when state police
re examined her running shorts and shirt
using new X-ray and microscopic tech
niques that showed she was stabbed and
shot.
"We know now for a fact that the defen
dant accurately described the injuries, but
io one could have known that other than the
tiller of Kaye lean Turner," Hanlon told
urors
The four-week murder trial wrapped up
ruesday with nearly three hours of closing
irguments by attorneys for both sides.
The eight-woman, four-man jury began
deliberations after instructions from Jeffer
w>n County Circuit fudge Cary Thompson
Defense lawyer Duane McCabe told jurors
:hat differing testimony from two prosecu
lion witnesses about where Turner was jog
ging raised the possibility that another run
ner was in the area
McCabe also blamed inconsistencies in
Ackroyd's statements to police on his fear
that revealing that he saw Tumor the morn
ing of her disappoaramte would moke him a
suspect.
Tin sorry. John." McCabe said, turning to
Ackroyd and then back to the jury, "but John
is not the brightest guy in the world. He wus
scared ho was going to lie blamed for this —
■ind he was."
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1699 Willamette
Fugitive
gets prison
sentence
BOSTON (AP) — Overcome
with emotion. Clare Schroeder
described how the pain caused
by the loss of her father far sur
passes the troubles Katherine
Ann Power faced while in hid
ing for her connection with his
killing.
"He never had the chance to
say goodbye." Schroeder said,
holding back tears while testify
ing at Power's sentencing hear
ing.
"We never got a last hug, or a
kiss or a pat on the head or
squeeze of the hand. One day he
was there, and the next day ho
was gone."
Power was a former student
radical who surrendered 23
years after taking part in a bank
robbery, during which Officer
Walter Schroeder was killed.
She was sentenced today to
eight to 12 years in prison and
20 years probation.
Claire Schroeder's statement
emphasized the impact har
father's love — and his commit
ment to the police force — had
on her and her eight brothers
and sisters.
"I have been proud of my
father every single day of my
life.” she said. "I became a
police officer because of him.”
Her brothers Paul and Edward
and her sister Erin are also
police officers, and her sister
loan is married to a police olli
cer. she said.
"Each of us In our own way
has tried to follow in my father's
tradition of service and devo
tion."
Schroeder gave a tearful
account of the day her father
died.
Seventeen years old at the
time, it was her job to tell each
of her siblings, ages 15 years
through 11 months, about their
father's murder.
The funeral, she said, was so
large it could not be held at their
local parish. Describing the
streets as "a sea of blue." Claire
Schroeder said police officers )
came from across the United
States and Canada to pay their
respects to her father.
"I felt so proud but so hol
low.” she said, "I remember
thinking that my father should
be there to enjoy their pres
ence.”
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