October 24, 2001
Oregon Woman Accused
of Anthrax Hoax
(A P )-A n Oregon woman
' suspected of mailing a piece
of paper with the misspelled
words “ANTRAX VIRUS”
and a white, powdery sub
stance as a practical joke has
been indicted by a federal
grand jury.
Patricia Jones, 51, of the
mid-Willamette Valley town
of Dallas, was charged last
Wednesday with mailing a
Passengers Stop
Greyhound
Hijacking
(AP) - Passengers on a Grey
hound bus that originated in
Portland overpowered a hi
jacker Thursday who grabbed
the steering wheel and threat
ened to flip the vehicle.
Authorities in Utah say the
man and a woman accomplice
fled after the driver safely
stopped the bus. The two
people were later taken into
custody. No one was injured.
Troopers arrested 34-year-
old Troy Matzek and 25-year-
old B ecky H yde, both o f
Wichita, Kansas. Police say the
unarmed couple gave them
selves up at a downtown Salt
Lake City truck stop.
Authorities say several pas
sengers wrestled with the un
ruly man as the driver was try
ing to stop the bus.
threatening communication and
mailing a nonmailable sub
stance, according to the U.S.
Attorney’s office in Portland.
Police have said the enve
lope was sent to a Monmouth
resident, whom police have
declined to identify.
A mail carrier reported see
ing the powder falling out of
the e n v e lo p e and the
Monmouth post office was shut
The regional 911 center for
Clark County has been inundated
with calls from concerned citizens
ever since the nationwide anthrax
scare began. The incidents have
ranged from simple letters with
handwritten addresses or no re
turn address, to unidentified pow
ders in various locations. To date,
all such incidents within Clark
County have not been related to
terrorism and did not represent
any threat to the community.
Citizen concerns about terror
ism are understandable, however,
the vast majority of citizens are
not at risk of receiving a danger
ous letter or package, police said.
In order to utilize emergency
responders effectively, Clark Re
g io n a l E m e rg e n c y S e rv ic e s
Agency will assist public safety
agencies in determining the de
gree o f threat with a reported inci
dent.
All reports o f possible terror
ism will be taken seriously. If a
citizen reports a suspicious pack
age or substance, the 9-1-1 dis
patchers will ask additional ques
tions. The added queries should
relieve the anxiety o f the caller, as
additional information may be
obtained that sharply reduces the
index o f suspicion that the occur
rence is an act of terrorism.
If, after extensive questioning,
terrorism cannot be ruled out,
public safety personnel will err on
the side o f caution and respond
appropriately.
Additional or more specific
questions related to public health
should be directed to the South
west W ashington Health District
during normal business hours at
360-397-8215.
O.J. Simpson Testifies in Miami Road Rage Trial
(A P)— O.J. Simpson testified
in his road rage trial Tuesday that
the other driver lied about the
confrontation, prompting the pros
ecutor to ask the former football
star whether he has ever lied or
been aggressive.
T he d e fe n se re ste d a fte r
Simpson, the sole defense wit
ness, ended about three hours of
cross-examination over two days
in his trial on auto burglary and
battery charges. He could get up
to 16 years in prison if convicted.
The prosecution rested after
calling a detective w ho took
Simpson’s statement the night
after the encounter, and the judge
told jurors to return for closing
arguments Wednesday.
In response to prosecution
questions about his believability,
Simpson said he can be convinc
ing but filled the courtroom with
laughter when he said: “I don’t
think I’ve ever been accused of
being an actor.”
Prosecutor Abbe Rifkin asked
if Simpson ever called himself a
liar or would lie “especially if your
O.J. Simpson heads to trial
in Miami to face a road rage
charge.
life depended on it.”
Simpson, 54, responded: “I’ve
never been put in that position to
have to lie with my life on the line.”
Rifkin also asked Simpson if
he’s ever been aggressive, but
Circuit Judge Dennis Murphy cut
off questioning in an area that was
getting close to Sim pson’s rela
tionship with his ex-wife.
Aside from being on the same
street at the same time on Dec. 4 in
their neighborhood in suburban
Kendall, the drivers in the road-
rage trial gave drastically differ
ent accounts of their nighttime
encounter.
Simpson said the confrontation
began after he rolled through a stop
sign while the other driver, Jeffrey
Pattinson, was approaching the ,
intersection from another direction.
Pattinson said he had to brake hard
twice to avoid hitting Simpson.
■»
W ith both men out o f their
SUVs, Simpson said Pattinson
“just puffed up like a bullfrog, got
anim ated and just w ent off.”
Pattinson has testified that he
stay ed in his vehicle, that Simpson
stormed at him. shouting, and that
he asked Simpson if he was “a
madman or something.”
Portlander Gets 20 years For Killing Girl in Forest Park
A Portland man was sentenced
to 20 years in prison in the shoot
ing death of a girl in Forest Park on
her 19th birthday in 1996.
Adisa Johnson, 24, pleaded
guilty to criminal conspiracy to
H
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down while investigators
searched the area.
The postal worker who
touched the pow der was
taken by ambulance to Shlem
Memorial Hospital, where she
was treated and released.
The powder was deter
mined to be harmless.
If convicted, Jones could
face up to six years in prison
and $350,000 in fines.
Emergency Workers Offer
Advice on Suspected Terrorism
commit aggravated murder in the
death of Maggie Overlund.
“I’m sorry to the family for what
has happened,” Johnson said,
duping his recent sentencing.
Another man, Rosney Devore
Johnson, 24, faces a charge of
aggravated murder in the death.
Adisa Johnson told police that
he was aware that Rosney Johnson
was going to " 187” Overlund, re
ferring to the California code for
murder.
He indicated that his co-defen
dant was angry at Overlund be
cause she threatened to snitch on
him about drug dealing, court
records said.
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He told police that the two
picked up Overlund in Portland
and drove her to the large Port
land park, saying that they were
going to conduct a drug deal, but
that Rosney Johnson shot her.