Image provided by: Morrow County Museum; Heppner, OR
About Heppner gazette-times. (Heppner, Or.) 1925-current | View Entire Issue (July 23, 1981)
TEN-The Heppner Gaiette-Timet, Heppner. Oregon. Thursday. Julv n, IStil Verduzco convicted . - ' ' 7 conspiracy In commit murder. District Attorney Ann Spicer did not object and both Verduzco and Pedro Ortiz were released from charges of conspiracy to commit murder. Court convened again Tues day morning and Debbie Tippett. sister-in-law of the deceased, was called to the witness stand. She testified to an incident which occurred in March of this year in which Tony Guzman had threatened her with a knife after an argument. The next two witnesses testified they. too. had been threatened with a knife by Guzman. Jim Brooks gave his testi mony to the jury, recalling an incident in which Tony was harassing a man when Mario walked over, put his arm around Tony, talked to him. and the two left together. Dean Harrison, private de tective, reported he had inter viewed Corrine Guzman about July 5 or 6. He stated Mrs. Guzman said she first though Tony had shot Mario because she had heard a rumor of a shooting. He also reported she said there was a knife in the drawer at their house and. after seeing Tony dead, the knife was still there. Harrison said she told him she gave the knife to Eloi Osulna. Osulna lived with the Guzmans for about j month before the shooting, he continued. The detective said he had served Osulna a subpoena to bring the knife to court. Osulna stated in an earlier testimony he had not received a subpoena and did not bring the knife because he had thrown it away. F E. Glenn then called the defendant to the stand Ver duzco. who testified through interpreter., Barbara Smith, stated he was employed at Oregon Potato Inc.. (OPI). in Boardman and his position was "supervisor of the drums." Mario said he first met Tony at OPI and had lived with Tony and about 10 other people in Stanfield for a period of time. Verduzco stated that Tony carried a knife when he first met him. He also said he had tried to stop Tony from fighting a number of times. The defendant said he had trouble supervising Tony, that he wouldn't listen and didn't want to follow instructions. He also said he had to call his own supervisor to get Tony to work. Verduzco stated that Guzman had told him he (Guzman) would kill him (Verduzco) if he kept telling him what to do. Verduzco said he and Mario Avilas went to the H Bar W Tavern and Tony had asked him to play pool. Verduzco said when he told Tony he didn't want to play pool Tony cursed at him and said he was going to kill him if he kept telling him what to do at work. Verduzco said Emiiio. who was with Tony, had a pistol in th.e car. The defendant said he left because he thought he would be killed and later went to the Hitchin Post tavern where he played pool. Verduz M HEPPNER ELKS 358 SCOTT Sat, 9 p.m. & IFfffioimdls Hi sneerl ,. . A co said he was afraid Tony would come so he left about 11:45 and later went to Sebero's (Berduaco) house where he drank one beer with Sebero,, Pedro, and Rafael. , Verduzco said he told them that Tony had threatened to kill them. According to Ver duzco, Pedro said he was going to go see Tony and fight, but, he had no gun or knife. He (Verduzco also said he told Pedro not to go. that Tony would kill him. He reported to the jury that Pedro and Rafael went to the tavern and he and Sebero followed shortly after. He said he had gotten the gun from Sebero's house and that he bought it about IS days earlier. Verduzco said nothing was happening when he and Sebero reached the parking lot : he parked and Tony came out. The defendant said Pedro called Tony over to talk and they started fighting. Verduz co said he got out of the van with the gun and said "Tony. I'm going to kill you." He said the gun didn't fire, but that "Sebero took the gun awav from me and we fixed it." Verduzco said, "they were fighting all the way down there." he followed, and told Tony h was going to kill him when Tony said. "no. I'm going to kill you." Verduzco said he ran in between Tony and Pedro and again said. "I'm going to kill you Tony." Verduzco recalled Tony was turning around when the shot was fired and it hit him in the back of the head. Verduzco then related the series of events he said occurred after the shooting, including going to Hermistnn. Pasco and Parkdale where he phoned his wife and agreed to have police pick him up. Verduzco stated he told the police some but not all he should have because he was afraid the police would hit him. Doug Beerman. plant man ager of Oregon Potato. Inc.. was called to the witness stand to give testimony concerning both Guzman's and Verduz co's behavior while at work. The witness said Verduzco became senior drum operator in March of this year and believes Guzman was employ ed as a drum operator. He stated both Tony and Mario have disciplinary action forms in their files for failure to report to work or call in. Beerman also reported Guz man was given a three-day suspension for violation of a safety rule but said no accounts of Tony not following Mario's direction were found in his file. He further stated that the supervisors are in structed to write up all accounts of misconduct. Verduzco was then recalled to the stand to continue his testimony. The defendant stat ed he brought the gun to the tavern because he thought Pedro would be killed. When asked by Glenn why he didn't phone the police, he said lie didn't think they would pay POTLUCK BENEFIT FOR GROSHENS fi n m bike will be - m mvii null mi IIUKtlb ol ILL AVMILAdLl From p. 1 any attention to him, and reported two accounts in which he had phoned the police and stated they were of no assistance He said he thought Tony would quit fighting when he told him he was going to kill him He also said he was scared and offended by Tony. He said he wasn't drunk, but was an xious, afraid Tony would hurt him. Glenn asked the defend ant if he had it to do over again, would he do it the same? "No. just lake better care of myself." he replied When Glenn asked. "Are you sorry you shot Tony?" the defendant said. "Yes. hut he was real had with me I know " Spicer did not cross exam ine the defendant. After one other witness as called to testify. Spicer sub mitted a written lestimonv from officer Jesse Villareal for evidence, the document was entered as exhihit No 2 and a break was given before closing argument were heard In the stale's first closing argument. Spicer addressed the jury by reviewing exhibits, the sequence of events the night of the shooting and fragments of given testimon ies. One of Spicer's chief points in closing was "Tony liked to fight, a lot of people like to fight, but is that reason to kill someone?" When Glenn directed the jury in the defense's closing argument, he referred to various testimonies, and re minded the jury that thev must believe, beyond a rea sonable doubt, that the defend ant did not act under an extreme emotional disturb ance in order to find the defendant guilty as charged In the state's second closing argument Spicer maintained that Tony's insult to Mario was motive but not justifica tion for shooting him. She again reviewed events that reportedly took place and reviewed given testimonies Spicer then referred to the blood alcohol content of the Irrigon man sentenced An Irrigon man. Sergio Gutierrez, was sentenced Monday morning at the Mor row County Courthouse in Heppner for the July 19W theft of fishing poles from Frank Dye. manager of Miracle Potato. According to District Attor ney Ann Spicer. Gutierrez was sentenced to two years in the Oregon State Penitentiary, suspended on the condition that Gutierrez be put on probation for three years, spend 60 days in jail, reim burse Morrow County $513 41 for court costs, spend 50 hours in community service and make restitution to the victim at $75 a month beginning Oct. 1. for a total of $1,500. According to Spicer. restitu tion was eliminated because Gutierrez had returned the poles to the victim. July 25th 7 rnfflpr off r V mmnmm dt'ciNi.scd.Ho was almost near the "pass out staue." said Spicer She stated thai Tnnv did insult Mario but did ii"1 threaten him Spircr 'lin asked Ihe jtirv in listen clnsHv to the juduc's definition l Close to Home... Marv Ann (Vrullo Last week while rummaging through some old odds and ends. I came across another newspaper clipping that I thought might be of some interest The clipping was of an editorial from the Oregonian. dated November 5. 1909: "A letter to the Oregonian asserts that Morrow County. Oregon, was named for Colonel H A Morrow, a soldier of the Civil War. stationed later at Vancouver: and the writer desires to correct the Oregonian's statement that it was named for an early pioneer But the Oregonian's statement was correct The county was named for Jackson I. Morrow, one of the very earliest settlers there. He first settled on Pimet Sound, and Shelton Bay. in 1H.Y1: a few years later went to eastern Oregon, and was a member of the legislature from Umatilla when Morrow was formed out of a part of that county. In the debate about what the name of the new county should lie. someone said : Let's call it for Jack Morrow ; he is entitled to the honor.'" For those who are interested, much of the history concerning the forming of Morrow County can he found in the Heppner museum If anyone has any similar clippings that they would like to share with those of us who are interested in eastern Oregon history, just let me know. I'd enjoy hearing from you. Creative arts group plan workshops Mormw CounH Crca'ive Arts are in i be pl.mnim: nl several workshops in "il painting Anyone interested in lakmt' anv of these please call Im cnsl. time and supplies need ed August will bruit; I'eiti'v Gilliam nl Hoise Idaho In do two davs ol florals Anv one interested inav contact Slur ley McNarv. AT.' ""( In September Hubert Thorn as will be here lor a one-da v helpmt! session Also pi, timed is a Western art workshop in Novemlier by Thomas Anv one interested in these work shops c'on'.iei Piiiloie ta' r i I I I I V M 1 I " r-izr 'A'COME ON IN AND CHECK f I - I MISS.. -Tit .sjwv m m Mm m m . -...-i rm MtmKfm. r i see0 " d t US i wo SSI V- j - 1 11 1 f SUDDEN i I SERVICE I I I BOYS . j I'i ili ,t mli and cum1 disturbance 'nui'i was ailiricl ,! ' lir asked In rrpnrl d. rounhotise at !1 a in Wednes lav .lulv t.V In lit;iii deliberations henv liTH-trjLVt Also in September Pa I see Hunter ot Ualdport llrei;on will do Iwn afternoons of seascape and Iwo evenings ol landscape Call Hetiv Mills liTii rri4i for class information The croup also hopes In have portrait artist Sam Huberts Jr come to Heppner ai a future date II mteresied in portrait painting please call Vo.loan Koniner dTi; "iiKiK Many paintings bv local artislsmav be seen at Pioneer Memorial Hospital Heppner City Library and Morrow Cmmtv rourihnuse as well as many business places rrmflr V.UI1IE VI 111 Mill V.I1LV.U OUT OUR NEW LOCATION! WE'RE NOW BIGGER & BETTER EQUIPPED TO SERVE OUR i CUSTOMERS7 RS CLASSIC STEEL RADIAL Double siei beat i' tuenQlh 'Smooin nditis polyesle' cord J6.000 mil w"nly mm ww pt"f '" """" " 14 """,4 """' P23S7SI1 run ro with mcHor m COMMERCIAL i HI WAY & ITKAV.IIUI 0(." cftR""' 'O' ttt' m0 g.p L'i 4'1 In 'fry toRrt Bck) by ift LR1 '.,. 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