!ii.h!gition i i Ligme c.Leisur", i Crime I I QpInion I I (\ 1997 Ahwatukee Foothills News Phoenix, AZ Pre-Trial Filings Heat Up Harrod Case By Guinda Reeves Staff Writer Ahwatukee resident James Cornel Harrod, 43, sat quietly as a flurr of pre-trial motions continued in his case before Judge Ronald S. Reinstein of Maricopa County Superior Court. He is charged with first-degree murder and burglary in the death of 55-year-old Phoenix socialite Jeanne Tovrea on April 1, 1988. If convicted, Harod faces the death penalty. He has been jailed since his arrest on Sept. 15, 1995. Here's what's happening: * During the Sept. 19 hearing, defense attorney Tonya McMath said she and her law partner Michael Bernays were fiing three new motions: to suppress Harrod's statements made to police at the I time of his arest; to suppress the results of a physical line-up at the jail (the witness reportedly failed to identify Harod at a later line-up); and to admit the results of a recent polygraph reportedly supporting Harrod's innocence. * Prosecutors notified the court that they had received notice from a U. S. Department of Justice offcial regarding two items of evidence, a smock and some bed clothing from the T ovrea murder scene. The Federal Bureau ofInvestigation technical expert involved with the two items recently was "disciplined" by the federal agency, in the wake of problems involving the FBI lab and lab personnel in processing evidence. * Reinstein ruled that New Times reporter Paul Rubin must turn over three audio tapes and 12 pages of computer notes to him to be reviewed in camera. The judge wil then decide what, if anything, should be provided to the prosecutors.
Transcript
!ii.h!gition i iLigme c.Leisur", i Crime I
I QpInion II
(\ 1997 Ahwatukee FoothillsNews
Phoenix, AZ
Pre-Trial Filings Heat UpHarrod Case
By Guinda Reeves
Staff Writer
Ahwatukee resident James Cornel Harrod, 43, sat quietlyas a flurr of pre-trial motions continued in his case before JudgeRonald S. Reinstein of Maricopa County Superior Court.
He is charged with first-degree murder and burglary in the death of55-year-old Phoenix socialite Jeanne Tovrea on April 1, 1988. Ifconvicted, Harod faces the death penalty. He has been jailed sincehis arrest on Sept. 15, 1995.
Here's what's happening:
* During the Sept. 19 hearing, defense attorney Tonya McMathsaid she and her law partner Michael Bernays were fiing three newmotions: to suppress Harrod's statements made to police at the
I time of his arest; to suppress the results of a physical line-up atthe jail (the witness reportedly failed to identify Harod at a laterline-up); and to admit the results of a recent polygraph reportedlysupporting Harrod's innocence.
* Prosecutors notified the court that they had received notice froma U. S. Department of Justice offcial regarding two items ofevidence, a smock and some bed clothing from the T ovrea murderscene. The Federal Bureau ofInvestigation technical expertinvolved with the two items recently was "disciplined" by thefederal agency, in the wake of problems involving the FBI lab andlab personnel in processing evidence.
* Reinstein ruled that New Times reporter Paul Rubin must turnover three audio tapes and 12 pages of computer notes to him tobe reviewed in camera. The judge wil then decide what, ifanything, should be provided to the prosecutors.
Attorneys Paul Aher and Bil Culbertson of the Maricopa CountyProsecutor's offce had asked Reinstein to order Rubin tosurrender to them the computer notes and tapes from hisinterviews with Harrod. Those interviews were conducted prior toRubin's articles in February and March 1997.
A motion for a protective order had been entered earlier Sept. 19on behalf of Rubin and New Times. They were represented byattorney Steve Suskin, who objected to turnng over Rubin's12-page computer document because it includes the repOlier's"thoughts and impressions," as well as notes to himself to checkcertain details.
"The reporter used his best stuff in the (published) articles," saidSuskin. Citing "reporter's privilege" not to divulge notes orsources, the attorney told the judge that Rubin is prepared totestify to the authenticity of the quotes used in the articles, ifnecessar, but that releasing the reporter's notes "invades thenews-gathering process."
Suskin told Reinstein that he and his clients were willing for thejudge to review the materials in camera (in his chambers), or toprovide the prosecution with a redacted version, editing outRubin's personal notes. However, "very little is left" afer Rubin'snotes are redacted from the quotes, Suskin told the judge.
* Reinstein returned a box of materials in notebooks to Harrod'ssister, June Barney. The material was from transcribed tapes andother case information that Barney had been organizing fordefense attorneys, as par of her previous work to help defray thecosts of her brother's defense.
Prosecutors objected to returnng a transcript of the grand juryhearing, but Reinstein said Harrod "is entitled to a copy of thegrand jury transcript," as is Barney, who had a power of attorneyfrom her brother.
Aher also objected to a surreptitious tape made by Barney of aconversation she reportedly had with Harrod's ex-wife, AnCostello, at Costello's place of work.
Reinstein said a copy of the transcribed tape of Barey's andCostello's conversation would be given to McMath for Harrod'sdefense.
* By Sept. 25, Reinstein is expected to rule on motions in the case,including a recent prosecution motion to allow Harrod's ex-wife,An Costello, who was stil married to Harrod at the time of theTovrea murder, to testify against Harrod. To allow the testimony,the judge would have to overturn a state rule prohibiting a wife
from testifying against her husband.
Reinstein has ordered both the prosecution and defense to provideby Oct. 2 a final list of witnesses, and an estimate of how long thetrial wil take. Jury selection for the trial is scheduled to begin onOct. 6.
Tovrea was shot several times in her Lincoln Hills Estates home.The home reportedly had its own electronic security system, aswell as being located in a gated community with private security.
She was the third wife and widow of millonaire rancher andbusinessman Edward A. Tovrea Sr., vice president ofT and CCattle, and a member of one of Arzona's pioneer families.
Edward Tovrea Sr. died tòur years prior to his wife's murder. Hehad left most of his estate to Jeanne Tovrea, with a trust fund forhis three grown children from a previous marriage - Edward A.
("Hap") Tovrea Jr., and his two sisters, Georgia and Priscilla. Thattrust fund reportedly was payable upon Jeanne Tovrea's death.
Harrod remains in custody with no chance for bail, as is customaryin a capital murder case, in the Maricopa County JaiL.
According to eadiertestimony, Jeanne Tovreahad been contacted by a mancallng himself "Gordon Phillps" and claiming to be a writ for Time-Lifemae. Phips reportedly waed to intervew her about he late husband,
. Edwar A. Tovrea Sr., and hi exerienes as a World War II prioner of war.Phips reportedly wasn't discouraged by Jeane Tovrea tellng him her late
EdfJ.Q!1~J:afg~ i ~ommfiity I husband's POW experences occued years before she had met and married him.ucatlon . Business ports!Home & Leisure t Cri t Featues J.T edl a ed Phill.. N B. h C-l.f .I 0 .. iei .fi d ¡ S h r eanne ovrea report y aore to meet ips m ewprt eae, 411 .., mpinion. assi ie ¡ care i i J I ..00 li.~- CL b h he . b. fl . he
S ------- ear y u y 19&1, at t Ba UU Bay . u , were s was staymg ne y m tIU. 1997 Ahwa~~oons News aparment of a frend, Tom Fleming. Jeae Tovrea had bee accompaned by
Phoen AZ her daughter, Nolan-Luster, and her daughter's future husband, Mike Luster.
Nolan-Lusters:id while she and Luster stayed in a bedroom at the apartment,her mother at fi met alone wi Phips. Then, leavi Luster in the bedroom,
Nolan-Luster said she joined her mother and was inoduced to Phis, wihwhom she talked and whom she directed to some books about Ed Tovrea Sr.'sexperence.
Victim's Daughter Names Harrod
By Guinda Rooes
Deborah Nolan-Luster, the daughter of slain Phoeni socialite Jeae Tovrea,has identifed Ahwatukee Foothis resident James Harrod, 43, as the man shehad met as "Gordon Phí1íps" in 1987--nealy rune months before her mother'sdeath on April 1, 1988.
Aske-d by Marcopa County's: chief pros:itor, Paul Aber, if she recognied
"Gordon PhilJps" in the courtroom, Nolan-Luster said, "Yes, I do," and pointedout the defendant, Harrod,
"He's heavier and wearing glasses," she said. And in July 1987, she added, IDS
hair "was parted more on the side. "
Made With A Mac
Biit Philips "didn't even look at" the books:she brought, said Nolan-Luster, andhe didn't discuss Ed T ovrea Sr.'s wa experiences whe she wa present. Thatresulted in he becomi suspicious ofhi she testfied, and she urged hermother to call a Balboa Bay Club securiy guard,
IAiring cros:-exminaton by defeiise ço-colJsel Michael Bernays: Nolan-L1Jter
said tht despite her IIgrowing concern" about Phips, she hadn't caled Luserout of the bedroom.
Asked by Bernays if Phillps had done anything agress:e or made any threats:
Nolan-Luster repliei "No,"
"That's tf', "said Nolan-Luster, when asked about a 199statenient to lawenforcement offcis tht she "didn't know~' if she'd recogn Phips, whomshe said she'd met onl the one tie.
Bernays also questioned Nolan-Luster about a phys:calline-up in late 1996, inwhch she ha picked out Harod, who wa No. :;. The defense attorneydiscussed an earler composIte drwn from her descrtion of Philips that hesaid didn't look like Hard, and two photo line-ups in which she failed tochoose Harod's photo.
And of all the physical line-up subjects, Harrod's was. the only photo thatNolan-Luster had seen before, Bemays contended.
Afer Bernays ran the videotape ofthe phys:calline-up, Nolan-Luster agreedtht Harod wa "considerably heavier" than the other subjects, and the only onejust below the si-foot li. She also said she saw the hei lis when shecame into the viewing room, bu didn't "really pay atention" to them,
Of the five other phys.icalline-upsubects: Bernays revealei two would haveonl been in their teens in 1987, one had much daker ha and wa muchshorter, one was much taller although matchi other descrtion elements, andanother also had much darer hai.
And althol.ih No,S was meiitioned five times duing the phys:cal line-up,Nolan-Luser denIed Detectve Ed Reynolds had prompted her. "He was trg
to get me to artculate (better)," she replied to Bemys.
Nolan-Luster also said duing çross-exanunation that she didn't tell Reynoldsshewa "cert" tht No. :; was Phips. "I was prett nervous," she added.
What Nolan-Luster said iiisteai according to the videotape, was that she "vermuch felt tht No.5 resembled" Phips.
Bernays also played a videotape of Nolan-Luster duing asess:on with formerPhoen PolIce Ofcer Chae Hodges, now a Marcopa County Attorney's:inesttor. She had told Hodges that Phis "had an off-brand eye color,
green or brow," and that she didn't know if she'd recognze Phillps if she wereto ever see him again. Harod's eyes are blue,
-t-'
.Defense Grills Harrod's Ex-Wife
. James Harrod's ex-wif€', An Cost~Io, testified Oct. 29 that h8' thoo-husbandwasn't home the rught ofPhoex socialite Jeae Tovreafs murder, but denedany pa in wnat prosutors alege was a murder-for-mm sche.
Costello, testitYg for the proseætion unde.r a guarantee of immunity,
. cm:wrmed to lead pm$ecutor Paul Aber th :me fiued to noti police for more
than :fve years untl after ~he and Ham)d divi)rced in 1994. The couple had. marred in 1985, andsepiit1ted in 1993,
During cross.examnatlon, defen conscl :Michacl Berays asked Costcllo
whether she had gone to police immdiately to. provide intòrmation years betbrewhen her mend, an Arzoa State Umversity student namd Gretchen Wllte,had been ki1ed. "Yes, I did," she replied.
fJ:Qllt P_ag;: I Communty IEducatio~ f Bu~ine.ss I: ~ports I Sh also restìfd that when she and Harrod ha gone out practic shoting in
Home .&. Leisur ¡ ~~o I. Fe~mies the desert, she ha seen him attah a "round, tubular device" with "tiny holes" to
IOpinonjclassifedlSeaichi f'he i..... ni.~ ld j. .~, hi.t. T.t.~...l-. .t.~.. S .--_. . on.o: t guns, L-ut :;lÇ coo nt spChy to W C.,i gun. .,lÇ imrl£atioo was 1im1urey t._ de . .l
(I) l 997 Ahwatue, FOoll News Iu£:. NICe. was. a Sl ener.Phoe AZ
Had ownd "a la shotgun,!' a 9-mm hadg a .3 8-calber specihagu a 22-caler relver, an a "sm" gu in a box that apeard to be"bottom-loading" testifed Costello.
Bera3"S' asked Costello if the ')8-caber specal wasn't actualI3 her gu" notHarod's. Costello conceed only that she took that handgun wíth her on a tripto CaHfora in 1 m or 199 l.
CosteUo told the cour lter tlteihubi:nd had left their Alw-at!ee Foothihome arund 9 p,m. on Ma 3 l, 1988, T ovra's body was found by polIce inher home short after mi.
That e~ngs:id Costello, fucrd was wearin gt1y camoiifge pi:nts. a blacksweat and a gren ary jacket and wa car a duel bag. However,
she ooeded he frquenly wore the camufge pans an a blacK sweatshiand said she" didn't see any guns" or binocular on Harod when he lef.
Beriiys rended Costello that in a Jaflty 1996 intefi:ew, witlt Detective EdReynolds and prosecutors she ha told them the gym bag wa used "to carrywer-lr sulies,"
Soon after H¡fld left. Costello~ai:ds:e enerd li home offce, "I W1ls lookigto see if an of the gr we st ther an if th bIiocr w-e ther - Idit see thm,!' s: said.
How--ve. Cos:clo later adn~d .s:e didnt check all the file cabinets inHad's home offce, an thre didnt know fur cer th an of the guwer in
Costello also said it "could be possble" that thesmll mms:e hadse. in a box.wa the lei 22-caler sem-automatc hadg seid frm Had wTIenhe was a.ed.
Bemys then asked Costllo ifs:e w1ls aw1lt" the Jen ,22 had beenexded, by ba:cs test as the gu th ha kied leane T o~relL "1 would
not be it-a of thtu she repli,
Ased by Aler w-nts:e did n~-t. Costello tWlied, "I pryed, " Then she said,
she w- an to bed and wen to sleep,
(,J ROflld Rciciu the u~ 4?y had the "I prayed" commenstricken frmth recar an inctd the jur to diga it Bemays ha ared Castela's
relious commen could unf ineme jurs.)
"I don't know when he came bi:çk "said Coiiello, 't¡ woke up about 2 a,m, (but)he wa't ther." She sad she was awa Had wa home "the nex mornabout fi or si o'clock"
Du crns:-exmifltiçitL Coiiellos:id that whens:e i:woke i:boL~ 2 i:,m,.shehat gotten out of bed and sea the house, nor looked aut an the patowh Had s:s wen to snke, Costello said wh she ir woke upat 5 a,m., Hard 'was in bed.
Other allegtions mack in Cos:lo's tesimçiny;
"' She ideifed as belongng to ffrrd a wallet tWortedly with the flme
"Gordan N, Smi, II Prosecutors have alegd Had used an al GordanPbs, Bem sai the i: on th wall 'llt actal a logo fur uGordon &Smih,H a Calorn beach apel company.
"' ffrrd tWortedl recei three Fetkl Exres packge cçintailng large
clech or ca somete beteen Aug 1987 and Aug 1 9' 1, wi relabels incat th padaiges wer fr Ed'-a T ovrea Jr, stepson of th slawoman or his company, MBCA.
"Ther w-ould be a docient that w-ould come in with the chec4" Ços:ellos:id,
Bemys then riçkd Costello of aiiatemens:e had maçk in a 199Iierew wi Reyolds and prsecuor In wfcl she sad, "1 would alo seeFedEx packas where th would be docuei in th (bu not váth
documens and checks),"
Coiiello alsÇl ideifed ffrrd'ss:tLlt on a consin a~enten, 4?ted inMa 1989, wi the yorm T ovra and lason Hu, rega a joIi busssven in Chi Th.e defe ha c!:d th 'llt a lege busiess dealbetween Hard and Tovra's son.
Quiçined about her and her i;-husbiind"s 198a futkl t¡s:atenien. Çoiiello
aged aloug Had's busess ne Iicome wa orrkr $ 1 8,00, th totainome had been $24,00--thu accmm fu th $13,00 hme down
Harrod Expected to Testify
StalfWriter
James Cornel Harod, 43, an Ahwatukee Fooths ma who is being tred in themurder of Phoeni socialIte Jeanne Tovrea, is exected to take the stand in hiown behalf this week.
"We anticipate that (Harod) win testifY, It defense co-ounsel Michael Bernaystold Judge Ronald S. Reinstein during a motions hearing November 7, afer thejury had been dismissed for the day.
The defense attorney also said some prosecuion witnesses may be recalled to"clear up some questions."
The prosecution rested its case November 7, and the defense began itspresentation. Attorneys have said the case may go to the jury by the end of thisweek.
Meanwhile, Reinstein turned down three defense motions:
fJont Pae,ç r Community I * . .Education L Business f Sports f to remo~e the burglar chage !hat.IS comtamon !o the fust-de~ree murder
Home & Leisure ¡ Crime ¡ Featues c~ar?e, with the derense contending it wasn t established that any items were
¡ Opinion ¡ Classified I Sem-ch ¡ missing from the cnme scene;
tl 1997 Ahwa~:~Oons News of to invoke the state's martal prvilege in regard to Harrod's ex-wife, AnPhoe AZ Costello, whom the prosecution is expected to use to rebut Harod's testimony;
and
* to eliminate third-Pary culpability in regard to James Majors (a man whoreportedly looks lie the composie said to have been "Gordon Phips," and'who was convcted in Californ for three execution-stle murders simir to
Jeanne Tovrea's killng).
Duing the mOtions hear-ing, Pai.il Aber, chief deputy prosecutor for theMarcopa County Attorney's Ofce, commented at one poInt, "There may beother people inolved." However, he added, it is "for the jury to decide the guiltor innocence of this defendan. "
Ding testimony November 6 and 7, Jim Raines: a special agent for the stateattorney general's offce and a former invesigator for the county attorney's offceas wen as a former Phoeni polIce detecte, testified about a Bank One depositslip and a $3,000 cashiets check to Mainland Consultants, wih the same
long as Calo could acquire information from other inmates about othercrimes.
Court documents show that Calo has detailed Majors' involvement in thes layings in which Calo was charged.
Al though Majors, 44, was arrested a month before Calo, he was notindicted. Instead, Majors was sent to California, where he was convictedand sentenced to death in three murders in Sacramento.
Another person who has been investigated for possible ties to one ofthe seven slayings is Jean Laurent Andreani, reportedly one of theValley's richest men.
One of the victims, Ginette Chouchane, was Andreani' s bookkeeper.Andreani was interviewed by police after Chouchane and her husband werekilled on Aug. 25, 1988, in their Scottsdale home.
It has been reported that Ginette Chouchane told friends she wasafraid to discuss alleged illegal activity her bosses were involved in.
Andreani, owner of the Uptown Shopping Center that reportedly is nearfinancial collapse, allegedly was under investigation by the U. S. CustomsService for money laundering two years ago.
Michael LaVelle, a Phoenix attorney who represents Andreani, saidthere have been no recent requests to question Andreani about theChouchane murders.
, , He has not hidden or refused to talk to the authorities," LaVellesaid, noting that Andreani' s name "gets linked to a lot of things."LaVelle suggested that someone trying to cut a deal with a prosecutor
get a reaction by mentioning Andreani' s name.comment from Calo
Calo declined a request to be interviewed about his plea deal.Court records detail the tie between Calo and Majors, noting the two
knew each other for about eight years, with Majors working as a painterfor one of Calo' s businesses.
Court documents report that Calo' s vehicle was used in at least threeof the seven slayings, that there was a pattern of telephone calls madebetween Calo and Majors around the time of the murders, and that Calo' scredit card receipts showed a pattern of financial outlay that correlatedto the dates of the murders.
Calo introduced Majors to each of the victims, according to courtrecords.
Calo made several statements to police, detailing the crimes, butdenied being present. He directed officers to a storage locker whereMajors reportedly kept stolen items.
Calo's fingerprint was found on an item that belonged to one of thevictims and that was recovered at Majors' locker.
A key piece of evidence that pointed to Majors and Calo, was a noteVerna Latham wrote in her own blood on a magazine cover found near herbody.
Pölice Sgt. l\iMcCullough. Laterday he was charged
first · degree murderburglar.
"One of our colddetectives,Reynolds,
solvedalwayscabinethoenixd anothils
"'len asked if the
c..1ldren were suspects intie case, Romley replied:
"I don't want to char~
åcterize anyone as a sus-pect, but there are moreleads .. we are lookinginto."
Both the search war-rant and police record aresealed, but Romley saidwhen they are released,they wil answer a lot ofquestions.
"There wil evep.tuallycome a time when itbecomes a matter of pub-lic record and I think
everyone wil under-
stand why he wasarrested," he said.
Little is known aboutHarrod, who has noknown occupation. Hisneighbors said he wasquiet an mostly kept tohimself.
"I knew him ispassing," said Joseph
Michaud, Harrod'sneighbor to the west:
"He seemed like a verynice man, just very eva-
sive."Michaud said Harod
had helped his son workon his jeep several timesand never thought therewas anything suspiciousabout his neighbor.
..
'" . u"~llg Jall inmates to bury indigents.
The county has canceled its contractwith companies that once did the
Piirials anq. maintained landscaping atthe west Valley cemetery and at thec:punty's other cemetery for theindigent in Tempe. ..
"We wil save the taxpayers about
$60,000 . a yearby having the chain
gang do those things," thesheri(fsaid.Deputy.. Chief Larry Wendt~aid a
backhoewi1 partially dig the gr~ves
al1d the ininates wilL finish them.
prisoners wil take coffnsfrorathe
hearse, lower them into the. .graves,stand quietly for a few mOments, thenfill the hole.
Wendt saidinrnates, who wereiristructed on. b).rial techniquesl~~!~
wee ave alread given the prpgramla!i
perileØJ)uílders
\
By Chris FiscusStaff writer
So much for the postcard view Msunset.
A motel and gas station may' bc~
plopped between the historic Tovre~Castle property and the Red MountainFreeway, threatening a popular viewon the commute from downtown to theeast Valley.
The city, whiqiowns the castle, canbuy the land and block the project. Theonly problem is the estimated $1.2 mil-lion needed to grab the 5-acre site.
And this is only one piece of tlepuzzle.
The city's preservation staff anddevelopers are ina race to snatchnumerous pieces of land around thesaguaro-lined landmark built in the late1920s.
"There's a perception that we own
- See TOVIlEA, page A2
Gwenne Mayor and the majority of her 29 kindergartners were killed by ¡¡gun
13 children who survived the attack on the primary-school gym, only one esc
Glasgow Evening TimesJilded children and teachers1001 in Dunblane, Scotland.
I the whole site. We don't," said DebbieAbele, the city's historic-preservationoffcer. "I wish we did."
The city owns only a 7-acre sliver ofthe 40-acre Tovrea area betweenWashington and Van Buren. streets.Phoenix doesn't even own all of thenorth entrance.
"We're trying to buy some landaround the castle," Abele said."They're just moving so fast."
A large apartment complex alreadyhas been proposed for the land west ofthe castle. Then there's the proposedmotel and gas station.
And there stil are about 9 aci:es forsale along the Red Mountain, whichruns just east of the castle.
Phoenix has the right of first refusalon the land, so it can match an offer tobuy. But the price isn't cheap.
I . In addition to the money it wouldtake to buy the proposed site for the gasstation and motel, it would take about$2 millon to buy land to block the
planned apartments, Abele said."It's frustrating," she said.
Some members of the Tovrea familytrust that owns the 30-plus acres
surrounding the castle are sympatheticto the desire to preserve the land, city
offcials say. Other family membersprefer the cash.
It pains Bil Jacobson."We'd like to have the whole thing,"
said Jacobson, a historic-preservationplanìier with the city. "We know thatsomeday it's going to get developed.We've never had enough money to buythe whole thing."
The city already paid for landacquisition, studies and work to stopfurther deterioration. A water linealone wil cost $60,000. Then there's
the needed restoration of the castle.
Rest?r~tion .?f th~ gar~ens. Work on
Phoenix'spreservationstaff anddevelopers are ina race to snatchnUmerous piecesof land aroundTovrea Castle,the saguan:J.ined
landrrarR.The.city ownsonl¥a7.acre sliver of
I
castle but other historic features: a wenhouse, the. pump house, theviachtrie
shop," Jacobson said. "Itw()uJd gi~ve
you the context.ofwhat it oncewas~.F. d
preserve some vkws.") ..ii. ,;
But already, the world isellcro~9h-ing on the historic site. A !~igndesignates the aged çastle as a Phoenix"point of pride" pic~ed by the PhoenixPrideiÇommission. Across the street isa strip club.
As the preservation office searc~esfor :ways. to grab more Tovrea land,most of the city's. efforts are going ~gdifferent. direction. . Grabbing de~~rtand wash lands are the priority to blocksprawling development.
"There's competing priorities andinterest for the same scarce dollars,"said .Phil Gordon, Phoenix Mayor SkipRimsza'schief of staff.
NEWS RELEASE - Tovrea Castle Grounds Acquired to Help Protect Unique Phoeni La... Page 1 of2
MAYOR/CITY COUNCIL BY DEPARTMENT BY SERVICES EMPLOYMENT E-SERVICES PUBLIC MEETINGS WHAT'S NEW HOME
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Tovrea Castle Grounds Acquired to HelpProtect Unique Phoenix Landmark
July 24, 2002
The Trust for Public Land (TPL) and the city of Phoenix today anounced the permanentprotection of approximately four acres of land as an addition to the city's existing 24-acreTovrea Castle and Caro Cactu Garden propert.
TPL, a national land conservation organzation, helped the city acquire the propert to
prevent development at the edge of this valuable historic resource.
"This was an important parcel of land that was needed to preserve views of the castle fromthe Red Mountan Freeway and Van Buren Street," said Mayor Skip RImsza.
"These views have been enjoyed by the motoring public since the 1930s, when VanBurenwas the main interstate highway through Phoenix," he said.
"It is importt to preserve the history of our communty, and the Tovrea Castle propert isan importt par of that history. We are fortate that the Trust for Public Land hasparered with Phoenix in this effort," said Councilan Greg Staton, whose City Councildistrct includes the castle.
Constrcted as a hotel in 1929, the castle serves as a city landmark-a three-story, yellowstrctue on a hilltop known locally as "the wedding cake," surounded by more than 500stately saguaos and other desert vegetation. The city purchased the castle in 1993 andhopes to restore the castle and surounding grounds to its former glory, protect a unquepiece of desert landscape withn ths urban setting, and allow public enjoyment of thepropert .
"The City of Phoenix has done a great job of preserving Tovrea Castle and the desert thatsurounds it," said Mara Baier, TPL's conservation finance and marketing director in itsPhoenix office. "The Trust for Public Land is happy to have been a parer in this historicpursuit. "
The Trust for Public Land is a national nonprofit organzation dedicated to protecting landfor people to enjoy as parks and open space. Since 1972, TPL ha protected more than 1.4millon acres nationwide, including more than 188,000 acres in Arzona.
The Wall Street Joural's Smar Money magazne recently named TPL the nation's most
Arizona Supreme Court to review deathpenalty casesPHOENIX (AP) - The Arizona Supreme Court orderednew sentences for three death-row inmates Thursday,hours after it said it planned to review the deathsentences of 27 inmates to determine whether the menshould be resentenced.
ID v. Johnson -Teen Convicted of KilingParents
All 27 inmates had wanted their convictions andsentences thrown out because of a U.S. Supreme Court'sruling last year. That ruling found Arizona's old deathsentencing law unconstitutional because judges, notjurors, decided facts that could lead to a death sentence.
However, the state's high court refused to issue ablanket order for new sentences, saying the trials werefundamentally fair and that the U.S. Supreme Court'sruling didn't require throwing out all the sentences. But itsaid the court must now review each remaining case todetermine whether individual circumstances requireresentencings.
Prosecutors have argued it was a "harmless error" thatjuries did not decide aggravating factors in the cases.
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Fires
In response to the Supreme Court ruling, the ArizonaLegislature last summer rewrote the death penaltysentencing law to have juries decide both the facts thatshould be considered and the actual sentence.
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line-up of investigation,forensics, science andpuzzle solving.
Among the 27 inmates under review were AaronHoskins, James Harrod and Darrell Pandeli. The courtordered new sentences for all three Thursday, saying itcould not conclude beyond a reasonable doubt that jurieswould have imposed death sentences for the men.
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8:00pm: "FinancialDownfall" - Crime scenephotos help investigatorsdetect foul play.
8:30pm: "Sip of Sins" - ASunday school teacherleads a double life.
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9:0~. "The TamiamiTrail" - Profier DayleHinman investigates amystery along Florida'sTamiami TraiL.
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9:30pm: "Mystery onHighway 98" - Themysterious disappearanceof a young woman remainsunsolved for years.
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10:00pm:"Hartord/Waterbury, CT" -
Dr. Lee and theConnecticut State Policeare called to a UniversityClub to investigate a
