Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: TUESDAY, May 15, 1990 TAG: 9005150372
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: B-1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: VICTORIA RATCLIFF STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
Virginia Kotermanski testified that she tried to take the sawed-off shotgun away from Meece after he first shot Martha Ann McGeorge, 39, of Cottage Avenue, Vinton, at the parking lot of the Berkshire Health Care Center about 10:30 p.m. Meece just turned and walked away, she said.
Minutes later, Kotermanski said, she watched Meece return to McGeorge, bend down and say something. He then stood up, aimed the gun and shot again.
After hearing evidence against Meece, substitute Judge E.C. Westerman ruled there was probable cause to believe Meece had shot McGeorge. He certified to the June 1 grand jury charges of malicious wounding, possession of an illegal weapon and using a firearm in the commission of a felony.
The charges against Meece, who was formerly of Vinton but recently moved to Mississippi, were the latest in a string of charges placed against him in relation to McGeorge.
Court records showed that Meece, who was being held in the Roanoke County/Salem Jail without bond, was charged four times previously with harassing the woman and had served time in jail for brandishing a firearm at her.
At his preliminary hearing Monday, Kotermanski testified she had picked up McGeorge the night of April 10 to take her to work at the nursing home where both were nurses.
As she drove into McGeorge's apartment complex, Kotermanski testified, she passed Meece driving out.
When McGeorge got into the car, Kotermanski asked if she had seen him. "She said, `Yes, that's why I wasn't standing on the porch,' " Kotermanski said.
As the women drove to work, they realized Meece was following them, Kotermanski testified. But when they drove into the nursing home parking lot, they didn't see him behind them.
The women got out of the car and Meece drove up behind them, blocking the car, she said.
"Martha said, `Oh my God, that's Earl,' and she immediately got back in the car and locked the door."
Kotermanski said she approached Meece, who was standing outside of his car, and he said, "I want to talk to Martha."
Kotermanski replied, "You can't talk to Martha. She doesn't want to talk to you."
Kotermanski said she yelled at McGeorge to get out of the car and run to the building. Both women began running and Kotermanski heard McGeorge scream, "Oh my God, he's got a gun. He's got a gun."
Kotermanski saw Meece raise the gun and shoot McGeorge once. McGeorge screamed and Kotermanski bent over her. She stood up and turned to find Meece standing about 5 feet away with the gun in his hand pointing toward the ground.
"I said, `Give me the gun.' He said, `No, all she had to do was talk to me. This is what she gets.' I reached for the gun and he never raised it. Then he turned like he was going to walk away."
Kotermanski said she ran for the building and screamed for co-workers to call the police and an ambulance. Then she turned to go back to McGeorge and saw that Meece was walking toward her.
That was when she watched him point the gun and shoot McGeorge in the head, she said.
McGeorge rolled around on the ground and then began struggling with Meece, grabbing the barrel of the shotgun. "Martha turned that gun around and tried to shoot him with it. He was walking away, like `Just go ahead and shoot me.' I thought, `That woman is going to try to shoot him after all that,' " Kotermanski said.
But McGeorge did not shoot. Meece was arrested within minutes in the parking lot of the nursing home by a Vinton police officer.
McGeorge, who is recuperating from her wounds, did not testify Monday. Meece's attorney, Jack Gregory, did not present any evidence.
Kotermanski was honored Monday by the Vinton Police Department. Bill Brown, chief investigator, said "She went above and beyond the call of duty for a private citizen."
by CNB