SLAYINGS CONVICTION UPHELD

                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: SATURDAY, February 27, 1993                   TAG: 9302270244
SECTION: VIRGINIA                    PAGE: A4   EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY 
SOURCE: Associated Press
DATELINE: RICHMOND                                LENGTH: Medium
SLAYINGS CONVICTION UPHELD
The Virginia Supreme Court on Friday upheld three capital murder convictions and four death sentences - including those of Kenneth Manuel Stewart of Bedford County, who killed his son and estranged wife on Mother's Day 1991.
The court also affirmed the convictions of Thomas H. Beavers Jr. of Hampton and Dwayne Allen Wright of Fairfax County. It also upheld the death sentence of Andrew J. Chabrol of Chesapeake. All opinions were unanimous.
Stewart was convicted of capital murder in the May 12, 1991, shooting death of his 5-month-old son, Jonathan Edward Stewart. In addition to the death penalty for that conviction, he was given a life prison term for the first-degree murder of his wife, Cynthia Jeanne Stewart.
The couple were separated, and Stewart was unhappy with restrictions on visitation with his son. On one of those visits, Stewart carried a .25-caliber semiautomatic pistol in his boot and shot Cynthia Stewart in an upstairs bedroom.
Stewart said he did not remember what happened. Testimony from expert witnesses indicated, however, that Stewart went downstairs and shot the baby, then took him upstairs and placed him in the arms of Cynthia Stewart.
Stewart raised 44 issues on appeal, all of which were rejected. One of his claims was that the case was prejudiced by the use of cameras in the courtroom. Bedford County Circuit Court at the time was one of several courts designated as an experimental court for the use of television cameras.
A Hampton Circuit Court jury convicted Beavers of the May 1, 1990, slaying of a neighbor, Marguerite Lowery. He also was convicted of rape, grand larceny and arson.
Chabrol pleaded guilty to the July 6, 1991, capital murder of Melissa Harrington. He also pleaded guilty to rape and abduction with intent to defile.
Wright was sentenced to death for the Oct. 13, 1989, robbery, attempted rape and murder of Saba Tekle. He was 17 at the time of the offenses.
Memo: shorter version ran in the Metro edition.

by Archana Subramaniam by CNB