Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SATURDAY, May 29, 1993 TAG: 9305290328
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: C1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: PAUL DELLINGER SOUTHWEST BUREAU
DATELINE: HILLSVILLE LENGTH: Medium
It was the fifth day of his capital murder trial in the stabbing deaths Dec. 3, 1991, of Sheila Ring, 30, and her daughter, Jasmine Sutphin, 2. He also is charged with arson in the burning of their home.
Midkiff said he was frightened when he was being grilled for hours the night of Dec. 5 and morning of Dec. 6, and told authorities what he thought they wanted to hear.
He said he was able to provide details of the crimes in his "confession" because Carroll County Sheriff R.D. Carrico had mentioned them in earlier conversation. Carrico has testified that he did not do so.
"I took what I was already told and I added to it," Midkiff said.
Commonwealth's Attorney Greg Goad zeroed in on details of the confession that Midkiff said Carrico had not given him.
They included the positions of the bodies, where they were found and how the woman was clothed.
Midkiff also told authorities in his taped statement that he started the fire by tossing a piece of wood from a stove into the house when he left. Goad asked him how he even knew the house had a wood stove if he had never been inside.
On reflection, Midkiff said Carrico had given him those details, too.
Dr. Page Hudson testified that whoever stabbed the victims to death should have been covered with blood. The clothes Midkiff and his wife said he was wearing when he was out that night had no bloodstains.
Goad suggested that Midkiff had removed his clothes when he was alone with Ring. In his confession, he said he and Ring were having an affair and he killed her when she threatened to tell his wife.
He said he swung out and killed the child with the knife he had gotten from the kitchen when she came running into the bedroom.
Defense attorney Fred Werth reminded the jury that Midkiff's statement also described wounds to Ring that did not exist.
Werth said Carrico thought such wounds had existed at the time and guided Midkiff to describe them.
Werth said Midkiff made the false confession to get help from Carrico in the face of a nervous breakdown.
" `I'll confess to get a little help for my nerves'? - That's crazy," Goad said. He asked whether the jury would believe the sheriff or a man convicted five times of felonies.
Werth recalled forensics expert Elmer Gist's testimony about a hair recovered from the ashes that was shown not to be from the victims or from Midkiff.
"But he didn't say that hair belonged to the murderer. He said he didn't know whose it was, how long it had been there," Goad said.
The jury got the case about 7:25 p.m. but chose to come back this morning to begin deliberating.
by CNB