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

DATE: WEDNESDAY, October 12, 1994                   TAG: 9410120101
SECTION: VIRGINIA                    PAGE: C-2   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: 
DATELINE: WASHINGTON                                LENGTH: Short

MURDERER'S DEATH PENALTY TO BE RESTUDIED

The U.S. Supreme Court on Tuesday set aside a Virginia Supreme Court ruling that upheld the death penalty of convicted murderer Walter Mickens.

The justices, in a brief order, told the state court to restudy Mickens' case in light of their decision in June

that capital defendants may tell sentencing juries there's no chance they could be paroled from a term of life in prison when the only alternative to a death sentence is life without parole.

During a 15-day trial in August 1993, Mickens, 39, maintained his innocence in the slaying of Timothy J. Hall, 17, of Newport News, whose body was found in March 1992 with 143 stab wounds.

- Associated Press

by CNB