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

DATE: WEDNESDAY, January 18, 1995                   TAG: 9501180082
SECTION: VIRGINIA                    PAGE: C-3   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: LAURENCE HAMMACK STAFF WRITER
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Short

BROTHER TO FIGHT CHARGE IN SLAYING

Victor Robert Basham, 25, made the statement in Juvenile and Domestic Relations Court, even though he was not required to enter a plea during a brief arraignment.

When Basham was charged with first-degree murder in the death of Kenneth Allen Basham, 34, early Saturday, Roanoke police said that he had confessed. But in court Tuesday, Basham indicated that he will contest the charge, according to Assistant Commonwealth's Attorney Wanda DeWease.

Judge John Ferguson appointed a public defender to represent Basham and continued his bond at $100,000, DeWease said. A preliminary hearing was scheduled for Feb.3.

Police have said that they received a 911 call about 2:30 a.m. Saturday about a disturbance in the 700 block of 30th Street Northwest. When they arrived, police found Kenneth Bashman lying on the ground. He was taken to Roanoke Memorial Hospital - where he worked as office manager of Oncology and Hematology Associates - and died of at least seven stab wounds.

Police said that Victor Basham was standing over his brother when they arrived, and a butcher knife was found about 10 feet away.

Authorities believe an argument between the two brothers had started at a downtown restaurant and continued after they returned home.

Basham's death was the sixth homicide so far this year in Roanoke, coming two weeks after five people were shot to death in a mass killing at a New Year's party in Old Southwest. The city had four homicides in all of 1994.

Keywords:
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