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

DATE: FRIDAY, April 21, 1995                   TAG: 9504210095
SECTION: VIRGINIA                    PAGE: B-4   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: JAN VERTEFEUILLE STAFF WRITER
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Medium

NEW YEAR SHOOTING TRIAL SET

The trial for the man accused of killing five friends at a New Year's Eve party was rescheduled Thursday from next week to the original back-up date, June 19.

Robert M. May, 27, is charged with capital and first-degree murder in the shooting deaths of five people in an Old Southwest Roanoke carriage house apartment. His trial is expected to last five days.

Just three hours into the New Year, police responded to reports of gunfire on 4 1/2 Street Southwest and found the bodies of residents Susan Hutchinson, 44, and Dale Arnold, 36, and three friends: Cynthia LaPrade, 43; Carl Stroop, 42, and Daniel Mason, 47.

May told police he shot all five people after one of the men pulled a gun on him during a drunken argument about which branch of the military - the Navy or the Marines - was better. May is an alcoholic who said he had started drinking again that night after a period of sobriety.

In addition to the murder charges, a grand jury in February also charged May with five counts of using a firearm in the killings and one count of possessing a handgun as a convicted felon.

On Thursday, Roanoke Circuit Judge Clifford Weckstein agreed to sever the last charge and the judge will hear that charge himself, away from the jury considering the other charges. Prosecutors must establish May's prior record to prove him guilty of possession of a firearm by a felon and introducing such information to the jury could be prejudicial.

Weckstein also granted a motion by prosecutors to get handwriting samples from May at the Roanoke Police Department either today or as soon as practical. Assistant Commonwealth's Attorney Joel Branscom said they want to compare his handwriting with evidence they have gathered to see if May wrote a certain document. He declined to elaborate.

Hutchinson and Arnold shared the small apartment on 4 1/2 Street Southwest where the shooting occurred. Stroop, LaPrade and Mason were visiting from their nearby Mountain Avenue apartment, celebrating the beginning of the new year.

Keywords:
ROMUR

by CNB