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

DATE: TUESDAY, May 16, 1995                   TAG: 9505160121
SECTION: VIRGINIA                    PAGE: C-3   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: 
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Medium

IN VIRGINIA

RICHMOND - The Virginia Supreme Court on Monday unanimously rejected death row inmate Willie Lloyd Turner's petition for a stay of execution.

Turner faces execution May 25 for the 1978 slaying of a Franklin jewelry store owner.

Turner's attorneys filed the petition last month, alleging his long stay on death row constitutes cruel and unusual punishment. The state attorney general's office and Turner's prosecutor said that argument was ridiculous.

Turner still has an appeal before U.S. District Court.

- Associated Press

Bogus degree leads to W&M resignation

GLOUCESTER - Dennis L. Taylor resigned as director of the Virginia Institute of Marine Science of the College of William and Mary after college officials were notified that he had listed a bogus degree on his resume.

Taylor, 52, whose four-year tenure at the VIMS helm has provoked two lawsuits by faculty members, admitted Monday in a letter to ``the faculty''that ``I do not have'' a doctorate of science degree from the University of Wales.

He made the admission in a letter addressed to ``the faculty.'' The letter was provided by the college Monday afternoon in response to inquiries from the Daily Press.

While the letter does not say why he included the degree on his resume, it does concede that ``my failure to remove this item from my credentials represented a lack of judgment on my part.''

In a separate letter circulated at VIMS earlier Monday, Taylor announced his resignation, effective Aug. 1.

- Associated Press