ROANOKE TIMES 
                      Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times

DATE: Wednesday, January 10, 1996            TAG: 9601100067
SECTION: VIRGINIA                 PAGE: C-4  EDITION: METRO 
DATELINE: HARRISONBURG
SOURCE: Associated Press 


KILLER WANTS TO DIE, HE SAYS IN LETTERS ALSO ASKS VICTIM'S KIN'S FORGIVENESS

The convicted killer of a 75-year-old woman wrote in two rambling letters to a Virginia newspaper that he wants to be put to death.

Anthony Stephen May apologized in the letters to the family of Mary Catherine Miller for stabbing her to death last April. Parts of the letters were published in the Daily News-Record of Harrisonburg.

May, 23, agreed on Nov. 30 to plead guilty to capital murder and accept a life sentence without parole in the April rape and knifing of his neighbor. Rockingham County Circuit Judge Porter R. Graves is scheduled to decide today whether to accept the plea agreement.

``I'm in jail for a harsh crime and I also think that I should get death for this crime if I have to I will request it from Mr. Graves,'' May wrote. ``I'm trying to change and I'm sorry for what has happened and I'm sorry and ask all of the Miller family to forgive me please forgive me.''

``I talked to my lawyers and I told them I want the death sentance and they told me that I could not get the death sentance,'' May wrote. ``They told me if I told the judge that he would not give it to me because he would look at me and think, well Mr. May has a heart - I'm not going to give it to him, I'm going to give him life.''

In the letters - one mailed two weeks ago and another mailed last week from the Rockingham County Jail - May writes of topics as diverse as American family values, the U.S. role in Bosnia and the Bible, but never admits killing Miller.

May said he has found religion and believes his sins are forgiven.

Miller's daughter, Vada Brooks, was not in a forgiving mood.

``I'll never forgive him. I'm sorry, I've tried. I know what the Bible says, I've read it; I have tried, but I can't forgive him, because she never hurt him. She never hurt a soul,'' Brooks said.

Commonwealth's Attorney Douglas T. Stark said he had heard that May wanted the death penalty, but had no indication May would ask to withdraw from the plea agreement.


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