THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Saturday, July 23, 1994 TAG: 9407230218
SECTION: FRONT PAGE: A1 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY MIKE MATHER, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: VIRGINIA BEACH LENGTH: Long : 109 lines
At least one gunman on Friday killed four members of a family - including a 63-year-old woman and her 14-year-old grandson - who were related to members of a high-profit drug ring that was broken up in 1992, police said.
This was Virginia Beach's second quadruple homicide in three weeks, and Friday's slayings virtually guarantee that 1994 will be the city's most murderous year ever.
When police entered the yellow, one-story house with maroon shutters in the 2400 block of Seaboard Road, they found the bodies of Evelyn Ward, 63; Thelma Harper, thought to be in her mid-30s; Clifton Harper, 19; and Robert Ward, 14. Thelma Harper was Clifton's mother and Evelyn Ward's niece. Robert Ward was Evelyn Ward's grandson.
All the victims except Robert, whose address was listed as the 1500 block of Garland Way, lived in the home, police said. However, police spokesman Lou Thurston said investigators believe that Robert had recently been staying in the Seaboard Road house.
Family members and friends congregated at Princess Anne Elementary School across the street as detectives fanned out to interview them. Sudden downpours sent the grieving relatives scurrying for cover. Rescue workers treated at least two people who appeared emotionally overcome.
Dozens of police recruits trudged through the dense woods and prickly underbrush that surrounded the small, wood-sided home that Evelyn Ward and her husband, Washington, bought in 1965.
Police spokesman Mike Carey said investigators had no suspects and knew of no motive late Friday. Detectives said the victims were shot, but they would not speculate on whether more than one assailant was involved.
Authorities are investigating the possibility that drugs were involved because some family members had a history of drug dealing.
In June 1992, at least four members of the Ward family were charged with running a multimillion-dollar drug ring in the low-income areas of the Atlantis, Friendship Village, Atlantic Park and Plaza apartments. The neighborhoods are near the intersection of Birdneck Road and Virginia Beach Boulevard.
The Ward relatives - including Keith C. Ward, John R. Ward, Robert L. Ward and Carl A. Ward - were indicted on charges of distributing more than 200 pounds of powder and rock cocaine. Federal prosecutors then called the drug ring a family affair and said the ring's members made so much money they had to rent facilities to store trash bags full of cash.
At least two family members and several friends and associates have been convicted or have pleaded guilty and are now serving prison terms. Drug-ring enforcer Keith C. Ward, 35, described as the ring's second-in-command, was sentenced in U.S. District Court to life without parole.
One of Friday's victims, Clifton Harper, was scheduled to stand trial in Virginia Beach Circuit Court on Aug. 9 on three charges of distributing cocaine.
Police would not say whether the drug charges and the slayings were connected.
A man staying in the Ward home, who identified himself only as Mike, told police he found the bodies after returning from errands. He said he last saw the family members alive when he left early in the morning, and discovered their bodies when he returned about 9:30 a.m.
Mike said he went to a neighbor, Alexander Smith, 21, and told him about the killings. Smith went to the Ward house, where he said he saw the bodies of Clifton Harper in a living-room chair and Thelma Harper on a couch. He said Thelma Harper apparently had been shot in the head.
Smith told police he did not hear any gunfire.
Later Friday afternoon, Smith was arrested on drug charges after police used a warrant to search his residence. He was charged with possession of cocaine with intent to distribute and possession of a firearm while having cocaine. Police questioned him late Friday.
Authorities declined to say what led to the search of Smith's home or why they took time to search it while most of the city's detectives were busy with the quadruple homicide.
Detectives confiscated a gun from Smith's residence, but he had not been charged late Friday in connection with the homicides.
The slayings bring to 28 the number of homicides in the city this year - with more than five months remaining. In 1991, the city's record-setting year, police investigated 29 slayings.
The record-setting pace was boosted June 30 with the killing of four people at the Witchduck Inn on Pembroke Boulevard. Michael D. Clagett and Denise R. Holsinger were charged with those slayings.
Before Friday's killings, detectives had classified as solved all but one of this year's homicide cases.
Anyone with information about the slayings Friday is asked to call 427-0000. ILLUSTRATION: Color photo by Mark Mitchell, Staff
A bystander breaks down after hearing of the slayings Friday.
Photo
Clifton Harper, 19, was found dead with three relatives in a house
near Princess Anne Elementary School. Also killed were Harper's
mother, his mother's aunt and the grandson of the aunt.
Map
KEYWORDS: MURDER SHOOTING by CNB