THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Saturday, July 30, 1994 TAG: 9407300255
SECTION: LOCAL PAGE: B3 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: ASSOCIATED PRESS
DATELINE: NEWPORT NEWS LENGTH: Short : 37 lines
A man charged in the death of a police officer who was shot while posing as a pizza delivery man was found not guilty of murder Friday by a Circuit Court jury.
Earl Antonio Coleman-Bey, 19, was found guilty of attempted robbery. The panel recommended a sentence of five years for the charge and three years for a related firearm count.
Jurors returned their verdict after both the prosecution and defense had explained that a guilty verdict on the robbery charge went hand in hand with a guilty verdict for murder.
Defense attorney Al Masters said he couldn't explain the verdict but was pleased with the results. ``You never know what a jury is going to do.''
Police officer Steven Rutherford was shot shortly before midnight Jan. 11 while posing as a pizza delivery man at a Denbigh apartment complex. Police arrested four teenagers on murder charges, charging they planned and carried out the holdup together.
The first to go to trial, Antoine Speed, 18, was convicted last month of murder, attempted robbery and two related gun charges. Antonio D. Johnson, 19, and the alleged gunman, Nephus Stanley, 18, have yet to face trial.
Prosecutors alleged that Coleman-Bey, 19, acted as a lookout the night that Rutherford was killed.
KEYWORDS: ROBBERY SHOOTING MURDER POLICE OFFICER TRIAL
by CNB