THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Wednesday, May 31, 1995 TAG: 9505310453
SECTION: FRONT PAGE: A9 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY MARC DAVIS, STAFF WRITER
LENGTH: Medium: 62 lines
A New York lawyer who worked for years on the Willie Lloyd Turner case said it is inconceivable that Walter J. Walvick, a conservative Washington business attorney, could have planted the gun that was found in Turner's typewriter.
The New York lawyer, Michael Colosi, credited Walvick, who was Turner's chief lawyer, with turning the prisoner from a defiant, combative inmate into one who went peacefully to his execution, possibly avoiding a bloodbath.
``I've known Walt for many years,'' said Colosi, with the New York City firm of Fried, Frank, Harris, Shriver & Jacobson. ``I find it incredible in the extreme that Walt would have'' planted the gun.
``Walt works for a prominent, conservative-type firm. It's not like he's a radical death-penalty zealot. He's an extremely mild-mannered guy,'' Colosi said. ``I'd be shocked in the extreme if anyone found any evidence'' that Walvick planted the gun.
Walvick declined to comment Tuesday, on advice of attorneys in his firm, Dickstein, Shapiro and Morin.
Walvick, 52, has been practicing law in Virginia for 22 years, devoting nearly all his time to business litigation, antitrust matters and communications law. He spends just 5 percent of his time on criminal cases, according to his biography in West's Legal Directory.
Walvick inherited Turner's death-row case a few years ago from a colleague in his firm, and did all his work for free. Walvick spent hundreds of hours on the case and later regretted getting involved, Colosi said.
In recent months, as legal appeals slipped away, Walvick spent more time counseling Turner.
At first, Turner was a defiant prisoner, struggling with guards who led him to the electric chair in an earlier execution date that was later canceled. ``He couldn't believe he was expected to cooperate in his own execution,'' Colosi said.
But in the past year, Colosi said, Turner came to accept his death. ``I attribute a great deal of that to Walt,'' Colosi said. ``He worked very hard with Willie over the past year in terms of the counseling role, to get him to be realistic about what was going on.''
To those who knew Turner well, Colosi said, the gun in the typewriter was not a huge surprise. Turner had a long history of crafting homemade weapons and cell-door keys, then successfully hiding them for long periods.
But Turner never used his weapons or keys, even though he had many chances. ``I think that speaks well of him at some level,'' Colosi said.
One reason Colosi does not believe Walvick planted the gun is his colleague's change in attitude after finding the gun.
``He was taking the execution very, very hard,'' Colosi said of Walvick. After finding the gun, however, Walvick became ``stunned and amazed,'' as if he couldn't believe what he had just found, Colosi said.
``It was something I don't think he could possibly have faked,'' Colosi said. ``I suppose it could have been an act all put on for my (benefit), but I don't think that's the case.''
KEYWORDS: DEATH ROW CAPITAL PUNISHMENT MURDER
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