THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Wednesday, November 29, 1995 TAG: 9511290471
SECTION: LOCAL PAGE: B2 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY LARRY W. BROWN, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: NORFOLK LENGTH: Short : 46 lines
Someone offered Duwane E. White a chair when he staggered from his trailer-park home covered with blood after a savage beating.
He sat down, and neighbors watched his life ebb away.
``He said he was getting tired,'' a neighbor said Tuesday. ``He said he couldn't see.''
Police said White was asleep when he was attacked about 1 p.m. Monday at the Delmar Trailer Park in the 8100 block of Shore Drive.
When the 23-year-old man stumbled out of the trailer, his white shirt, white-washed jeans and white socks were splattered with his blood. Even a gold watch tucked into his pants was smeared.
He died 5 1/2 hours later at DePaul Medical Center.
According to police, White was beaten with a blunt object - possibly a shotgun barrel - and suffered numerous cuts to the head and body.
But police spokesman Larry Hill said the exact cause of death would not be known until the medical examiner finished investigating the body.
White's wounds were so bad, however, the neighbor said it looked like someone had attacked him with a machete.
The beating left residents of the trailer park fearful, the neighbor said. He would not give his name for fear of retaliation.
``I'm definitely scared to death,'' he said.
The neighbor said he did not hear any screaming or shooting before White appeared.
White, he said, could barely talk after the beating. His face had been beaten badly. There was a hole near the back of his head.
``He was so messed up,'' the man said. ``I looked real close and thought there was nothing I could do.''
Neighbors said White apparently had a lot of visitors within the past two weeks. They guessed the motive for the beating was robbery.
``He seemed like a nice guy,'' said the man who would not give his name.
No arrests were made and a motive had not been pinpointed. Anyone with information is asked to call Crime Line at 664-4040.
KEYWORDS: MURDER BEATING by CNB