THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Saturday, April 13, 1996 TAG: 9604130335
SECTION: LOCAL PAGE: B1 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY JON FRANK, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: PORTSMOUTH LENGTH: Medium: 62 lines
A 21-year-old Portsmouth man has been charged with capital murder in the April 5 slaying of Frank Gibson Jr., the baseball fan who was killed while walking home from the 15-inning Norfolk Tides opening game.
Daerico A. Austin of Cushing St. was arrested Thursday without incident by investigators and the Police Department's tactical response team.
In addition to capital murder, Austin was charged with robbery, possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, and two other weapons violations.
Austin's record, starting in 1994, includes convictions for obstructing justice and shoplifting. He also was charged with, but not convicted of, malicious wounding, grand larceny, and statutory burglary. Some charges were lodged in Virginia Beach; others in Portsmouth.
Gibson was shot in the parking lot of the Twin B auto parts store in the 4100 block of George Washington Highway about 1:30 a.m. He was about one-half mile from his home in the Cradock section.
The 43-year-old father of three,a shipyard worker, started walking home from the Tides game after he became separated from a friend who had given him a ride to Harbor Park in Norfolk.
Police said they received a tip that the alleged murder weapon, described by police as an assault rifle, was under a house not far from the spot where Gibson's body was found. When they recovered the weapon Wednesday, another tip led them to Austin at his residence.
Police said Friday they think Austin walked up to Gibson, robbed and shot him.
Meanwhile, friends and family continued to wonder how Gibson became separated from his companion at the game.
Portsmouth resident Eddie Harris, who worked with Gibson at the Norfolk Naval Shipyard, accompanied Gibson to the game, but lost track of him after about 9:30 p.m. Harris said it was the seventh inning when he last saw Gibson.
Harris recalled Friday that he and Gibson were standing along the first-base concourse for the first part of the game. But after Harris walked alone to an automatic teller machine to get money, he lost contact with Gibson.
Harris said he walked to his car in the 13th inning to see if Gibson had gone there to wait.
When Harris could not locate Gibson, he drove home and went to bed. He found out the next morning that Gibson had been murdered.
``I've been feeling guilty, deep down,'' Harris said. ``I feel like since I picked him up I should have taken him home. But I can't help it if he left the park.''
Harris said he has no idea why Gibson would have left the ballpark without telling him. He said they were enjoying their night out.
``We were even planning to go to another game this week,'' Harris said. ILLUSTRATION: Color photo
Frank Gibson
KEYWORDS: MURDER ARREST SHOOTING by CNB