More women added to HIV assault case

OLYMPIA — The list of women a Thurston County man has been accused of knowingly infecting with HIV grew from four to 12 on Monday.

Prosecutors filed eight new charges of first-degree assault with sexual motivation against Anthony Eugene Whitfield, 31, of Lacey. He was charged with the first four counts late last month.

If convicted on all counts, he could face more than 100 years in prison, said Jodilyn Erikson-Muldrew, a Thurston County deputy prosecutor.

Three of the women investigators believe Whitfield infected have developed AIDS.

Those three cases indicate that Whitfield had a particularly aggressive form of HIV, according to court documents.

Associated Press

Kent: Man arrested in lawyer slaying released

A man arrested in last week’s slaying of an Auburn lawyer was released from jail Monday evening because authorities lacked sufficient evidence to charge him. Under state law, arrested people can be held for 72 hours, but then must be released if formal charges aren’t filed. Dennis Ray Craft, 42, had been jailed for investigation of first-degree murder in the death of bankruptcy lawyer William W. Messer, 57. Craft was a client of Messer. Dan Donohoe, a King County prosecutor’s spokesman, said authorities want more time to investigate but he declined to discuss any evidence.

Associated Press

Spokane: Church

settles abuse claim

The Roman Catholic Diocese of Spokane will pay $30,000 to settle a claim by a man molested decades ago in Walla Walla. The man, who requested anonymity in public discussions of his case, said he suffered the abuse as a youth at the hands of August Ludwig, a former Marianist brother, the diocese said. Ludwig was principal of De Sales High School in Walla Walla during the 1970s. Ludwig’s name was disclosed publicly and to law enforcement authorities in the late 1990s as a sex offender, the diocese said. The diocese said it believes Ludwig was removed from ministry years ago and confined to quarters in a monastery in the eastern United States.

Associated Press

Oregon: Freight train derails, scatters cars

Ten cars from a Burlington Northern Santa Fe freight train derailed early Monday north of Redmond in central Oregon, a spokesman said. Rail cars littered the tracks accordion-style after the derailment about 2:40 a.m. at Prineville Junction, railroad spokesman Gus Melonas of Seattle said. No hazardous materials were involved, nor was anyone injured. The derailment appeared to be accidental but the cause remained under investigation, Melonas said.

Associated Press

Girl Scout training saves little brother’s life

A 9-year-old from Salem will receive a national award given to a Girl Scout for saving a life, after performing the Heimlich maneuver on her little brother. The Santiam Council, which serves Benton, Lincoln, Linn, Marion, Polk and Yamhill counties, has not presented the award in at least 12 years, research by local Girl Scout officials shows. Mary Catherine Fagan did not hesitate to come to her little brother’s rescue about a month ago, when he began choking on a piece of hard candy. "I thought I just had to help my little brother," she said.

Associated Press

Vancouver: Bridge

collapses under crane

A crane operator was seriously injured when a small auto bridge his crane was on collapsed Sunday. The man was trying to rebuild a bridge on private property. One of the property owners, Christine Donaugh, said that workers had been warned to stay off the bridge. Part of it had been dismantled, she said, and signs had been put up to keep people off the bridge.

The Columbian

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