Win VOL. XI NO. 43 U.S.P.S. Hunt gets life O.. HAni^l A A 4 Dy nWDlIN MUMIV15 Chronicle Assistant Editor v \ Darryl Eugene Hunt sat silently, with a tear running down his face, as the clerk of court read the jury's decision. Hunt was found guilty last Friday of first-degree murder in the killing of newspaper copy editor Deborah B. Sykes. Hunt sat equally silent three days later as that same jury sentenced him to life in prison. The jury's alternate sentence was death. Outside the courtroom, said bailiffs, Hunt broke into uncontrollable tears after the jury's first verdict and cried out "I didn't doit, I didn't do it." The jufy's verdict brought the 15-day i ti -^ ? ? ii ioj iu an cnu. 1 ne siaie s case was oasea on the testimony of three eyewitnesses who identified Hunt as the murderer and a former girlfriend of Hunt's who gave police a statement that indicated that Hunt and Sammy Mitchell, his best friend, were involved in the murder. Mitchell was not ... Defense team By ROBIN ADAMS Chronicle Assistant Editor against Oarryl Eugene Hunt 4s just beginning, say black community leaders. The Baptist Ministers Conference and Associates voted on Tuesday at its regular meeting to begin raising more funds for the Darryl Hunt Defense Committee. A goal of $25,000 has been set; the money will be used to finance Hunt's appeal to the 4th Circuit Court of Anneals. -r r In addition, said the Rev. Carlton Eversley, chairman of the public affairs committee of the predominantly black minister's group, expert attorneys will be retained to handle the appeal. Daniels quits rat By DAVID R.fcANKIN Chronicle Staff Writer Joe Daniels, who announced his intentii seek office during the winter, has decic withdraw from the Northeast Ward aldei race. Daniels, a 17-year resident of Winston-Sale an active Democrat, had been one of thre didates in a race that included high school as principal Victor Johnson and incumbent Aid Vivian H. Burkp. Daniels said he won't run for the alderman that Burke has held for three terms because c cent job change and the financial demands c ting his two daughters through college. "I have a financial responsibility to put n Please see page A3 WSSU gets chancellor Thompson: h By ROBIN ADAMS Chronicle Assistant Editor Officially, he doesn't begin his duties until Aug. 1. But unofficially, he's already on the job. Well, at least he's doing part of the job. He's paving the way for a smooth transition. Dr. Cleon F. Thompson Jr., 53, the new rhanrHlor nf Winstnn-Salem State Univer sity, was in town Tuesday morning to talk With interim chancellor Dr. Haywood Wilson. Thompson also took time oui from his visit to talk with the Chronicle. "It's indeed an honor and privilege to be given this opportunity/' said Thompson as f ' ? I I j^BKlimnr I "Uiiiwi | | 13 111010 I 4 ston-S The T No. 067910 Winston. r in prison... on trial and has not been charged in the Sykes killing. Sykes' body was found on Aug. 10 in a grassy slope behind the Crystal Towers . senior citizens apartment complex. Sykes had been raped, sodomized and stabbed 16 times. The fatal wound was a stab to the heart. District Attorney Donald Tisdale had asked for the death penalty. Hunt's defense was based on destroying the credibility of the state's eyewitnesses, the lack of physical evidence linking Hunt with the crime and Hunt's alibi. The jury deliberated for 15 hours. During those deliberations, the jury came back , to the courtroom to ask for additional information, a visit to the murder scene and "physical, factual distances." Presiding r? ? r* 1:--- j ?' * - juugc ncMuii v^uniciius ucniea ineir requests but allowed them to review unspecified documents in the courtroom. As the clerk of court read the verdict, Please see page A15 keeps working "Hunt's attorneys (Gordon Jenkins and S. Mark Rabil) admitted that this was their "tagzsmtiwassiaifr long history of throwing blacks -in jail. They did the bes^ job 'ih*yv could. Tiwy* spared his life. \ 7 . ? . v 44An appeal is difficuTt, and we need the best legal minds possible. Jenkins and Rabil are like Byron Scott (second-year guard for the Los Angjeles Lakers), they got us to the championship but it takes a Kareem Abdul-Jabbar to win it all." This is the first issue, said Eversley, that has brought all the rtiinisters together and caused them to speak as fervently as they have. I Please see page A15 cms to KM led to jM e can- J* ^ sistant f crman ly two Daniels: He's making It a tw< (photo by James Parker). O Je wanted thejob the interview started, referring to his new ' position. Thompson becomes WSSU's seventh chancellor and replaces Dr. H. Douglas Covington, who resigned almost one year ago to take over as president of Alabama A&M University in Normal, Ala. Thompson now serves as vice president for student services and special programs > for the University of North Carolina system's general administration. ThompI son served as interim chancellor at North : Carolina A&T State University from 1980 to 1981. His primary function with the ! general administration has been to operate i Please see page A3 i *#<*?** -^-^mkm > ^K$f'^jjf^Al * ' ?y v'^^ill ^Hp': ' ' *%. '-'^^SB EjStor^-v' Miflr . ^^E&< . if,"?? '.^R^Bl' - ~jfl I K 4Egg^fl i^H^Hr m mKGI^Br' fl Ei JKf^KiB^p^^| BfcjjL jh^S pp*i^^3 l ^nsp^H ^iA, ^Sil^BI Mafcwagw - JM. ^ hmh^^HM \* *f ^T^^9n4flfiidPQI^^^^^HNPliLlH JlfjE? 4 Vj, v^ ?inrT^raH^^Hn|W^^^^^BT.sV ?H K' I *(l' r ^'"i * H Photos by James Parker IfehiMiji I Enabling legislatio By BILL HAMILTON I Chronicle Staff Writer The proposed state legislation to enable the *" Winston-Salem Board of Aldermen to promote the i ? ^ use of minority and women contractors in city conP% W. f ' m, struction projects has cleared another hurdle in kl< ' klj Raleigh. iflBk. - ^9m\ The hill. snonsnr^H hv ctatA Urvnco d??* a?:? , - 1 -r- ?- ~ J 1 IUUJV l\V^> rilllUC Brown Kennedy, passed a test of constitutionality requested by the chairman of the House Judiciary I Committee. The chairman had requested that the attorney 8enera^s office examine the bill to see if it was within the scope of local government's powers. UkflHHHH The attorney who reviewed it, Douglas Johnston, said the bill was constitutional, in his opinion, from 5-person race the standpoint of what local governments may do. Kennedy said the fact that the bill meets constituChronicle Assist ^Observation I* ^ the Hui J BC- B^l * According XEf^'IA W^m Mmc' Little, the stai pica bargain o fl one daV before ft ^ m * its verdict. plead guilty fc? ?- murder, but - nothing about Dr. Cleon Thompson wants to make sure that his transition will be smooth (photo byl The state's James Parker). I case against H ????^?i?? i ii i also known a i onicle 35 cents 30 Pages This Week The Pain They came. They listened. They prayed. They sang. They hoped. They waited. But mostly they cried. ' '* ^#12 % m tmIK |^r > 4H^r % ^ 9 r Itf* ^1 ^B *TOK!5Mi?$ r' ffe^i k . y Uu&j&frj n clears new hurdle tional requirements from the attorney general's standpoint "strengthens chances for passage tremendoasly." In another development, Kennedy said that the version of the bill scheduled to be voted out of committee this week removes certain restrictions. An early amendment sought to give minority and women contractors in the coliseum and uptown development projects up to 10 percent of the business. The 10 percent "cap" is still in place, but the eligible projects have been expanded to all city projects, not just the two originally mentioned. "This is a great advantage ... the bill is simpler and stronger now," Kennedy said. On another front, the House Appropriations ?Committee has voted to include $55,000 in the Please see page A3 refuses plea bargain }AMS released from jail on Wednesday :ant Editor afternoon, June 12, the day jury s while covering liberations began. Gray was arnt rested on March 12 and charged with common-law robbery. Gray, ;o Alderman Larry who remained in jail until last _cc , yt . _ week, was iinH**r a fifiO hr?nH lc uiicrcu riuni a ' , . .n Thursday night, The Jacket of Gray's warrant : the jury returned noted that Gra>' could not be District Attorney leased without the approval of le asked Hunt to the district attorney. to second-degree Gray was released from jail on Hunt, said Little, his own recognizance with a $5,000 unsecured bond. d, 'I won't plead After hearing of Gray's mething I know release, many of the Hunt sup,' " said Little. porters attending the trial were outraged and called hiarelease his key witness in its payoff for his testimony against unt, Johnny Gray, Hunt. s McConnell, was Please see page A16 r ? .... J ? **