April 4,
OhAJl/V
The Perquimans Weekly
350
Vol. 64, No. 13
The only newspaper for and about Perquimans County people
Hertford, North Carolina 27944
Domestic abuse case turns deadly
P.C.H.S. coaches,
softball players
witness suicide
By GINGER LIVINGSTON
The Daily Advance
One day after pleading
guilty to assaulting his
estranged wife in January, the
estranged husband of the
Perquimans County High
School head softball coach
went to the school’s gymnasi
um and shot himself to death
in front of her and some others
associated with the team. The
incident occured around 5 p.m.
last Thursday.
Glenn Marvin Spiess, 37,
died from a single gunshot
wound to the head. He did not
harm his wife, Karen Booker,
or any of the team members,
assistant coaches and parents
who were at the school at the
time.
Hertford police would not
say what triggered Spiess’s
action or if he had gone to the
gym to harm his wife.
The softball team was prac
ticing in the gym Thursday
due to bad weather. Practice
was breaking up when a par
ent, who knew of the couple’s
problems, saw Spiess behind
the school near the cafeteria
and gym, said Hertford Police
Chief Bennie Murphy. The
parent called Edgar Roberson,
an assistant softball coach
whose daughter is on the team,
to get a description of Spiess.
When Roberson realized
Spiess was at the gym, he told
the caller to get the players
away from the area. He called
the police and drove to the
school himself to warn Booker.
Parents moved quickly and
loaded children into cars and
trucks. When Roberson
arrived, he went into the gym
and told Booker and the play
ers to leave through the gym’s
school entrance, Murphy said.
Police Officer Clarence D.
Richards arrived at this time
and saw Spiess moving toward
the gym. He repeatedly asked
Spiess to stop, but Spiess
ignored him and entered the
gym. Richards followed.
By this time, Booker and
most of the others in the gym
had moved to the opposite end
of the gym. Witnesses at the
scene said at least one student
and Roberson were near
Spiess’s location.
Murphy said when Spiess
entered the gym, he stopped
near the door and turned to
Richards. Richards told
Murphy that Spiess reached
into his pants’ waistband and
pulled out a .45 Colt semi-auto
matic handgun. Murphy said
he does not know if the
weapon was fully loaded, but a
Colt clip normally holds 14 to
15 rounds.
When Spiess pulled the
weapon he told Richards, “Fm
not here to hurt you.” He then
Downtown Easter event
nil
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PHOTO BY SUSAN HARRIS
Peter Cottontail hopped down his bunny trail to downtown
Hertford Saturday morning, much to the delight of the youn-
sters who gathered for the Hertford Downtown Association’s
second annual Easter egg hunt. Dozens of boys and girls
arrived with baskets in hand ready for the egg hunt, bicycle
and bonnet decorating contests, games and picture-taking
with the Easter bunny. The egg hunt is one of several events
sponsored by the downtown merchants each year to bring
attention to the unique shopping experience in a small,
friendly downtown area.
Outside
THURSDAY
FRIDAY
SATURDAY
FM
L MW
High: Low:
70s 50s
PARTLY SUNNY
i 4
4 i
High:
Low:
70s
40s
CHANCE OF RAIN
High: Low:
50s 40s
CLEAR, COOLER
Bank loan may finance
water system upgrade
irs time tor a change!
Don’t be late for sunrise service Sunday
morning. Set your clocks ahead one hour
before going to sleep Saturday night.
The Perquimans County
Commissioners are exploring
all avenues to finance the $4-
$4.25 million Bethel water
plant project.
County manager Paul
Gregory reported .to the com
missioners Monday that he
held a meeting and invited
area banks to review the pro
ject and bid on making the
loan. Branch Bank & Trust,
Centura Bank, NationsBank
and Wachovia Bank all sub
mitted written proposals.
Gregory broke down each
bank’s proposal for the com
missioners, and also presented
estimated water department
collections which would sup-
indicated he would kill him
self, which he did, Murphy
said.
The softball team, coaches
and parents were taken to the
band room.
Spiess had been stopped by
N.C. Highway Patrol Trooper
T.M. Lassiter about 3 p.m.
Thursday in the Food Lion
parking lot because Lassiter
spotted him and knew that his
drivers license had been
revoked. Spiess was arrested
and taken before magistrate
Todd Tilley. He was charged
with driving while license
revoked and released under a
$200 cash bond.
Sgt. R.H. Early, Lassiter’s
supervisor, said Spiess was
depressed.
“He indicated he had some
problems, and he said it was
the last straw and he didn’t
have anything left to live for,”
Early said. “But that is not
unusual. There are times
when people say things in
hopes of soliciting sympathy.”
Spiess was searched before
being transported to the mag
istrate’s office. Early said. He
did not have the handgun at
the time.
Neither Early or Murphy
knew whether Spiess called a
friend or left the magistrate’s
office walking.
Spiess was transported by
Perquimans County EMS to
Chowan Hospital, where he
was pronounced dead on
arrival.
Students,
staff cope
with tragedy
port the payments on the
loans.
The commissioners have
also worked with RECD, for
merly FmHA, on loan and
grant proposals for the project.
Commissioners chairman
Mack Nixon said Monday that
going through RECD would
require more up-front time
and money than borrowing the
funds through a bank.
Gregory said he wiU contin
ue to negotiate with the banks
and bring final proposals back
to the commissioners for
review. He estimated that it
would take 60-90 days to com
plete paperwork, then 9-12
months for plan construction.
By SUSAN R. HARRIS
Editor
A caring community pulled
together last Thursday night
to help a group of teenagers,
coaches and parents move
through the initial shock, fear
and sadness that resulted from
the suicide at Perquimans
High School.
“I think it’s just one more
time I’ve seen people in this
county pull together,” said
schools superintendent
Randall L. Henion. “I’ve lived
in a lot of places, big and
small, but I think this commu
nity is unique in the way peo
ple here pull together and offer
support. I’ve seen it many
times since I’ve moved here.”
Henion credits quick think
ing and quick response on the
part of the adults on the scene
for avoiding what could have
been an even greater tragedy.
“There were several heroes
in my book,” Henion said. “I
appreciate the work of the
police department, the officer’s
quick response; the quick
thinking on the part of the par
ent who was aware that some
thing was suspicious; and
Edgar Roberson’s quick
response.
“I think the Good Lord was
looking out for our students,
staff and parents who were
there.”
Henion said parent volun
teers, school staff, law enforce
ment and Booster Club mem
bers mobilized immediately to
offer support to all those who
had been at or near the scene.
Bob Butkizwicz, a counselor
with Albemarle Mental Health
spoke with all those gathered
in the school’s band room after
the shooting. He stressed the
importance of talking immedi
ately after a violent incident.
Butkizwicz explained to the
softball players and parents
who were in or near the gym
at the time of the shooting the
several types of stress reac
tions they could experience
following the incident. He also
said it is important to make
sure there are family members
and friends available to talk to
and care for the victims.
In addition to speaking with
the group, the counselor spoke
with several of those on the
scene individually.
Butkizwicz met again with
the softball team and parents
who were in the gym at the
time of the shooting on
Monday at the central office
for what he termed a debrief
ing session. These sessions, he
said, allow victims to talk at ,.
length about what happened
and allows a counselor to mon
itor their stress reactions.
School opened as usual on
Friday morning. Parents said
most of the team members
attended school. Butkizwicz
had stressed the importance of
the girls being together and
staying in their normal rou
tine during his talk in the
band room on Thursday
evening.
Henion said Monday that
one of his greatest concerns in
the aftermath of the tragedy is
that students may no longer
feel safe.
“Churches, schools and cer
tain other institutions were
considered sacred in the past,”
the superindent said. “More
and more, we read about peo
ple coming in and violating
those places.
“Someone came in and vio
lated our space, took the inno
cence of our youth.”
Henion said he had spoken
with law officers about the sit
uation and the school’s securi
ty. Officers told Henion that
they did not think there was
anything that the system could
have done to prevent the
occurence.
“It was a situation that you
couldn’t predict,” Henion said.
“As one officer said to me,
‘There was an armed police
officer on the scene and that
didn’t prevent it (the shooting)
from happening.’ ”
Most parents interviewed
by The Daily Advance newspa
per said they felt the school
system responded to the situa
tion well. Overall, they agreed
with Henion that there was
nothing that could have been
done to predict it.