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U.S. NEWS Wednesday 19 February 2020

Nebraska denies pardon for notorious killer's ex-girlfriend

By GRANT SCHULTE viction before she was pa- who support her, and we're
LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Ne- roled in 1976. She has since going to let her know that
braska's pardons board re- married and lives in Michi- however we can," Ward
fused Tuesday to pardon gan under the name Caril said through tears after the
the murder conviction of Ann Clair. board's vote. She said she
the ex-girlfriend of Charles Starkweather was execut- started investigating the
Starkweather, the infa- ed in 1959 at the age of 20. case to discover what had
mous killer who went on a Fugate, now 76, wrote in happened to her grand-
rampage in the 1950s that her pardon application parents, and "the more I
was later immortalized in that the perception that learned, the more I real-
movies, books and two hit she willingly joined Stark- ized that something wasn't
songs. weather on a murder spree right."
The board voted 3-0 to is "too much for me to bear Fugate's attorney, John
deny the application from anymore." S. Berry Sr., said his client
Caril Ann Fugate, even "Receiving a pardon may sought clemency to bring
though some relatives of somehow alleviate this ter- her some closure in the Paulette Neemann, left, and Dave Ellis, relatives of murdered
Starkweather's victims lob- rible burden," she wrote. case. victims of Charles Starkweather, hug in Lincoln, Neb., Tuesday,
bied in her favor. The board After the vote, Peterson "She's not after anything Feb. 18, 2020, before a hearing of he Nebraska Board of Par-
is composed of Nebraska said he denied the appli- else other than to clear her dons to consider a request for clemency from Caril Ann Clair,
the 76-year-old former girlfriend of Charles Starkweather, who
Gov. Pete Ricketts, Attor- cation because the pur- name," said Berry, who also went on an infamous killing spree in Nebraska and Wyoming in
ney General Doug Peter- pose of the pardons board co-wrote a book arguing the late 1950s.
son and Secretary of State is to restore a felon's rights, that Fugate's conviction Associated Press
Bob Evnen, all Republicans. and Fugate's request was was a miscarriage of jus-
Fugate was 14 when Stark- "much, much broader" tice. gate was a victim of Stark- guilt is based on misinfor-
weather, then 19, went on than what board members But Dave Ellis, a relative of weather's and that the mation and hearsay about
a killing spree in 1957-58 could offer. another victim, said he was public's perception of her the case.q
that left 11 people dead "That's not the role of the pleased with the board's
in Nebraska and Wyoming, pardons board," he said. decision. Ellis said he be-
including her mother, step- But the vote infuriated some lieves Fugate killed his first
father and baby half-sister. of Fugate's allies, who were cousin once removed,
The murders stoked so denied a chance to testify. Carol King, because King's
much fear around Lincoln Fugate applied for a par- body was partially muti-
that law enforcement con- don once before, in 1996, lated after Starkweather
ducted a house-by-house and was rejected. This time, raped her. Ellis said he
search of the city and the she had an unusual ally — thinks Fugate mutilated her
governor contacted the the granddaughter of two out of "female rage."
Nebraska National Guard. of Starkweather's victims. Ward said she could find
It also formed a loose basis Liza Ward, of Duxbury, Mas- no evidence of Fugate's
for the 1973 movie "Bad- sachusetts, said she be- guilt beyond a reasonable
lands," with Sissy Spacek came convinced that Fu- doubt and noted that Stark-
and Martin Sheen, as well gate was innocent after re- weather was the prosecu-
as other films. The killings searching the case and vis- tion's main witness against
were the subject of Bruce iting all the sites where peo- her, even though he had
Springsteen's song, "Ne- ple were killed. Ward is the changed his story multiple
braska," and referenced in granddaughter of S. Lauer times and was likely angry
Billy Joel's "We Didn't Start and Clara Ward, who were because Fugate had told
the Fire." killed in their Lincoln home him she never wanted to
Fugate spent 17 years in in December 1958. see him again.
prison on a murder con- "There are a lot of people Ward said she believes Fu-