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U.S. NEWS Wednesday 4 april 2018

Agents arrest designer of Kansas

water slide that killed boy

By DAVID WARREN
Associated Press
DALLAS (AP) — One of the
designers of a massive Kan-
sas water park slide that
decapitated a 10-year-old
boy has been arrested in
Texas, federal authorities
This Wednesday, Feb. 21,1996 file photo shows John Lotter, said Tuesday.
center, being escorted from the Richardson County Courthouse Trent Touchstone, chief
in Falls City, Neb. deputy with the U.S. Mar-
Associated Press shals Service in Dallas, said
Attorneys: ‘Boys 72-year-old John Timo-

thy Schooley was met by
Don’t Cry’ inmate’s agents at Dallas-Fort Worth
International Airport as he
IQ too low to execute arrived Monday on a flight
from China. Schooley was
being held without bond at
the Dallas County jail after
LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — At- law, an IQ of 70 or below being arraigned on charg-
torneys for a Nebraska is presumptive evidence es that include second-
death row inmate whose of an intellectual disability. degree murder, according
case inspired the 1999 Court records show that to Dallas County sheriff’s
movie “Boys Don’t Cry” say Lotter scored a 67 last year, spokesman Raul Reyna.
he should be ruled ineligi- which would be the equiv- An extradition hearing is This photo provided by the Dallas County Sheriff’s Department
ble for execution because alent IQ of an 8-year-old. scheduled for Wednesday shows John Timothy Schooley, one of the designers of a Kansas
he has the intellect of a Neuropsychologist Ricardo and Schooley likely will be water park slide that decapitated a 10-year-old boy in 2016.
young child. Weinstein determined that transported to Kansas next Associated Press
John Lotter was sentenced Lotter qualifies for an in- week, Reyna said. A Kan- former operations director didn’t immediately reply to
to death for his role in the tellectual developmental sas conviction for second- for Schlitterbahn also has phone messages seeking
1993 killings of Brandon disability diagnosis after degree murder carries a been charged. comment. Schlitterbahn
Teena, a 21-year-old trans- reviewing trial and school penalty of 9 to 41 years in Caleb Schwab was killed spokeswoman Winter Pro-
gender man, and two wit- records, and interview- prison. A Houston attor- on the 17-story Verruckt in sapio said in a statement
nesses, Lisa Lambert and ing Lotter’s mother, foster ney for Schooley, Kit Yam, 2016 when the raft he was last week that the indict-
Philip DeVine, at a rural mother and a psychiatrist didn’t immediately return riding went airborne and ment “is filled with informa-
farmhouse in Humboldt, who worked with him as a a phone message seeking hit an overhead loop. tion that we fully dispute.”
about 75 miles south of child. Lotter scored an IQ comment. A Kansas grand Schooley and Henry, 62, She didn’t immediately re-
Omaha. Lotter has spent of about 73 when he was jury last week indicted also were charged with 17 spond to a message seek-
the last 22 years on death 10 years old, according to Schooley and Jeffrey Hen- other felonies, including ing fresh comment early
row. Lotter’s lawyers filed Weinstein. ry , a co-owner of Texas- aggravated battery and Tuesday. The indictment
a motion last week stat- Lotter’s attorneys also cited based Schlitterbahn Wa- aggravated endanger- alleges the ride violated
ing that recent IQ testing a 2014 decision by the U.S. terparks and Resorts. The ment of a child counts tied “nearly all aspects” of
showed that the 46-year- Supreme Court that reject- indictment accuses Henry to injuries that other riders longstanding standards es-
old is intellectually disabled ed a strict IQ cutoff rule in of making a “spur of the sustained on the giant slide. tablished by the American
and therefore can’t be put Florida. They said the court moment” decision to build Henry was arrested last Society for Testing and Ma-
to death under a 2002 U.S. found a consensus among the Verruckt ride — touted week in South Texas and terials. “In fact, the design
Supreme Court ruling for- medical experts that IQ test as the world’s tallest water Cameron County sheriff’s and operation of the Ver-
bidding the execution of scores shouldn’t be read as slide — and that he and Chief Deputy Gus Reyna ruckt complied with few, if
the intellectually disabled, a single number, but rather Schooley lacked technical Jr. said he was extradited any, of the industry safety
the Lincoln Journal Star re- as a range that can fluctu- or engineering expertise in to Kansas on Tuesday. An standard,” the indictment
ported. Under Nebraska ate for many reasons.q amusement park rides. A attorney in Texas for Henry said.q