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A6 U.S. NEWS
Saturday 22 april 2017
Gunman in Missouri utility worker deaths had record Sheriff: Man killed

JIM SALTER a possible motive, saying could have been one. do not provide details on after firing at mom,
Associated Press only that the shooting did Willis’ criminal history dates the misconduct. ambushing police
ST. LOUIS (AP) — A gunman not appear to be racially back more than 20 years Willis also filed for bankrupt-
who killed two utility work- motivated. Willis was black, and includes convictions cy in 2012 and emerged HARDEEVILLE, S.C. (AP) —
ers in St. Louis before killing and both workers were on drug trafficking, assault from it the following Janu- A man killed by police in
ary, according to court re- South Carolina had am-
cords. bushed the officers, wait-
Police said Willis walked up ing to open fire until they
to the workers in a residen- approached a bedroom
tial area of western edge to investigate whether
of St. Louis and opened he shot at his mother, au-
fire without saying a word. thorities said. The two of-
Both workers were shot in ficers were wounded, but
the chest; the gunman was are expected to survive,
shot in the head, and a gun Jasper County Sherriff
was found next to him. Chris Malphrus said Friday.
Boschert’s family remem- “We’re not clear on why
bered him as “a hard-work- this happened — what his
ing young man who loved intent was,” Malphrus said
the outdoors and being at a news conference.
on the farm,” adding in a Jasper County deputy Jus-
prepared statement that tin Smith and Hardeeville
“he treasured his family police Sgt. Kelvin Grant
and his friends.” The family rushed to the home around
declined to field questions 6 p.m. Thursday after a 911
and requested privacy. caller said Jose Trejo was
A man at Willis’ home told shooting at a woman, Mal-

St. Louis police and Laclede Gas Co. workers congregate after a fatal shooting Thursday, April reporters Friday to leave phrus said.
20, 2017, in St. Louis. Manyika McCoy had just been talking to two Laclede Gas Co. workers just “out of respect for the fam- Trejo, 26, was killed in the
before they were killed by a man who walked up and started shooting. ily,” then reiterated that ensuing gunbattle with po-
(J.B. Forbes/St. Louis Post-Dispatch via AP) insistence when reporters lice. Smith was shot in the
sought to speak to neigh- shoulder and hand and will
himself had a long criminal white. and armed criminal ac- bors. have surgery Friday. Hard-
history, including drug and Electric utility Ameren Mis- tion. Court records show he The shooting prompted eeville police Sgt. Kelvin
assault convictions, along souri confirmed in a state- was sentenced to 14 years precautions from several Grant was wounded in the
with financial troubles lead- ment that Willis had an ac- in prison in 1997, was pa- utilities. Laclede Gas and armpit and may need sur-
ing to bankruptcy, court re- count with the company roled in January 2008 and Ameren took workers off gery, Malphrus said.
cords show. but said he was “not un- released from supervision in the city’s streets Thursday, Both men remain in a hos-
Police on Friday identified der the threat of discon- September 2009. and Missouri American pital in Savannah, Georgia.
the gunman as 51-year- nection” of electricity. The While in prison, Willis was Water and the Metropoli- Trejo was known to police,
old Clinton Willis, who lived statement followed a St. written up nearly three tan St. Louis Sewer District facing domestic violence
about a mile from where Louis Post-Dispatch report, dozen times for creating removed workers from the and drug charges in the
the Laclede Gas employ- citing unidentified sources, disturbances, possessing immediate area of the past, the sheriff said.
ees were shot Thursday. that Willis was upset about contraband, disobeying or- shooting. Workers for all This was the third shooting
Police identified the slain an unpaid electric bill. Po- ders, stealing and making four utilities were back in involving an officer in Hard-
workers as Alex Boschert, lice have not released a threats, according to re- the field Friday, but work- eeville, a town of 4,200
27, and William Froelich, 52. motive and declined to cords obtained by The As- ing with an abundance of about 15 miles north of Sa-
Police declined to discuss speculate on whether that sociated Press. The records caution.q vannah, in the past three
Milwaukee man convicted of killing girlfriend, child years. Jasper County dep-
uties have been involved
in two police shootings in
MILWAUKEE (AP) — A jury Fowler testified Thursday Ellenberger because he mony as sickening. the county of 27,000 peo-
found a Milwaukee man that someone else was re- felt disrespected, killed Lonski said the “spectacle ple this year.
guilty Friday in the stabbing sponsible for the March her daughter next as she of the child murderer crying There is body camera foot-
deaths of his girlfriend and 2016 killings. He said he screamed out “Mommy!” on the witness stand while age of the shooting, but
her 4-year-old daughter af- was hiding in the bathroom and then used the child’s giving phony testimony” the State Law Enforcement
ter the prosecutor ripped when he heard Ellenberger coloring books to set the was capped by a defense Division has not released
into his claim that an intrud- scream followed by the girl fire. He and Ellenberger attorney bringing Fowler a it. The agency investigates
er killed them and returned crying out. He said his own had been dating for about tissue. “Thank you for not most police shootings in
to set the victims’ home on fear kept him from inter- a month. vomiting,” the prosecutor- South Carolina.
fire. Patrick Fowler, 33, was vening and that he didn’t Fowler testified that the said. Trejo is Hispanic, Smith is
convicted of two counts of call police before fleeing confession, which was Defense attorney Calvin white and Grant is black,
first-degree intentional ho- because he didn’t think played for the jury, was Malone said in his closing agency spokesman Thom
micide Friday in the deaths anyone would believe him. false. that his client’s fear warped Berry said.
of 28-year-old Jessica El- “I kneeled down by Jes- He is scheduled to be sen- his judgment, froze his re- Hardeeville Police Chief
lenberger and her daugh- sica. I held her and prayed tenced May 5 and faces flexes and led to the mis- Sam Woodward said the
ter, Madyson Marshel. El- for them,” Fowler testified. life in prison. takes he made in not inter- officers had to go into
lenberger was stabbed 26 The testimony contrasted Assistant District Attorney vening to stop the attack the home and not wait
times and her throat was sharply with the taped Michael Lonski said in his or call police afterward. for backup because they
slit. Madyson, who had re- confession Fowler gave closing argument Friday “The situation became so were told someone was
covered from cancer sur- detectives after his arrest in that Fowler’s claims of a overwhelming, he could shooting a gun and had
gery not long before her Arkansas. He told them that “bogeyman” were absurd. not explain what hap- no idea how many people
death, was stabbed twice. he repeatedly stabbed He described Fowler’s testi- pened,” Malone said.q were at risk.q