m If79. HlOfI Mmln0. M l f m . ' LiMaron, 4 ofuomoffe, ». v«ryef«OA. 6 4M W «v- r wMkCfuM. 7f, ^ » w « r brok*^ ofr, •Mtta. Em«f- Wofl. M7-0M7 P. TifSildrinsr) lin M tp o m r broKM. 31k. ndlffon. 646- iHmtrbrfitrr Hrralb ) Vnrhfistfir A C'ty nf VilUqp ^,h.^rr^^ m . 6ootf . Mutt MU. M7-1130. » T X t . LtOttMTlnf*- :k finftb/ lodr 12,m . Dtllofi Saturday, Juna 2 7 ,19 2 7 SOCama 2145. ;ronk-u0 t«nt xetlltnt com M pt 3. Fur* )v«, orxJ led ln« 32400 or ROSS VERDICT: DEATH . Call aftor 6. ■y Linde ftoweff the Assoefeted Fress Inside: MLE BRIDOEFORT - MiciMel B. R«m , eonffeted/ons Sof merder- inG four t«en*sfs fM s, on rridsy Evcryona thouGht tho beesino die flrtt person con­ knock on tho Jury room door demned to (Be in Comiectlciit's at 6:66 p.m. Fridi^ Just moant eleetrle eheir since the U.S. tho Jurors wanted to go homo dupreme Cotm upheld the death and rosumo doliboratlona penalty In 1373. next weak. But it didn't ntoan Lawyers for the 27*year*old that — It moant tho Jury had serial killer said they would doekfod that Miohaol B. Rosa appeal the sentence. should bo oontoneod to daath In tho olootrlo chair. The Cornell University Gradu­ ate and former Insurance sales­ Ity man from Orlswold heard the verdict from a 12-memtier Jury A Jury's vordict Friday that that deliberated four hours before Miehaol B. Ro m should Go to ifiMdaisM, concludinG the killinGs were tho oloctrlo chair for tho mnm "espedally cruel, heinous and murders of four younG women CE depraved." evoked praise for tho Jurors' ThoM are the aGGravatinG couraGe, cntlclsm of Connec­ factors necessary for the death ticut's death penalty statute sentence to be Imposed under and predictions Ross will Connecticut law. never be executed. Just as crucial, the eight men - P S 0 # 9 and four women Jurors found that no mitiGatinG factors existed In The death sentence Im­ any of the slayinGs. The presence posed on Michael B. Ross of Just one mitiGatinG factor — Friday exposes a state that such as mental Illness — would has lonG been Ill-at-ease and have ruled out the death penalty. III prepared to execute Ross stood motionless facinG anyone. The state's electric the bench. One of his public chair hasn't been used since defenders said he did not react. 1960. Even If the chair was Spectators In the packed functional, the state has no BridGeport Superior Court room executioner. gasped as the sentence was - p a g 9 9 returned. Relatives of Ross' four teen age victims, whom Ross Co-workers and friends of either raped or kidnapped before Michael B. Ross were stunned stranGlinG, cried In relief. when the mild-mannered Under state law, trial JudGe G. younG man was charGed with Sarsfield Ford has no choice but six murders, but the portrait of to sentence Ross to die In the a sadistic killer that emerGed Akfllcptwte electric chair. Pronouncement of durinG his trial bore out the sentence was scheduled for 10 defense lawyer's description Michael B. Rosa is the first person condemned to die In Connecticut's a.m. July 6. of Ross as a "livinG riddle." electric chair since the U.8. Supreme Court upheld the death penalty ~ P 6 0 p 9 In 1976. Tam to paGe S <7 Firemen reflect on accord -MAOAnNB PULLOUT gCCTION Mood Inside Buckland station Is gloomy ... page 2 26’ Need money? Herald columnist Gives it away on Thursdayl 26’ t Inza Hue i •er mmirbrfitrr Hrralb ) V;iachpstRr A Ci'Y ViHSQP 30 C«nts ROSSSaturday, Juna 2 7 ,19S7 VERDICT:____ DEATHm ■ Bv Linda Stowell The Associated Press Inside: BRIDGEPORT — Michael B. Ross, convicted June 5 of murder­ Evaryona thought tha ing lour teen-age girls, on Friday knock on th* Jury room door became the first person con­ ■t S:0S p.m. Friday Just meant demned to die in Connecticut’s tha jurors wanted to go home electric chair since the U.S. and resume deliberations Supreme Court upheld the death next week. But it didn’t mean p e ^ t y in ISTS. that — it meant the Jury had Lawyers lor the 27-year-oid decided that Michael B. Ross serial Uller said they would should be sentenced to death appeal the sentence. In the electric chair. The Cornell University gradu­ — p a g e d ate and former insurance sales­ man from Griswold heard the A jury’s verdict Friday that i verdict from a 12-member Jury Michael B. Ross should go to that deliberated four hours before the electric chair for the concluding the killings were murders of four young women “ especially cruel, heinous and evoked praise for the jurors’ depraved." courage, criticism of Connec­ Those are the aggravating ticut’s death penalty statute factors necessary for the death and predictions Ross will sentence to be imposed under never be executed. Connecticut law. — paged Just as crucial, the eight men and four women Jurors found that The death sentence Im­ no mitigating factors existed in posed on Michael B. Ross any of the slayings. The presence Friday exposes a state that 1 of Just one mitigating factor — has long been Ill-at-ease and such as mental illness — would ill prepared to execute vl'i have ruled out the death penalty. Ross stood motionless facing anyone. The state’s electric L the bench. One of his public chair hasn’t been used since defenders said he did not react. 1960. Even If the chair was ■C functional, the state has no Spectators in the packed executioner. Bridgeport Superior Court room - p a g a d gasped as the sentence was returned. Relatives of Ross’ four Co-workers and friends of teen-age victims, whom Ross either raped or kidnapped before Michael B. Ross were stunned strangling, cried in relief. when the mild-mannered young man was charged with Under state law, trial Judge G. six murders, but the portrait of Sarsfield Ford has no choice but a sadistic killer that emerged to sentence Ross to die in the during his trial bore out the electric chair. Pronouncement of defense lawyer’s description APflIapMto sentence was scheduled for 10 of Ross as a ’’living riddle." a.m. July 6. MiohMui B Ro m Is the first person condemned to die In Connecticut s — paga d JHectrlc chair since the U.S. Supreme Court upheld the death penalty Turn to page 3 In 1976. Firemen reflect on accord Mood inside Buckiand station is gloomy ... page 2 MAGAZINE PULLOUT SECTION gives m tm t kri To w n firemen f|b^ipp0fnte^ electric the cftlsens of the state owe a debt of State Rep. Richard D. Tulisano, over Ooisfble CentMaed from page! D-Rocky Hill, coHJhairman of tte gratKode to these 11 Jnrom. J u ^ a r y Committee, is one of the B y J 0im Fr Klreti Before an execution maybecarried DeCsprio, who «k*wrled*«J,*f*|* legislature most outspoken opponents HBrold Mwortor Ross had done "terrible tMngs, had out, however, the state teprsme asked the Jury for a Bfe s e n t e ^ of the death penalty. Court most review the ca^ . A light drifgle foil on the PuMk defender M JW d O s^l^ Friday's verdict was for the kkMap- “ I tMnk the death penalty is n d m BadtlBod ArahouBe FrldBy night, murders of RoMn itavlnsky, 16, of appropriate penalty In our jo e w v said he was not s o r p r i^ J L *** Norwich; April Brunals, IL M Gris­ because I don’t think it In the end cBBting the red brick stm ettm in outcome and ^ he " a gloomy light. a ^ a l of the sentence within 26 days wold; Leslie Shelley, 14, of answers society's interests or the Inside die ll-year-old station, and Wendy Baribeautt, I7 of U s l ^ . interest of families and survivors, he known as Company 8 of the town F eX ig the hOF^nie C oortrei^ The Stavinsky and BaribeauH girls said. of Manchester Fire Department, and any appeals, Ross weidddie intiw had also been raped. TuHsano sponsored an unsuccessful It was for the Baribeautt girt s it was dry. But the mood of its two electric chair at the state's maximum Mil tMs year that would h ^ e killing that he was arrested by state occupants seemed to match the abolished the state's death f m a ^ security prison at gomers. poHce on June 26,1664. weather outside. Lera Shelley of Griswold, mother M law. In favor of life hi prison without The fireflghters, John C. By* the possiMItty of parole. cholski of Manchester and Dou­ IT one of the vidim s, said after the Mm June s on six coanw verdict that “ 1 tMnk It’s really great. glas Welch of Andover, per­ felony in the four WIHogs. * ^ * < * » ^ State Rep. Eugene A. Migliaro Jr., '" I f you're going to kgep telling your friend formed their duties Friday as if But She added. ’Mow can I say he R-Wolcott, an equallyy outspokCT what happens next, mention someone gets nothing was wrong. in the s l a ^ s deserved It? I can’t say, I ’m not God. advocate of the death penalty, said M ayte God ruled it. 1 really have no punched In the nose...” But It was obvious both knew it of two young Windham County simply, “ It's about time.