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October 18, 2005
Behl's mother says: No Gag Order for me
Yesterday, the attorney for Janet Pelasara, Behl's mother, said Pelasara would legally contest any attempt to extend a gag order in the case to apply to her. Pelasara has not been called before the grand jury. But the order is a clear indication of the level of frustration that has developed over leaks of investigative information in the case.
Grand jury hearing evidence on VCU freshman's death will meet again tomorrow
BY JIM NOLAN
TIMES-DISPATCH STAFF WRITER
The judge presiding over a multijurisdictional grand jury hearing evidence in Taylor Marie Behl's death has signed a gag order prohibiting witnesses who appear before it from publicly discussing their testimony.
Grand jury proceedings are secret, but witnesses called before the panel are customarily not prohibited from discussing their testimony after appearing.
But yesterday's order, signed by presiding Judge Margaret Spencer, legally binds the witnesses called before the panel, which is expected to convene tomorrow for a second time to hear evidence in the case.
Behl, a 17-year-old Virginia Commonwealth University freshman, disappeared on Sept. 5. Her decomposed body was discovered on Oct. 5 in a ravine in rural Mathews County, roughly 70 miles east of Richmond.
Police subsequently identified 38-year-old Ben Fawley of Richmond as a suspect in Behl's death. Fawley, a felon who admitted to a previous sexual encounter with Behl, was arrested and held without bond Sept. 23 on charges of possession of child pornography.
No charges have been filed in connection with Behl's death.
Last Friday, Richmond Police Chief Rodney Monroe said he would request a gag order in the case after the disclosure of details of a statement Fawley gave to police last Wednesday.
In the two-hour statement taken by police at the Richmond City Jail, sources told The Times-Dispatch that Fawley admitted that he was with Behl when she died.
Fawley, according to sources close to the investigation, said Behl's death was an accident that occurred during a rough sexual encounter in the Vienna teen's car in Mathews County just hours after Behl had last been seen by her roommate at VCU.
Fawley also told police he panicked and later dumped Behl's body in a ravine on an isolated farm adjoining the property of an ex-girlfriend's family.
Both Monroe and Fawley's attorney, Chris Collins, have declined to confirm or deny any of the details in Fawley's statement.
Yesterday, the attorney for Janet Pelasara, Behl's mother, said Pelasara would legally contest any attempt to extend a gag order in the case to apply to her. Pelasara has not been called before the grand jury. But the order is a clear indication of the level of frustration that has developed over leaks of investigative information in the case.
Law-enforcement sources have expressed skepticism over Fawley's version of what happened and are trying to verify his story. Meanwhile, authorities are still awaiting results of further forensic tests to determine how Behl died.
Link:
Tags: Janet Pelasara, Taylor Behl, Ben Fawley
Posted by Nealus at October 18, 2005 12:55 PM
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