- Publication: The Red and Black (University of Georgia student newspaper) — Weekend
- Author: Kelly Daniel, Staff Writer
- Original Publication Date: Friday, January 8, 1993
Athens-Clarke County police investigators are hoping hypnosis will lead them to the person who strangled and raped University senior Jennifer Stone over eight months ago.
Police Sgt. W.J. Smith said Thursday two suspects in the April 23 slaying of Stone have been asked to let a psychiatrist hypnotize them, in hopes that police may learn more information to aid in the search for the killer.
The suspects, Ernest Brown and Donald Wilson, were arrested last July when police determined cameras in their possession belonged to the slain woman.
“One of them has agreed (to hypnosis),” Smith said. “The other one is still trying to make up his mind. He has tentatively agreed.”
again Smith would not say which suspect had not agreed or who would be hypnotizing the men.
The suspects have no legal obligation to cooperate with investigators, police said.
University law professor Donald Wilkes, Jr., said hypnosis has been used as an investigative tool by police for nearly 25 years.
“It’s used from time to time,” Wilkes said. “I wouldn’t say it’s frequent. It’s used to help someone remember something that they don’t consciously recall.”
The men are charged with theft by possession and remain suspects in Stone’s murder, despite earlier reports that charges were being dropped. Both suspects are free on bond, after being indicted by a grand jury last August.
A third suspect, Larry Darnell Brown, remains in Athens-Clarke County jail, although the district attorney’s office says he should be released within the next few days. Larry Brown, also arrested in July and charged with theft by possession, has not been asked to undergo hypnosis, nor has he been indicted in the case.
Assistant District Attorney Rick Dickson said he expects the cases against Larry Brown and Wilson to be dismissed in mid-January.
“The case against Larry Brown was the weakest of the three, and the case has never been developed to a point where you could say that Larry knew he was involved in peddling stolen property,” Dickson said. “The police have had ample opportunities to talk with him and I expect bond to be made within the next day or so. I expect the cases against Larry Brown and Donald Wilson are going to be dismissed.”
Dickson cited lack of sufficient evidence as a reason for the probable dismissals.
The case against Ernest Brown, a former operator for the University’s Computer and Networking Service, remains the strongest of the three, although he has been eliminated as Stone’s rapist, Dickson said. Brown has been suspended from his job at the University until the police investigation is completed.
“There is sufficient evidence against Ernest Brown that he could be prosecuted for theft by receiving,” Dickson said. “I doubt it, but it hasn’t been ruled out. I don’t think we’re going to be dropping that case just yet.”
Smith said investigators are following leads and checking information they’ve received since late November, but “I’m not sure I’ve even located the person responsible for this (Stone’s death).”
“I am looking at types of people that the lab has told me might be involved,” Smith said. He would not say what details the Georgia Bureau of Investigation crime lab has provided him.
Investigators have traveled as far as Houston, Texas in search of Stone’s killer, all to no avail. Several strong suspects have been eliminated on the basis of DNA tests and police now say they have few solid leads to follow.
“I don’t know where we’re going unless we come up with something new,” said Maj. Danny Pace, director of the Athens-Clarke County police criminal investigation bureau. “We haven’t come up with anything new in quite a while. There’s only a few things left that they (investigators) can do.”
Smith issued a call for Stone’s friends and others involved at the start of the investigation to contact police as soon as possible. Detectives have had a hard time locating these people because many of them are students who left Athens for the summer and now have new addresses and telephone numbers, he said.
“All we want to do is to re-interview these people,” Smith said. “The case was wide open when we began and we didn’t know who we were looking for. Now we can go back and ask them about specific issues.”
Smith asked all involved parties to contact investigators at 613-3337 or to stop by the police department at 3035 Lexington Rd. to set up an interview time.
[Pull quote, page 6] ‘All we want to do is to re-interview these people.’ — W. J. Smith, Police Sgt.
[Pull quote] ‘I expect the cases against Larry Brown and Donald Wilson are going to be dismissed.’ — Rick Dickson, Assistant D.A.
[Photo caption] Jennifer Stone (File)