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Forsyth CountvNews J Your "Hometown Paper" Since 1908 • **********yy.*** R * P fejfCT T Vol. 95, No. 69 Turner case takes off Jury selection expected to conclude today By Nicole Green Staff Writer PERRY Cobb County Superior Court administrators expect to till the 15 juror spots in the mur der trial of Forsyth County resident Lynn Turner by this afternoon which could be record speed for such a high profile case. Court Administrator Skip Chesshire said this case, his fourth high profile trial, is moving faster than any other major case in his experience. Jury selection in the Last time for current delegation Chamber hears of session By Harris Blackwood Community Editor For most members of the current Forsyth legislative delegation, a luncheon appearance on Tuesday before the Chamber of Commerce would likely be their last. Under new district lines approved by a federal court, the county's four state senators were reshuffled into new districts, while one of the three present House members will no longer represent the counfy. The lawmakers, in an hourlong session at the Cumming-Forsyth County Chamber of Commerce's events facility near downtown Cumming, spent much of their time explaining what did not happen, as much as they touted what did happen in the 2004 regular session of the General Assembly. The 40-day regular session ended earlier this month. The lawmakers tailed to complete action on the revenue portion of an indigent defense bill, leaving the state with a gap in its state budget which is estimated at more than SSO million. Gov. Sonny Perdue has called the Legislature into a special session beginning Monday to fix the problems with the indigent defense bill. Members of the delega tion appeared hopeful that the resolution would come in the five days the governor has suggested. "Speaker (Terry) Coleman assures me that the differ ences will be worked out by Monday." said Sen. Bill Stephens. (R-Canton). who serves as majority leader of See LEGISLATURE, Page 2A Xti I Photo/David McGregor Reps. Jack Murphy and Tom Knox share a laugh during a luncheon at the Chamber event facility Tuesday. Murphy defended his opposition to the ‘Payday Loan’ bill. See story, page 18. Missed paper policy: For a replacement paper, call 8 a.m. - 5:50 p.m. Wednesday, Thursday and Friday, and 9 a.m. -1 p.m. on Sunday - (770) 887-3126. Copyright 0 2004 Foriyth County Newt 91 994 0400 1997 murder trial of Cobb attorney Fred Tokars lasted one and a half weeks. Chesshire said. "This is going so much more rap idly than we've anticipated,” said Chesshire, who originally estimated that it could take one to two weeks to seat a jury in what is expected to be a monthlong trial. Jury selection began Tuesday morning w hen 135 jurors reported to the Houston County Courthouse. Out of that number, 5 percent claimed to have a preconceived opinion about the guilt of Turner, a Forsyth County INDEX Abby 5B Classifieds 2B Deaths .2A Government 3A Horoscope 5B Kids Page .5A Opinion 9A Sports n*mmmnww(mmnnnmmnm 6A THURSDAY April 29,2004 'Tax Relief Tuesday 7 tees off 1 Photo/David McGregor Ryan Young chips out of deep rough Tuesday during the eighth annual "Tax Relief Tuesday" golf event sponsored by Norman's Landing restaurant at Chestatee Golf Club in Dawsonville. Proceeds, estimated Tuesday at SIB,OOO, went to benefit United Way of Forsyth County. The event has produced more than $190,000 throughout its history for United Way efforts. Cumming man dies in Dawson wreck From staff reports DAWSONVILLE A Cumming man died tn a Dawson County wreck Tuesday morning, according to the Georgia State Patrol. Alonzo Turner Jr., 73, was pronounced dead at the scene, said state patrol officials. A pregnant woman driving the other vehicle involved in the incident was transported to an area hospital and listed in satis factory condition late Tuesday afternoon. Preliminary reports from the Georgia State Patrol show a Honda CRX driven by Turner failed to stop for a red light at the intersection of Perimeter Road and Hwy. 53 at 9:45 a m. As Turner's vehicle traveled on Perimeter Road and pro ceeded through the intersection, it was hit on the driver's side dixir by a vehicle traveling eastbound on Hwy. 53. The driver of the second vehicle was identified by the state patrol as Amanda Lowe. 23. of Gainesville. Lowe, who is pregnant, was transported from the scene by an emergency helicopter to Northeast Georgia Medical Center. No citations have been issued in connection with the wreck, which remains under investigation by the state patrol. Ingram Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements. Ty son aids Great American Cleanup efforts in Forsyth. Page 3A woman who stands trial for the 1995 poisoning death of her husband. Cobb County Superior Court Judge James G. Bodiford relocated the murder trial to Houston in February after 35 percent of Cobb jurors said they could not hear the case with an unbiased mind. About 60 percent of Houston jurors summoned to serve on the trial had heard, read or seen something about the Turner case prior to enter- See JURY, Page 2A ■ FI I ■ *• . Ik, ' Staff Photo Jury selection continued Tuesday in the Lynn Turner trial. |., JBh nil • ' -T-rsaift Photo/Jess Elkins Dawson County emergency personnel work at the site of a two vehicle wreck at the intersection of Hwy. 53 and Perimeter Road Tuesday. Alonzo Turner Jr., 73, of Cumming, died in the 9:45 a.m. incident. South Forsyth boys and girls tennis clinch state appearances. PageGA Partly Cloudy LAKE LANIER LEVELS Date Level April 24 1070.35 ft * 1 April 25 1070.35 ft / April 26 1070.36 ft April 27 1070.41 ft Full 1071.00 ft High in the mid-70s. U>w in the low 50s. •ce cream shop coming noon Sheriff still seeks answers Tips yield little info By Colby Jones Staff Writer After sketches of a man wanted for questioning in the April 15 disap pearance of Patrice Tamher Endres began appearing in gas stations and grocery stores beside a photo of the white cargo van he was seen driving, hundreds of tips poured into the Forsyth County Sheriff’s Office. The nearly 700 tips received so far run the gamut from mundane to bizarre. Dozens of residents have spotted white vans. If lucky, they provide a partial tag number. A dozen callers reported hearing a woman’s cry for help, prompting searches by law enforcement into woods and storage units. Others think the case is connected to recent bank robberies. Capt. Ron Freeman, the agency's chief of detectives, said Endres has been seen at countless Waffle House and Huddle House restaurants and Wal-Marts during recent weeks. In one of the most outlandish tips, a person said the police chief in Salem. Mass., knew a witch who could tell detectives where Endres could be found. Sheriff Ted Paxton said residents have passed on information from psychics. "They say. *1 see a road or a church and a steeple ... I see woods, hilly terrain,'" Paxton said. "Yeah it's North Georgia." The sheriff said he discounts psy chic tips and wonders why the sooth sayers could not have used their abil ities to call him before the kidnap ping. "We can only deal with facts and evidence," he said before attending a Tuesday afternoon briefing on the case. The evidence gathered so far leads detectives to suspect the 38- year-old Endres was kidnapped from her Matt Highway (Hwy. 369) busi ness. Tamber's Trim-N-Tan, about lunchtime. She warmed up her lunch in the microwave, but she never had a chance to take the lid off the con tainer and eat. Paxton said. A woman driving by the salon at I 1:54 a.m. reported seeing Endres' Chevrolet Tahoe parked in front of a white cargo van at the salon, then she saw a man walk behind the van. An artist made a sketch of the man based on the passerby's description But the crime scene itself has yielded no tell tale clues. See ENDRES, Page 2A