Sacramento Youth Cleared in Slaying

A burly 17-year-old Sacramento youth, flown here yesterday afternoon for questioning in the murder of two Lompoc sweethearts, has been tentatively eliminated as a suspect in the slayings, Inspector Charles M. Taylor of the sheriff’s office said this afternoon.

The bespectacled youth, Robert Lee Bell, claims he left Lompoc and returned to Sacramento Sunday, June 2.

His employer at a car wash at first believed he paid Bell the following Tuesday, the day Linda Edwards, 17, and Robert Domingos, 18, were slain at a remote beach.

But last night the secretary for the employer refreshed his memory with records showing she made out payroll checks for Bell Saturday, June 1.

The .22 rifle and a .22 revolver—believed stolen from a Lompoc neighbor—found in his possession in Sacramento, still will be checked by Ray Pinker of the Los Angeles police for comparison with the murder bullets.

HUNT CONTINUES

Meanwhile, a state-wide hunt continues for “Sandy,” a youth accused of fatally stabbing a man in Lompoc the day before the beach slayings. Sheriff James W. Webster and his detectives have not excluded him as a possible suspect in the double murder.

Blood spots found on rocks in a creek near the shack where the bodies were found are undergoing laboratory tests.

Blood spots and .22-caliber rounds were found in a creek bottom about 50 feet from the shack. Spots were found at intervals of from three to 15 feet along the creek edge.

Detectives speculated that one of the victims, possibly the girl, ran up the creek from the beach to seek shelter from the killer. A bullet wound in Linda’s back—one of nine shots that hit her—may have been the first and possibly was not fatal, according to a pathologist.

One theory expressed is that after this first wound Linda dashed up the creek toward the shack and was shot repeatedly as she ran for her life. Detectives found 15 empty .22 brass casings toward the mouth of the creek 20 feet from the ocean. They were apparently from a fast-firing, automatic weapon.

In all, 26 casings of the .22 Super X long rifle type were found.

Blood smears were also found on weeds and blood-smeared hair was found on sticks and rocks in the creek area. A bobby pin was found in the deep creek waters.

An attempt will be made to trace manufacturer’s numbers stamped on empty boxes of .22 rifle bullets found near the shack, Inspector Taylor said today.

The crude shack was reported built by an ex-serviceman known as “Clyde,” who was last reported seen a month ago. He owned a .22 rifle, it was learned.

YOUTH BOOKED

Bell was booked at Juvenile Hall after his arrival at 5 p.m. yesterday on a chartered flight. He was booked on suspicion of a burglary at the home of Roy Bland of Lompoc, who reported theft of the revolver.

The 185-pound youth grinned as his plane taxied up to the Air Exec hangar, probably because of the size of the group awaiting him. It included Sheriff Webster, Inspector Charles M. Taylor, two photographers, a reporter and airport employes. Sheriff’s Detective Joseph Rodriguez had picked up Bell in Sacramento.

Many members of the 305-member Lompoc High School graduating class yesterday attended funeral services for Miss Edwards who, along with Domingos, was to have graduated last week.

Bell denies any knowledge of the beach slayings and told detectives here last night that he did not know the Edwards girl or Domingos.

Detectives are also checking out Bell’s claim to have attended a baseball game in Sacramento with some friends the same Sunday he arrived.

PHOTO CAPTION

ROBERT LEE BELL — Cleared of Suspicion