Morey and Pell Draw Life Sentences

Morey And Pell Draw Life Sentences

Escape Plot Causes Court To Move Fast

Velasquez Also Given Maximum Term; All To Serve At Jackson

By Tom Dickinson

William R. Morey, III, and Jacob Max Pell were sentenced at 12:30 this afternoon to serve life terms in the Southern Michigan Prison in Jackson for the slaying of Nurse Pauline A. Campbell.

The youths greeted the penalty, which is mandatory under Michigan law, with bowed heads but again showed no outward sign of emotion. They were to leave this afternoon for Jackson.

They and a third youth, David L. Royal, 18, of Milan, were convicted by a circuit court jury on Tuesday, Nov. 13, in the mallet-slaying of the 34-year-old St. Joseph’s Mercy Hospital nurse.

Guilty In First Degree

Morey and Pell, both 18, were judged guilty of first degree murder, while Royal was convicted of second degree murder.

Originally, the three were to | have been sentenced in the Washtenaw circuit court on Dec. 4.

But it was learned late Wednesday that Morey, Pell, Marcelo Velasquez, also a convicted murderer, and two other prisoners in the County Jail were planning to make a break for freedom.

The plot, however, was discovered by sheriff’s officers, who were tipped off by other prisoners.

Velasquez Sentenced

Velasquez, 26-year-old Ann Arbor cab driver, was also sentenced this morning to life imprisonment at Jackson for the Feb. 26 slaying of his wife, Anita, in his rooming house at 118 Catherine St.

The other two known plotters in the bizarre scheme to escape from jail were Marb Kelly, jr., 24, of Rollin, Mich., an accused burglar, and Harold A. Nolan, 25-year-old Iowan waiting sentence on a check forgery charge.

Sheriff John L. Osborn today denied to identify the informants who helped thwart the plot.

Osborn, Prosecutor Douglas K. Reading and Judge James R. Breakey, jr., who conducted the two-week trial, had conferred yesterday on moving up the sentence dates for Morey and Pell.

Explains Decision

Judge Breakey said he decided to impose the sentences today in the "best interests of all concerned," and as a measure of security for the "safety of officers and young men" at the jail.

Neither Kelly nor Nolan appeared this morning. Royal, presumably, will be sentenced Dec. 4 as scheduled.

The three convicted murderers left the County Jail, under heavy guard, at 9:25 this morning. They were escorted by five members of the Ann Arbor Police Department and four sheriff’s officers.

Velasquez was the first to hear sentence pronounced, at 10:20.

Then, at 11:10, Judge Breakey asked Morey and Pell, "Do you have any reason why I should not j sentence you at this time?” Both answered no.

But the youths added that they wished private conferences with the judge in his chambers.

First Morey, then Pell, then Morey again, went into Judge Breakey's office. Morey finally emerged at 12:22 this afternoon. Eight minutes later, the prison terms were announced.

Mr. and Mrs. William R. Morey, II, were seated in the front row of the Courtroom as was Pell's father. Mrs. Morey appeared grief-stricken as she heard her son sentenced to prison.

Under the law, there is no possibility of parole from first degree murder sentence.

However, under “executive clemency,” presumably by action of the governor, a murder convict may be pardoned.

SLAYERS SENTENCED AFTER JAIL BREAK ATTEMPT: William Morey (front, right) and Jacob Max Pell (chained to Morey), convicted of murdering nurse Pauline Campbell, and Marcelo Velasquez (dark glasses), convicted of slaying his wife, are led to court for sentencing after an unsuccessful plot to escape from the Washtenaw County Jail. They were to have been sentenced later. All drew life terms. Officers at left (front to rear) are Det. George J. Simmonds, Det. Sgt. Gregory S. Katopodis and Chief Investigator Harold E. Swoverland. At right behind slayers is Deputy Max Peet, jr.

COAT HANGER KEY FAILS: Deputy Sheriff Peter Stanfield holds a key fashioned from a coat hanger that the two young convicted murderers, William Morey and Jacob Max Pell, hoped would free them from the county jail. Sheriff John Osborn said the scheme for a Thanksgiving Day break failed because an anonymous “insider” tipped off officers. Three other inmates also were in on the plot.