1977-07-14

Police question slaying suspect

by David Bowser

By DAVID BOWSER
Globe-News Staff Writer

The 26-year-old brother-in-law of a California man killed in West Amarillo \yesterday was being questioned late last night in connection with the brutal murder Steve Barnes of 1313 Bell was being questioned by Amarillo detectives in connection with the slashing death of Harry Eugene Jeffords, 22, whose nude body was found about 1:15 p.m. yesterday, lying on a blood-soaked mattress at the Bell street residence.

Officers said Jeffords, an unemployed ironworker from California, had been living at the address with his father-in-law, Louis Barnes, brother-in-law, Steve Barnes, for about two weeks. Police said Jeffords had been in Amarillo for about two months.

Barnes told officer he found the body of his son-in-law upon returning from work yesterday afternoon.

Authorities said Jeffords' throat had been viciously slashed, almost decapitating the man.

Barnes, an Amarillo truck driver, told officers he last saw Jeffords about 1:30 a.m. yesterday. Police said that was when Barnes left the house to go to work,

Jeffords' father-in-law said he returned about 12 hours later to find the body of his son-in-law lying in a pool of blood in the front bedroom of the three bedroom brick home. Barnes said he called police after making the grisly discovery

Investigators said Jeffords appeared to have been dead from 8 to 12 hours.

Potter County Justice of the Peace Roy E. Byrd ordered an autopsy Police said the autopsy would be performed today

Authorities said Jeffords was separated from his wife. Officers said she was at her home in Lubbock with
the couple's two children at the time of the murder.

Detectives said last night that a knife believed to have been used in the murder had been recovered

Police officers spent the afternoon scouring trash containers in the neighborhood where Jeffords body was found in efforts to uncover the murder weapon.

Investigators said the alley and area around the house was searched for possible clues leading to the identity of the killer.

Authorities said the man being questioned last night was picked up about 9 p.m. in West Amarillo.

Detectives said they had no clue last night as to the identity of a woman reported to have entered the house early yesterday morning.

Neighbors reported they saw woman go into the house early yesterday morning

Ronnie Rigdon of 6001 Garden Lane said his wife saw the woman enter the
house about 6 or 6:30 a.m. yesterday.

A woman across the street told ofA woman across the street told officers she heard what she thought to be gunshots at the house about 1 p.m.

Mrs. J. W. Bashioum of 1311 Bell said she hadn't heard or seen anything un-
usual except for a barking dog about 11 p.m. Wednesday night.

"They were quiet people and never seemed to bother anybody." Mrs. Bashioum said. "We hardly ever talked
much to him."

A friend of Jeffords told officers he, Jeffords and several others had been out at a local lounge Wednesday evening but there was no sign of trouble when he last saw the victim.

Detectives were trying last night to trace Jeffords' movements the night before he died. Officers spread over Amarillo to interview friends of the dead man last night in an effort to un-cover a clue to the death.

"Right now," a detective said, "we don't have much."