Sutton, ABQ Journal

Witness testifies she lied about role in murder

FORT WORTH, Texas (AP) - Star state witness Kathy Sutton testified Wednesday she was a heroin addict at 15 and lied to police about her role in the murder of a Pizza Hut manager last year, wrongly laying blame for the episode entirely on David Grijalva, her ex-husband.

Grijalva, 26, is charged with capital murder in the Jan. 11, 1977, slaying of Jeanette Powers, manager of a Pizza Hut in Amarillo.

Miss Sutton, 20, who is on a 10-year probated sentence for her role in the murder-robbery, said she thought up the idea of robbing the Pizza Hut where she once worked. But she said the killing of Mrs. Powers was solely Grijalva's responsibility.

She testified she lied to police about the pistol used in the robbery, about having prior knowledge Grijalva was plotting to rob the Pizza Hut and about what happened to Grijalva's blood-stained clothes after the murder.

when defense attorney Dean Roper questioned her about masterminding the robbery and personally instructing Grijalva to murder Mrs. Powers.

"Is it not true that you instructed David to take Mrs. Powers into the dough room of the Pizza Hut where she died?" Roper asked.

"No, sir. It's not," said Miss Sutton.

Roper asked Miss Sutton if she instructed Grijalava to kill Mrs. Powers.

"I never told David to kill her," Miss Sutton answered.

Prosecutors Dick Stokes and Dale Hanna contend Grijalva, of Gallup, killed Mrs. Powers by slashing her
throat, beating her on the head with a 15-pound rolling pin and then shoving her head in a dough mixer.

Roper asked Miss Sutton if it wasn't her — instead of Grijalva - who struck the first blow to Mrs. Powers' head with the heavy rolling pin. She firmly denied hitting her former co-worker with the rolling pin.