Tape may urge killer to eat

Press, 29 November 1976, Page 8

Tape may urge killer to eat

•NZPA Salt Lake City ! Nicole Barrett, the fiancee of the condemned killer, Garv Gilmore, may send her lover a recorded plea from the State mental hospital that he end his ten-day hunger i strike, according to his aunt. | “They’re going to try to I make a tape of her voice and 'let him hear it.” said Mrs Vern Damico. She said Dr j Roger Kiger, director of the I mental hospital, had agreed Ito the plan. Gilmore has again refused food in his isolation cell at the Utah State Prison in pro (test against the official wall of silence between him and I Mrs Barrett, a 20-year-old divorcee.

Hospital officials have refused to let Gilmore telephone her, refused to accept flowers (he has sent, and refused to discuss her status.

“We can't even get her condition,” a prison official said.

Mrs Barrett was committed to the mental hospital after attempting suicide in a pact with Gilmore. Her mother said Mrs Barrett was “doing well — as well as can be expected. I guess.”

But Mrs Kathryn Baker said she had not been informed of any plan to tape a message from her daughter to the killer. Asked if Mrs Barrett had expressed any desire to speak to Gilmore since the commitment, she said, “No. Nothing. Not a dam-thing.

“I really don’t know how she’s feeling because she hasn’t said much of anything.” Gilmore, 201 b lighter after nine days of fasting, vowed to continue the hunger strike until he is at least told Mrs Barrett’s condition. Agence France-Presse said lawyers for Gilmore were drawing up contracts to ensure royalties for their client from any book or film which tells his story. Tn keeping with the prisoner’s wishes, any such royalties will be paid to the widows and children of his two victims, a motel employee and a service-station manager.