
                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: FRIDAY, February 1, 1991                   TAG: 9102010599
SECTION: VIRGINIA                    PAGE: B3   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: VICTORIA RATCLIFF STAFF WRITER
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Medium

BEASLEY ABDUCTION CHARGES MERGED

Petersburg prosecutors planned to ask the court to drop an abduction charge today against James G. Beasley of Salem because, they say, it makes sense for the former General Electric engineer to be tried for all his charges in Prince George County.

"The abduction was a continuing offense. . . . He can't be prosecuted in both jurisdictions for that," said Assistant Petersburg Commonwealth's Attorney Mark Robinette. "It makes sense for judicial economy," he said.

Beasley, 49, was indicted last month in Prince George County on charges that he abducted a Petersburg woman at gunpoint Nov. 19, drove her to Prince George, slashed her arm with a knife and then tried to kill a police officer who saw the woman trying to get away. Beasley had also been charged with the abduction in Petersburg.

Robinette said prosecutors believe the 27-year-old woman voluntarily got into Beasley's four-wheel-drive vehicle when he offered her a ride home. The abduction allegedly began when Beasley began driving in the wrong direction and continued driving into Prince George, he said.

Beasley's attorney, Pat Doherty, said the move to consolidate the charges in one jurisdiction shows that "two experienced commonwealth's attorneys have taken a very sophisticated approach to this prosecution. They joined forces, weighed their evidence, anticipated a number of potential defenses and defense tactics, and then took steps to block them.

"It looks as though their move is also designed to strengthen the commonwealth's case and hamper the defendant's case with regard to questions of venue, double jeopardy, credibility of certain witnesses and pretrial publicity," he said.

Doherty said he was aware in advance that the charge would be dropped in Petersburg and added in Prince George.

Beasley's case is scheduled to go to trial Monday in Prince George Circuit Court. Doherty would not comment on whether his client will plead guilty.

The woman testified at his preliminary hearing last month that Beasley had just removed handcuffs and duct tape from her ankles and was preparing to videotape her when he realized someone was coming up the road.

by CNB