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

DATE: SUNDAY, April 17, 1994                   TAG: 9404170052
SECTION: VIRGINIA                    PAGE: C-1   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: Associated Press
DATELINE: LEXINGTON                                LENGTH: Medium

JUDGE: EX-CADET TRIED TO MURDER VMI CLASSMATE

"The bottom line is, I believe you acted in the heat of passion, and I find you guilty of attempted murder," Rockbridge Circuit Judge George Honts III told Michael L. Parker, 23, on Friday.

Several of about 15 cadets at a July 11 party harassed Parker, calling him "faggot" and "gay."

"I got the impression that this was somebody who was trying to fit in, but didn't," said Lexington Police Sgt. A.M. Miller.

Kevin D. Price, 23, was apparently the ringleader in the harassment. He and Parker began to argue after Parker rejoined the party from the bathroom without fully pulling his pants up, although his boxer shorts were in place.

Price told Parker to leave the party because he was drunk and embarrassing young women who were present. Parker refused. A shoving match escalated into a fistfight that Price won.

"I had him in a half nelson, grabbed his leg and brought him to the floor," testified Price, who is on VMI's wrestling team. "I punched Mr. Parker several times in the face."

Other cadets at the party separated the two and told them to cool off. Price went outside. A few minutes later, Parker followed him.

Another cadet, Edward Randall IV, 25, testified he heard Parker say, "I'm going to go to my car, get my gun and blow his head off."

"We just sort of laughed it off," Randall said.

But a few minutes later, Randall saw Parker take aim and fire at Price, Randall said.

"I realized he was pulling a pistol out of the bag," Randall said. "I asked him, `Mike, what are you doing?' "

Parker, now a student at the University of Texas, will return May 23 for a sentencing hearing.