THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT 
              Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: Tuesday, May 2, 1995                   TAG: 9505020254
SECTION: LOCAL                    PAGE: B1   EDITION: FINAL 
SOURCE: BY LYNN WALTZ, STAFF WRITER 
DATELINE: VIRGINIA BEACH                     LENGTH: Medium:   84 lines

WOMAN PLEADS GUILTY TO KILLING 4 SHE WAS TO STAND TRIAL FOR HER ROLE IN THE QUADRUPLE MURDER AT THE WITCHDUCK INN.

Denise R. Holsinger pleaded guilty Monday to the city's first quadruple murder, saying she didn't want the victims' families to suffer through a trial.

Holsinger, who had been fired from her job at the Witchduck Inn about a month before the murder, told a friend that her former boss, LamVan Son, was ``going to get his'' in retaliation for the firing, prosecutor Robert Humphreys said.

The 30-year-old waitress was in the bar last June 30 when Michael Clagett, her former boyfriend, allegedly shot Son, two employees and a patron in an execution-style slaying and robbery. Her role is still not entirely clear.

``The reason why I don't want to take this to trial is because I feel that everybody has suffered enough, and I don't want to put everybody through this,'' Holsinger told Circuit Judge John K. Moore.

As Holsinger answered each charge with a barely audible ``guilty,'' Son's wife laid her head on the back of the bench in front of her and began to cry. Family members of the victims filled the front bench of the courtroom.

Holsinger began to shake, then put her face in her hands and cried as prosecutor Humphreys produced graphic photographs from the crime scene and began to recount the events of the night of the murders.

Holsinger, who did not face the death penalty, could get up to five life terms plus 23 years and a fine of $400,000 for four murder charges, robbery and firearms offenses. She is scheduled to be sentenced July 19.

At least one family member didn't buy Holsinger's claim of compassion.

``I don't think Denise showed any remorse. I just hope the judge is as strict as possible on her sentencing,'' said Kevin Rounds, husband of one of the victims, Karen S. Rounds, who was hired to replace Denise when she was fired.

Wednesday would have been the couple's fourth anniversary. They had no children.

``I think the guilty plea was for herself to help her at sentencing,'' Rounds said. ``Not out of compassion for family members.''

Still, Rounds said not having to sit through the trial was a ``relief.''

``I don't think I could have handled it,'' he said. ``I believe she was the driving force behind the murders. . . . She's a very evil person, in my opinion. If not for her, this wouldn't have happened.''

While Holsinger had maintained her innocence prior to Monday, co-defendant Clagett has said Holsinger planned the slayings and ordered him to ``do it'' as they stood together in the bar. Clagett said Holsinger even told him to kill a 4-year-old boy sleeping in the back office of the bar. The boy was not harmed.

In an odd twist, Holsinger, who proclaimed innocence, ended up pleading guilty, while Clagett, who confessed repeatedly, has pleaded not guilty and indicated he wants to go to trial.

That trial, for capital murder, is scheduled to begin June 26. He could receive the death penalty.

Holsinger's attorney, Wilson G. Nelligar, said her plea did not include an agreement for Holsinger to testify against Clagett. However, public defender Peter T. Legler said he plans to subpoena Holsinger for the defense.

``She's the only accessible eyewitness to this crime other than my client,'' Legler said. ``The little boy didn't see anything. We think her testimony is important to establish what happened.''

Commonwealth's Attorney Humphreys said he doesn't plan to call Holsinger as a witness, saying he questions her credibility because she has given police so many conflicting versions of what happened. He said he would not object if defense attorneys call her as a witness.

``Frankly, I'd love to get the chance to cross-examine her,'' Humphreys said.

Humphreys told the judge that the day of the murder, Holsinger and Clagett filled her car with household valuables to pawn, keeping only the .357 used in the murders.

The day after the murders, Humphreys said, Holsinger sat with friends in the bar, grieving over the loss of her former colleagues. She reportedly told them she ``wanted first dibs on the son of a bitch that did it.'' ILLUSTRATION: Color photo

Denise R. Holsinger

KEYWORDS: MURDER SHOOTING TRIAL QUADRUPLE MURDER by CNB