DATE: Saturday, April 12, 1997              TAG: 9704120370

SECTION: LOCAL                   PAGE: B5   EDITION: FINAL 

                                            LENGTH:   87 lines

VIRGINIA

Allen taps friend

to replace Gilmore

as attorney general

RICHMOND - Gov. George Allen on Friday appointed longtime friend and ally Richard Cullen to succeed Jim Gilmore as attorney general.

Gilmore announced April 3 that he will resign June 11, the day after the Republican primary, to campaign full-time for governor. Gilmore is unopposed for the GOP nomination.

Cullen, the former U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, led Allen's drive to abolish parole in 1994 and has served on several other commissions for the Republican governor.

``He shares General Gilmore's and my foundational principles that we have adhered to and has a common sense view that most Virginians have about crime, violence, the proper punishment and honesty,'' Allen said at a news conference.

The governor and Cullen used the occasion to praise Gilmore.

Cullen said the high morale and sense of family in the attorney general's office will make taking over ``a piece of cake'' and said he would make no changes.

Cullen will bring allies from both sides of the aisle to office.

From 1991-93, while filling the unexpired federal prosecutor's term in Eastern Virginia after an appointment by President Bush, he helped draw up then-Democratic Gov. L. Douglas Wilder's one-handgun-a-month law.

Born in Staunton, Cullen played wide receiver at Furman University and received his law degree from the University of Richmond.

Meanwhile, former state public safety secretary Jerry Kilgore filed petitions Friday to place his name on the Republican primary ballot for attorney general.

Three other candidates for the GOP nomination already had filed their petitions before Friday's deadline. They are state Sen. Ken Stolle of Virginia Beach, state Sen. Mark Earley of Chesapeake and Fairfax attorney Gil Davis.

The winner of the June 10 primary will face Arlington lawyer Bill Dolan, who is unopposed for the Democratic nomination, in the general election.

Woman inmate dies; she

apparently hanged herself

RICHMOND - An inmate apparently hanged herself Friday at the Virginia Correctional Center for Women, where she was in maximum security for violent behavior, the Department of Corrections said.

The body of Audrey Berryman, 34, was discovered at 11:55 a.m., said spokesman David Botkins.

``The preliminary indication (is that) it appeared to be self-inflicted, possibly by hanging,'' he said.

Officials had no further explanation of how or when Berryman died and said the matter is under investigation. Her body was sent to the medical examiner in Richmond for an autopsy.

Berryman, whose home town was not immediately available, was convicted on two bad check charges in July in Chesterfield County and one bad check charge in August in Richmond, Botkins said. She was serving a combined five-year sentence. Botkins said she had been placed in maximum security for exhibiting abusive and violent behavior and for saying she wished to escape.

PIEDMONT

Accused woman testifies

that husband stabbed man

HARRISONBURG - A woman accused of killing a halfway house director, who she alleged was her pimp, testified Friday how her husband came into the victim's den with a 10-inch knife.

``He raised the knife like this,'' Jamie Raymond told jurors as she raised her clenched fist above her head.

Ernie James, 56, was stabbed 31 times and his throat was slashed. The husband, Jeremy Raymond, was convicted of murder and burglary last month. Prosecutors contend, however, that it was Jamie Raymond who robbed James and stabbed him while her husband watched.

The 20-year-old Harrisonburg woman is charged with capital murder and robbery, and her trial is expected to conclude Monday.

COMING UP

Today

Richmond - Attorney General James Gilmore speaks to the Virginia Education Association Annual Delegate Assembly.

Wednesday

Lexington - Defense Secretary William Cohen will travel to Virginia Military Institute, where he will speak at the George C. Marshall Foundation ROTC Award Seminar, the Pentagon said Friday.

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