by Michael J. O'Hara
Bulletin Staff Writer
Doylestown, Bucks County-Bryan C. Chenowith, described by the FBI as a "cold-blooded terrorist," was shot to death shortly after 7:00 P.M. last night by FBI Agent John D. Matthews in the parking lot of the Crossroads Diner here moments after Chenowith machine-gunned to death Susan Reynolds, 27, of Camp Hill, Pa., who FBI officials described as a "public-spirited citizen" who had been assisting the authorities in their years-long, nationwide search for Chenowith and his associates.
Mrs. Deborah G. Dannmeir, 24, of Upper Black Eddy, who was using an outdoor pay telephone when the shooting erupted, was struck by one of the bullets fired from Chenowith's fully automatic. 30-caliber military carbine. She is reported in "satisfactory" condition at Bucks County Hospital.
Chenowith; his common-law wife, Jennifer Ollwood, who was apprehended by Philadelphia Detective Matthew M. Payne at the scene of the gun battle; Edgar L. Cole; and Eloise Anne Fitzgerald were indicted for murder following the bombing of the Biological Sciences building at the University of Pittsburgh, in which eleven people lost their lives. "The Chenowith Group" has been the target of an intense nationwide FBI search ever since.
Cole and Fitzgerald were arrested without incident at approximately 9:00 P.M. last evening at a remote Bucks County farmhouse to which Miss Reynolds, shortly before her death, had directed Detective Payne. Miss Reynolds, according to the FBI, had known the women at Bennington College, Vermont. She was an appeals officer with the Pennsylvania Department of Social Services in Harrisburg.
According to Walter Davis, Special Agent in Charge of the Philadelphia Office of the FBI, the Chenowith Group had turned to bank robbery, and said "there is incontrovertible evidence" that Chenowith, masquerading as a woman, had in the past few weeks robbed banks in Riegelsville, Pa., Clinton, N.J., and elsewhere.
"The Chenowith Group was armed with fully automatic weapons," Davis said, "stolen from the National Guard at Indiantown Gap, and was clearly prepared to use them. Both Special Agent Matthews and Detective Payne knew this. It is clear proof of their courage and devotion to the public's safety that they attempted to apprehend a criminal like Mr. Chenowith, disregarding the risk to their own lives."
Davis went on to explain that there had been no way, given the circumstances, that either Matthews or Payne could have requested assistance.
"I can't, of course, go into the details leading up to this incident," Davis said, "except that it was one more example of the close cooperation between the FBI and the Philadelphia Police Department. "
Inspector Peter Wohl, commanding officer of the Special Operations Division of the Philadelphia Police Department, to which Detective Payne is assigned, declined to comment on the shooting, or on Detective Payne's performance, stating that the case was under review.
"Yes, sir?" Peter asked, looking at the mayor when he had finished.
"What's the matter with you, Inspector, cat got your goddamn tongue?"
"Sir?"
" 'Inspector Peter Wohl declined to comment,' " Carlucci quoted in a high falsetto.
"What was I supposed to say?"
"Use your fertile imagination! Do you like the FBI grabbing all the credit for what was clearly our bust?"
"No, sir."
"Payne got that dame to roll over on Chenowith, not that FBI agent," Carlucci said. "You wouldn't know that to read Mickey's story."
"No, sir," Peter said. "You wouldn't."
"You're not going to ask me how I know that?"
"Sir, how do you know that?"
"Detective Payne told me," Carlucci said.
"You've seen Payne?"
"Did you see that thing on TV-goddamn, they shouldn't put things like that on TV–I mean, Payne standing there soaked in that girl's blood, watching them carry her body off?"
"Yes, sir, I saw it. It was pretty rough."
"So I called up and asked what happened to him, and where he was, and then he told me he went from the restaurant to arrest the rest of those slime. And then, when I called Special Operations, Mike Sabara told me you had sent him home."
"Actually, I placed him on administrative leave," Wohl said.
"Yeah, that's what Mike said, while it was decided whether or not charges would be brought against him."
"Yes, sir."
"I told Mike Sabara you made a mistake. He could take it from me that no charges were going to be brought against Detective Payne. Detective Payne is on compensatory time. He's put in a lot of overtime lately, what with bagging Officer Calhoun and this cooperation with the FBI. Are we clear on that, Inspector? That Payne is on compensatory time?"
"Yes, sir. Sir, he disobeyed a direct order!"
Carlucci ignored what was for Peter Wohl a somewhat emotional outburst.
"So I went by his apartment on Rittenhouse Square. I figured it was the least I could do. And he wasn't there, so Jack and I went out to Wallingford to his father's house. First time I'd ever been there. It wasn't as big as I thought it would be. I really felt sorry for him. He was all broke up that the girl got killed. I mean, really broke up. And then, on top of that, he's worried about you and Coughlin… because he disobeyed some bullshit order you gave him."
"I didn't think it was a bullshit order, sir."
"We talking about the same order? The one Payne told me he got was he was not supposed to try to arrest this Chenowith character by himself under any circumstances. Is that the order we're talking about?"
"Yes, sir."
"Just between you and me, Peter, who issued Payne that stupid order? You or Denny Coughlin?"
"I did, sir."
"That's what Denny said when I asked him just a couple of minutes ago. He said he did. That's nice, the two of you being loyal to each other. Both of you trying to take responsibility for doing something stupid. I appreciate that. They call that loyalty up and loyalty down."
"Yes, sir."
"Do we understand each other, Inspector?"
"Yes, sir. I get the message."
"That will be all, Inspector. Thank you for coming in to see me."
"Yes, sir."
Wohl had just reached the door when Carlucci called after him.
"Peter!"
"Yes, sir?"
"Two things, Peter. Be sure to give your father my warmest regards."
"Yes, sir, I will. Thank you."
"And why don't you take the rest of the day off. You've been working very hard lately; you deserve a little time off. Take a ride. Go out to Wallingford, maybe. Take Denny with you. See Payne. He thinks you two walk on water."
"Yes, sir," Inspector Peter Wohl said.
Assistant District Attorney Anton C. Phebus, Esq., disappeared shortly after having been informed by District Attorney Thomas J. Callis that all the police officers assigned to the Five Squad of the Narcotics Unit had been arrested on a variety of charges, and that "Wohl, Washington, and Weisbach have got at least two of them singing like the Vatican Choir."
Later the same day, District Attorney Callis issued a warrant for Mr. Phebus's arrest on charges of complicity in the charges laid against members of the Five Squad.
He was arrested on charges of unlawful flight to escape prosecution by the Federal Bureau of Investigation six weeks later in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, where he was working as a security guard at a Kmart. He was subsequently extradited to Philadelphia and brought to trial before the Hon. Harriet M. McCandless. On a finding of guilty, Judge McCandless sentenced Mr. Phebus to fifteen to twenty-five years' imprisonment.
Mr. Ronald R. Ketcham was found dead in his apartment of an overdose of heroin two weeks after he was released from the NIKE site.
Although defended by Armando C. Giacomo, Esq., all members of the Narcotics Unit Five Squad were found guilty of various charges placed against them for criminal activity, and received sentences ranging from eighteen months to five years in prison.