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The Spokesman-Review Newspaper
Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

Attack puts prison back into lockdown

The Spokesman-Review

A Spokane murderer who ran over his wife in front of their children sent the Washington State Penitentiary back to full lockdown Thursday after he allegedly attacked two officers.

The penitentiary at Walla Walla had been on lockdown for three weeks because of a previous assault on corrections officers, but officials had eased some restrictions and were planning to end the lockdown. Those plans are now being reconsidered, spokeswoman Lori Scamahorn said.

She said Richard A. Atkinson, 34, had just left the dining hall when he attacked a prison manager, and a corrections officer intervened. Both prison employees received unspecified injuries.

Last September, Atkinson was sentenced to 50 years in prison. He chased down his estranged wife, 29-year-old Andrea Atkinson, with a van and ran over her repeatedly in front of their three children and his 9-year-old daughter from a previous relationship.

– John Craig

Utility bills mistakenly include delinquency

A couple thousand Spokane city utility customers got a rude shock this week.

The machine that stuffs utility bills and other fliers into envelopes mistakenly inserted about 2,000 delinquency notices into envelopes mailed to otherwise responsible utility bill payers.

Marlene Feist, public affairs officer for the city, acknowledged the problem on Thursday but pointed out that the bill statements sent along with the mistaken delinquency notice showed that payments to those customers’ accounts are up to date.

“If you truly have a delinquent bill, your bill, too, will say it’s delinquent,” she explained.

– Mike Prager

Car thieves having successful week

Car thieves continue to find easy targets in Spokane.

Thirty-five vehicles have been reported stolen since Monday – 14 on Wednesday, Spokane police spokesman Sgt. Dave McCabe said. Most of the vehicles were left running, with no driver in sight, he said.

These types of car thefts are avoidable, McCabe said. Also, the fine for leaving a car running while unattended is $101.

– Jody Lawrence-Turner

Woman now accused of part in killing

A 20-year-old Spokane Valley woman who directed police to two suspects in a killing was arrested Thursday for allegedly participating in the crime.

Kathryn B. Kelly was booked into jail on suspicion of first-degree murder in the March 11 death of 45-year-old Bud Robert Johnson, whose body was found Saturday in the Spokane River.

Kelly’s roommate, 18-year-old Robert A. Entel, and his friend Donald L. Smiley-Lyle, 17, were arrested over the weekend on suspicion of first-degree murder in Johnson’s death. Court documents say Entel confessed to strangling Johnson and told detectives that Kelly wanted him and Smiley-Lyle to commit the murder. Police said Entel told them Kelly provided a key to Johnson’s apartment .

The documents say Kelly suspected Johnson of burglarizing her home to take back an autographed Beatles poster he had given her during a brief romantic relationship in February.

John Craig