Confessed Killer Wants Direct Access To Press

GULFPORT, Miss. - Donald Leroy Evans pleaded guilty in federal court yesterday to kidnapping a 10-year-old girl whom he is also charged with raping and strangling, but he threatened to quit talking about more than 60 other murders he claims to have committed unless he is allowed to tell his story to the world.

Evans, 34, said he wants "to get the truth out (because) there have been misconceptions (about) how people like me are allowed to slip through the system."

Warned by U.S. District Judge Walter Gex III that what he told the media could eventually be used against him in state murder trials, Evans said it did not matter.

"How can you hurt (this) case? I mean, I'm going to death row. What are they going to do, kill me?"

Evans, acting as his own co-counsel, appeared before Gex in U.S. District Court in Biloxi, Miss., to plead to the kidnapping charge. His court-appointed lawyer, Fred Lusk of Biloxi, was at his side.

Lusk and Evans had appeared before U.S. Magistrate John Roper minutes earlier for arraignment on the kidnapping charge.

Since his arrest for kidnapping Beatrice Louise Routh, Evans has confessed to more than 60 other murders nationwide. Lusk said yesterday that at least one of those murders was in a foreign country, but did not name the country.

Evans has been charged with capital murder in the death of the child, whom he kidnapped Aug. 1 from a park in Gulfport, Miss.

Gex ordered a pre-sentencing report from probation officials on the kidnapping plea and set a sentencing date of Oct. 24.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Jay Golden said in court yesterday that the girl's mother, Tami Jean Giles, let Beatrice go with Evans to buy food to barbecue, but that Evans bought duct tape which he later used to bind the girl.

Evans was arrested in Louisiana on Aug. 5 and was charged in federal court with kidnapping, the charge he pleaded guilty to yesterday.

On Aug. 11, Evans led police to Beatrice's body. He was charged with capital murder last Friday.

Lusk, whom Roper appointed to represent Evans on Aug. 8 after he was brought to Mississippi from Louisiana, said he told Evans that leading authorities to Beatrice's body would probably result in a capital murder charge.

Lusk said Evans ignored the warning. "He said he had to do it," Lusk said.

In exchange, the government promised to keep Evans in federal custody, except to make him available for state trials and any execution date he may face, and let a girlfriend from Galveston, Texas, visit him.

Evans said yesterday he also had a deal to have the girlfriend along if he was taken to other states to help recover victims he claims to have killed.

At least two videotapes of Evans' confessions - one about the kidnap, rape and murder of Beatrice and the other about other alleged victims - have been recorded. Gex ordered the Beatrice tape sealed yesterday but said he did not have the second tape and could not control it. That tape was sent to the FBI in Jackson, Miss.

Lusk, who has been criticized by other attorneys and some members of the media for following Evans' wishes and talking about the murder cases, said Evans "directed me to reveal to the press about this case and the others around the country."

Evans said in court that he was pleased with Lusk's representation but wants to bypass Lusk on publicity and talk directly to "select news groups."

Evans "insists that the truth be known," Lusk said. "His beliefs (about talking directly to the press) are strong. He doesn't want to use me and I don't want him to use me."

Evans told Gex if he did not get direct access to the press, he would stop talking about the 60-plus murders.

Gex said the out-of-state murders had nothing to do with Evans' kidnapping plea, and that he would consider press access if Evans submitted a request through Lusk in writing.