Sherae Honeycutt

I know I haven’t posted as much since I started interning at KRON and the reason for this is I’ve been BUSY! They are keeping me moving and I like it. Since I started I’ve had the opportunity to go out with reporters which has been a ton of fun. There are a few stories that I’m currently working on, but this is the first one I got the chance to put together.

When the desk sent me out with Dan Kerman that day we assumed it would be a pretty cut and dry day. We went to the arraignment for Barry B. White or as he’s known in the news ‘The Jewelry Mart Killer.’ At the time there was little details about what had actually occurred in the South of Market store, but in court we heard all the details.

Before we entered court we noticed a man approaching with his elderly parents. The man was Tun Oo, the brother of one of the victims, and took questions from the media. He gripped my microphone while he pled to investigators to make White pay for the crimes he’s committed. He also told us about how he had learned of the incident on the news. He told us when he saw the Jewelry Mart on the news he knew his sister was dead. The truth was only confirmed when he arrived at the hospital and the wife of the owner fell to her knees and cried for forgiveness.

Oo entered court, and sat discreetly in the back with his parents to hear what White had to say for himself. He was brought before the judge and quietly awaited the arraignment to begin. What I learned that day is that for the District Attorney’s office to obtain the ruling of ‘no bail’ they must give detail and reason as to why the suspect is a danger to the public.

Scot Clark, the Assistant District Attorney, laid out the exact reasons as to why White should not be released on bail. “This is not a who dunnit” he said, and began to tell the judge that this crime had been recorded on not one but three high quality cameras where White’s face is clearly displayed as he committed two murders and attempted to kill another. The disagreement stemmed over the price of an item costing no more than three hundred dollars. White returned to the store after the purchase and disagreed with the amount he was charged. After arguing for some time the owner gave the suspect money to refill his meeter. When he returned he waited for other customers to leave, approached the owner, pulled his gun out and at almost point blank range opened fire.

He then turned his attention to the female employees, shooting them numerous times, then pulling out a knife. He is described to have slit one woman’s throat “from ear-to-ear” and nearly decapitated the other. By the time police arrived he fled the store opening fire on a number of police officers. When White ran out of bullets he was then taken into custody. Police then inspected his vehicle only to find a loaded AK-47. In the end White was held without bail and his arraignment was delayed until July 31st. In the arraignment he pled not guilty to two counts of murder, seven counts of attempted murder, six counts of assault on a police officer, and one charge of possessing an assault rifle.

Here is the package I put together on the incident with the help of Dan Kerman.

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