Wednesday, May 03, 2000

37 years after cheerleader's death, boyfriend charged

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Patty Rebholz was bludgeoned after teen dance

By Dan Horn
The Cincinnati Enquirer

Michael Wehrung and his wife Debi walk to the courthouse Tuesday. (Glenn Hartong photo) | ZOOM |

        Days after the beating death of Patricia Ann Rebholz, police were certain it wouldn't take long to solve the crime.

        They had bags filled with evidence from the crime scene. They had interviews with friends who saw her that night. They had the bloody fence post used to kill her.

        They also had a suspect.

        It took them 37 years, but prosecutors finally charged that suspect Tuesday when they indicted Patricia's then-boyfriend, Michael Wehrung, for second-degree murder.

        “In the pursuit of a killer, the clock never stops,” said Hamilton County Prosecutor Mike Allen. “The passage of time should not deny justice to Patty Rebholz.”

Patricia Ann Rebholz

        Mr. Wehrung, now 52, turned himself in to authorities Tuesday afternoon and was released on a $100,000 bond a few hours later.

        He is expected to enter a plea of not guilty today in Hamilton County Common Pleas Court.

        Patty's brother, Mel, welcomed the news. “I just hope they continue on with this case,” he said. “I think everybody needs closure.”

        Mr. Allen said Mr. Wehrung's indictment is the result of a new investigation launched late last year.

        The goal, he said, was to solve one of the county's oldest and most notorious murder cases with a new team of investigators armed with the best technology available.

Wehrung (center), watches investigators at the murder scene. (1963 photo) | ZOOM |

        The team submitted blood samples and clothing for DNA analysis and reviewed audio tapes of police interviews that were so old they could not be played on modern equipment.

        Investigators also re-interviewed every person who was questioned about the case following Patty's death on Aug. 8, 1963.

        Although prosecutors would not discuss the evidence Tuesday, sources said DNA tests on Mr. Wehrung's old clothing were inconclusive.

        At a press conference, police and prosecutors repeatedly emphasized the important role witness statements played in the investigation.

        “We found that people's memories are pretty sharp,” Mr. Allen said. He also noted that Tom Schell, a former reporter for WCPO-TV (Channel 9), was “helpful” to the investigation.

        Mr. Schell covered the case in 1963 and spent many hours talking to the teen-age suspect. Neither Mr. Schell nor prosecutors would say Tuesday what information he provided to investigators.

        Mr. Wehrung, who was 15 at the time, was interviewed often by police after Patty's body was found in a vacant lot on Jennings Road, about a half-block from his house in Greenhills.

        The 15-year-old high school cheerleader had been bludgeoned with a 2-foot-long fence post.

        Friends told police she attended a teen dance that night before leaving around 9:30 to see her boyfriend. Although Mr. Wehrung was never charged, police publicly questioned the story he told about waiting by his living-room window for her to arrive.

        Mr. Wehrung and his attorneys, James Perry and Earle Maiman, declined comment Tuesday.

        But they did tell Judge Patrick Dinkelacker they would challenge his court's jurisdiction, arguing the case belongs in juvenile court because Mr. Wehrung was 15 at the time of the alleged offense.

        The argument is crucial because Mr. Wehrung would likely face no jail time if he is convicted in juvenile court. A juvenile judge can jail defendants only until they are 21.

        But Mr. Allen contends a new state law allows him to seek adult charges and a possible life sentence for Mr. Wehrung.

        Under the law, juvenile court loses jurisdiction if a juvenile defendant “is not taken into custody or apprehended” until after the age of 21.

Patty's blood-stained blouse, held by assistant prosecutor Mark Piepmeier last January. (Gary Landers photo) | ZOOM |

        Prosecutors may argue the law applies, because Mr. Wehrung was never arrested. The defense, however, could argue that the hours of police interrogation in 1963 meant that Mr. Wehrung was in custody. Judge Dinkelacker will decide the issue.

        Mr. Allen said investigators were forced to back off in 1963 when a now-deceased juvenile court judge, Benjamin Schwartz, gave the teen suspect court protection as a “dependent of the state.”

        The judge said the police interrogations had made it impossible for Mr. Wehrung to receive fair treatment.

        “He ordered investigators to shut down. They had no choice,” Mr. Allen said. “Obviously, in the Year 2000, I'm not bound by that.”

        Mr. Wehrung, who now lives in Springfield Township, has worked for Ray St. Clair roofing for 16 years. His wife, Debi, accompanied him to court Tuesday.

        According to court records, Mr. Wehrung faced minor drug charges in 1983 and 1985. He was sentenced to one year on probation for the first offense and a fine for the second.

        Those who work with Mr. Wehrung issued a brief statement of support Tuesday.

        “All of us associated with the company have complete faith in Mike,” the statement read. “All of us here hope that this situation is resolved quickly.”

PREVIOUS STORIES
  • Investigation reopens Nov. 17, 1999
  • 1963 evidence unsealed Jan. 6, 2000
  • Reporter revisits case Jan. 22, 2000
  • Probe almost over Mar. 17, 2000

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