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St. Louis Post-Dispatch

Lee Enterprises

Friday, February 21, 2003 6:26 PM CST
Mertz's former girlfriend testifies with alibi

BY DAVE FOPAY, Staff Writer

CHARLESTON -- A woman who used to live with Anthony B. Mertz told a jury Friday that she thinks he was home at the time of Amy Warner's death and the fire that destroyed an apartment building.

Tara Hofer, Mertz's former girlfriend, described herself as a "light sleeper" who would have know if Mertz left to commit the two crimes prosecutors have tried to link to the convicted murderer.

Also Friday, Mertz's attorneys began what will apparently be a try at showing the jury that his violent behavior was at least partly because of an anti-malaria drug he took while in the Marine Corps.

The jury last week convicted Mertz, 26, of the June 12, 2001, killing of Eastern Illinois University student Shannon McNamara and has since then been hearing evidence on whether he should receive the death penalty. The case is expected to conclude next week, probably on Wednesday.

Earlier this week, prosecutors presented evidence linking Mertz to Warner's stabbing death in Charleston on June 29, 1999, and to the apparent arson of an apartment building under construction, also in Charleston, on Feb. 13, 2000.

For more on this story, see Saturday's Journal Gazette/Times-Courier.

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Judi Smith wrote on Jul 17, 2006 8:52 PM:

" It is a travisty that a tournament held in Mattoon, governed by a state commissioner who resides in the Mattoon area knowingly proceeds with a tournament after protest has been made on the first day of the tournament against the Effingham team and still allows the tournament to be played as scheduled. After the Effingham team gets to the championship game it is then disqualifed after so many other teams battled to get to that game. And are sent home then told later that the Effinham team, who possibly knocked them out of the tournament is now disqualified and only one team Mattoon,is awarded a championship for winning a tainted a tournament. "

Ashley Reynolds wrote on Jul 17, 2006 8:57 PM:

" I was shocked that the Effingham team was not disqualifed prior to the last game. A protest was acknowledged by umpire's and Mattoon league officials prior to Effingham's first game. "

John Zink wrote on Jul 17, 2006 11:14 PM:

" The most disgusting item about this whole thing is that the Mattoon team knew about the issues with the Effingham team for over a week and chose to do nothing about it until they played Effingham on Friday night. To make matters worse they let Effingham play the rest of the tournament to knock out all the other teams. When Effingham eventually fought all the way back to beat Mattoon only then did they send in the paperwork to get them disqualified. Mattoon took complete advantage of this situation by letting Effingham knock out all their competition and then got them disqualified. Between Saturday and Sunday Effingham knocked out three teams that should have had a chance to compete for the title. That brings the total to at least 48 kids whose hopes of winning a state championship were thrown to the wolves by the Mattoon team and those running the state tournament. Enjoy your "championship" Mattoon. "

anya wrote on Oct 10, 2007 4:59 AM:

" I haven't gotten anything done lately. Not much on my mind recently. I just don't have much to say right now. My mind is like an empty room. "