Lawyer to stay on AIM murder case

By Carson Walker, Associated Press Writer | Friday, October 10, 2003

Previous Page

Share

• del.icio.us
• Digg
• NewsVine
• Fark

Print

Email

RAPID CITY — The lawyer for one of two men accused of killing an American Indian activist in the 1970s will stay on the case, a judge ruled Thursday.

U.S. District Judge Lawrence Piersol approved a request by Tim Rensch of Rapid City to stay on as the lawyer for Fritz Arlo Looking Cloud.

Earlier, Rensch had asked to be taken off the case because he and Looking Cloud were not getting along. But now they are, he said, adding that Looking Cloud wants to keep him on the case.

Twice, Piersol asked Looking Cloud if he agreed with that. Looking Cloud responded with, "Yes, your honor," and "Yes."

Piersol then said, "I'm going to have Mr. Rensch continue to represent you then, Mr. Looking Cloud."

Piersol said the trial will stay on schedule for February.

The judge also told the lawyers in the case — Rensch and U.S. Attorney James McMahon — how he handles jury selection and conferences with the lawyers during trials.

Looking Cloud wore a black and white jail uniform and sat next to Rensch. He read court documents before the hearing started. Otherwise, he looked straight ahead and listened to the judge.

Looking Cloud and John Graham are charged with first-degree murder in the slaying of Anna Mae Pictou-Aquash, who vanished from a Denver home in late 1975.

Her frozen body was found on South Dakota's Pine Ridge Reservation in February 1976. The 30-year-old woman, a member of the American Indian Movement, had been shot in the head.

Graham, also known as John Boy Patton, has not been arrested and is thought to be in Canada.

Looking Cloud, a Lakota Sioux who grew up on the Pine Ridge reservation, was arrested March 27 in Denver. He faces a life sentence if convicted.

Looking Cloud and Graham worked security at AIM events in the 1970s.