Attorney for Murder Suspect Faces Removal

Because a suspect in the recent slaying of a Los Angeles police detective may have a conflict of interest with his present lawyer, Van Nuys Municipal Court Commissioner Patricia Schwartz on Friday appointed another attorney to temporarily advise the defendant.

Duane Moody, 27, after conferring with Van Nuys attorney Richard Plotin, is to decide on Monday whether to continue to retain Douglas L. Young or hire a new lawyer. Moody’s preliminary hearing is scheduled for Wednesday.

Two witnesses who are expected to testify for the prosecution against Moody are business associates of Young, Deputy Dist. Atty. Richard L. Jenkins said Friday.

Jenkins, who is prosecuting the case, said the two witnesses are making a movie about one of Young’s clients. He said the witnesses told police that they heard Moody say on Oct. 16 that he “would kill” the detective if he testified against his friend, Daniel Steven Jenkins, who was on trial for robbery.

‘Complete Fabrication’

Young, who was jailed for contempt of court in another case Friday afternoon, said he was present when the conversation took place and that the statement attributed to Moody is a “complete fabrication.”

Prosecutors said one of the witnesses is Michael S. Canale, of Rosemead, a one-time neo-Nazi and Ku Klux Klan member who last year claimed to have undergone a conversion and embraced the Jewish Defense League. Canale, an admitted heroin addict with a long string of burglary convictions, has been repudiated by JDL leader Irv Rubin for making anti-Semitic statements.

In 1980, Canale was convicted of arson in the burning of a Temple City synagogue.

Schwartz set Dec. 12 to hear pretrial motions and to set a preliminary hearing for the three remaining suspects.

All four defendants, who could face the death penalty if convicted of the Oct. 31 murder of North Hollywood Division Detective Thomas C. Williams, have pleaded not guilty to murder and conspiracy charges and are being held without bail in Los Angeles County Jail. The other defendants are Voltaire Williams, 22, and Ruben A. (Tony) Moss, 24.

Police allege that the four Los Angeles men planned the killing of Williams to prevent him from testifying against Daniel Jenkins in the robbery case, which was nearing conclusion in San Fernando Superior Court.

Believed Triggerman

Police believe that Jenkins, 30, who was free on bail until his robbery conviction the day after Williams’ slaying, pulled the trigger.

Two would-be assassins--allegedly Voltaire Williams and another man who has not been charged--failed to go through with the killing, police allege, so Jenkins ambushed the detective using an automatic weapon.

Williams was gunned down as he picked his son up from a Canoga Park day care center, hours after he testified against Jenkins.