The Nation - News from Jan. 22, 1986
A martial arts expert accused of killing three elderly widows with karate chops was convicted of first-degree murder in Washington, Pa. The Erie County jury deliberated for two hours and returned the verdict against Roland Steele, 39, just before midnight. Steele faces death in the electric chair for the murders, with deliberations on the sentence to begin today. He also was found guilty of two counts of robbery and two counts of theft. The panel heard eight days of testimony, including Steele’s denial of guilt in the slayings of Lucille Horner, 88, Minnie Warrick, 87, and Sarah Knutz, 84.
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