Murder Trial Ordered in Bomb Deaths

A North Hollywood makeup artist was ordered Monday to stand trial on murder charges in the February bomb-blast deaths of two Los Angeles police officers who attempted to dismantle a pipe bomb at his home.

After seven days of legal motions and preliminary-hearing testimony, Los Angeles Municipal Court Judge Xenophon F. Lang ruled that the prosecution had presented enough evidence to hold Donald Lee Morse, 37, to answer to two counts of murder and two counts of possessing explosives. He could face the death penalty if convicted.

Prosecutors acknowledge that the case rests on an unusual argument. Deputy Dist. Atty. Sterling E. Norris has said he has no evidence to show that Morse intended to kill the officers or that the bomb was meant to explode when it did.

But Norris has argued that, by merely possessing such lethal devices, Morse meant to harm someone and is culpable in the officers’ deaths.

Los Angeles police went to Morse’s home Feb. 8 to search for a gun that had been used in the Feb. 4 wounding of an official of the makeup artists’ union, to which Morse belonged. The gun was not found, and Morse, who worked in television and film, has not been charged in the shooting.

While conducting the search, police found two pipe bombs in the garage and summoned the police demolition squad. Detectives Arleigh McCree and Ronald Ball dismantled one bomb but were killed when they set off the second while attempting to defuse it.

When the bombs were first discovered, Morse denied any knowledge of them. His attorney has since suggested that someone may have planted the devices at the residence.

Denial Cited

Norris argued before Lang that the prosecution need not show that Morse intended to kill the officers. Besides possessing the lethal devices, Morse contributed to the officers’ deaths by denying any knowledge of the bombs and their method of construction--information that could have helped the officers safely defuse them, Norris said.

David Weller of the Los Angeles Police Department bomb squad testified Monday that the devices have no other use than to kill. Investigators earlier testified that Morse’s fingerprints were found on several items surrounding the bombs and that explosive powder, batteries, tape, electrical wires and other items used to manufacture bombs were in his garage.

The only evidence providing any explanation for why Morse may have had the bombs came from his brother-in-law. William Enoch, 35, of Orlando, Fla., who is separated from Morse’s sister, testified Friday that, two weeks before the fatal blast, Morse threatened to have him blown up in his car unless he sent money to support his wife and three children, who had moved to Los Angeles.

The arraignment of Morse, who is being held without bail in County Jail, was scheduled for Sept. 23 in Los Angeles Superior Court.