The Region - News from Feb. 24, 1987

Tears welled in his eyes as “Twilight Zone” film director John Landis maintained during a second day of rigorous cross-examination that he did not act with criminal negligence and that he has testified truthfully concerning the deaths of actor Vic Morrow and two child actors during a 1982 helicopter filming accident. Landis, being tried on involuntary manslaughter charges along with four associates, told the jury that he explained the scene of a mock Vietnam battle to the children and their parents and that he also held a meeting about the use of special-effects explosives with crew members prior to shooting the fatal sequence. Deputy Dist. Atty. Lea Purwin D’Agostino questioned why Landis had never told federal investigators or the county grand jury about such a meeting and contended outside court that both Landis’ testimony and tears were fabricated. Cross-examination will resume today.