Teen Pleads Guilty in Jordan’s Father’s Death

A teen-ager pleaded guilty Thursday in the murder of Michael Jordan’s father and agreed to testify against another man, almost two years after the killing that helped push Jordan into a since-reversed retirement from pro basketball.

Larry Martin Demery, 19, faces at least life in prison on the first-degree murder charge. He told Judge Gregory Weeks in Lumberton, N.C., that he understood he also could face the death penalty.

Sentencing will be delayed until after the trial of Daniel Green, 20, also charged in the July 23, 1993, killing of James Jordan, 56. That trial has not been scheduled.

Jordan, 56, was shot as he napped in his car on the shoulder of a highway while taking a break on a trip from Wilmington, N.C., to Charlotte. His body was later found in a South Carolina swamp.

Tennis

The Davis Cup semifinal rematch between the United States and Sweden will be played in Andre Agassi’s hometown, Las Vegas, the United States Tennis Assn. said. Agassi, No. 1 in the world, and No. 2 Pete Sampras have agreed to play in the match at Caesars Palace Sept. 22-24. Sampras was on the U.S. team that lost to Sweden in last year’s semifinals at Goteborg.

Boris Becker needed less than an hour to beat Alex Corretja, 6-2, 6-2, in the third round of the Monte Carlo Open. Yevgeny Kafelnikov was beaten by 14th-seeded Andrea Gaudenzi, 1-6, 7-5, 7-5, the first time in 10 tournaments since last November that Kafelnikov had not made the quarterfinals. Goran Ivanisevic, Gilbert Schaller, David Wheaton, Sergi Bruguera and Thomas Muster also advanced.

Seventh-seeded Ann Grossman reached the quarterfinals of the WTA outdoor tournament at Barcelona, Spain, with a 6-1, 6-2 victory over Virginia Ruano. Grossman next will play top-seeded Arantxa Sanchez Vicario. Katarzyna Nowak upset third-seeded Julie Halard, 6-1, 2-6, 6-3.

Sailing

Christophe Auguin of France sailed into the harbor at Charleston, S.C., winner of his second BOC Challenge around-the-world solo title, then announced he will seek a third in 1999.

Auguin completed the 27,000-mile, seven-stage race in 121 days 17 hours 11 minutes 46 seconds.

While Dennis Conner is occupied with the America’s Cup, two multihull boats among 419 entries will try for his record in the 48th Newport Beach-to-Ensenada sailing race starting at noon today.

Last year, Conner sailed his 60-foot Stars & Stripes catamaran to a record time of 8 hours 29 minutes for the 125-mile race, despite a false start.

Steve Fossett’s 60-foot trimaran, Lakota, of Chicago and Bob Hanel’s 75-foot catamaran, Double Bullet, of Cabrillo Beach Yacht Club, are the strongest threats to the record.

Hockey

The United States held off the Czech Republic, 4-2, at Stockholm to run its record to 3-0 and clinch a quarterfinal berth in the World Hockey Championships. Brett Hauer, Jon Morris, Paul Stanton and Tim Bergland scored for Team USA.

Football

Defensive tackle Warren Sapp, the Lombardi Award winner from Miami who dropped to 12th in the NFL draft amid allegations that he failed several drug tests, signed a four-year contract with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Terms were not revealed, but Sapp’s agent said the player had agreed to a clause requiring drug testing more than once a week.

The Pittsburgh Steelers all but said goodby to former all-pro running back Barry Foster, signing free agent Erric Pegram of the Atlanta Falcons to a three-year contract. Pegram probably will share the position with Bam Morris.

Bruce Bosley, a four-time Pro Bowl lineman during 13 years with the San Francisco 49ers, died at 61.

Tommy Luginbill, who became Georgia Tech’s starting quarterback last season, has decided to transfer to another school for his final year of eligibility. Luginbill, the son of former San Diego State coach Al Luginbill, said he probably will transfer either to Eastern Kentucky or Portland State.

Miscellany

Malcolm Elliott, a Briton now living in Santa Barbara, won the first stage of the Tour DuPont cycling race, a 68-mile jaunt from Dover to Wilmington, Del., in 2 hours 24 minutes 53 seconds. He finished about a yard ahead of Adriano Baffi of Italy.

The Bruce Jenner Classic grand prix track meet, which a week ago appeared dead because of the lack of a sponsor, has found the funding necessary to continue and will be staged as scheduled on May 27 in San Jose.