1977-01-14

One of two persons charged with capital murder in the robbery-slaying of an Amarillo restaurant manager was expected to be returned to Amarillo tonight from Albuquerque

Captain E.N. Smith of the police detective division said Mrs. Kathleen Grijalva, 18, a former city resident of Gallup NM, was scheduled to waive extradition today and return to Amarillo.

An extradition hearing for her husband, David, 25, who has not waived extradition, Smith said, is scheduled for today in Albuquerque at which time a judge will decide whether to set a bond or order Grijalva held pending completion of extradition proceedings--which could take 90 days.

The couple is charged in the Tuesday night death of Mrs Mary Jeanette Powers, 30, night manager of the Pizza Hut, 701 S Georgia.

Mrs Grijalva was arrested in Albuquerque Wednesday night and her husband was arrested there yesterday.

The Capital Murder warrants were Issued yesterday in Amarillo.

Mrs. Powers was killed shortly before midnight Tuesday during a robbery at the restaurant. Police said her head had been stuffed into a dough mixing machine.

She was found dead a short time later in pool of blood inside the dough room near the kitchen. Amarillo police detectives Lt. Keith Ferguson and A.L. Morris were in Albuquerque today questioning the Grijalva's.

Mrs Grijalva was arrested at a motel in Albuquerque after officers there saw A car matching the description of a vehicle believed used in the westside robbery.

Grijalva, accompanied by his lawyer, surrendered to Albuquerque police about 4pm yesterday.

Police said the Pizza Hut robbery slaying occurred about 11:30 pm Tuesday when a short, stocky bandit entered the restaurant, pulled a pistol and forced four occupants of the restaurant inside a walk in cooler.

Reports from Albuquerque indicate Mrs Powers may have been. Napping when the bandit walked in.

The two men and two women pushed in the collar heard Mrs. Powers screams. They pushed tanks of liquid oxygen against the door o the cooler to prevent any return by the bandit.

They came out of the cooler when the husband of one of the hostages came into the store after the bandit had left, looking for his wife and not knowing of the holdup.

The hostages thought at first that Mrs Powers may have been kidnapped. Her body was found by police a short time later.

Services for Mrs. Powers were conducted yesterday