WWII vet, beaten by teens outside Eagles Lodge, dies.

WWII vet, beaten by teens outside Eagles Lodge, dies

http://www.kxly.com/news/spokane-news/elderly-man-dies-after-being-attacked-outside-ice-arena/-/101214/21574858/-/9flm7iz/-/index.html

Author: Ian Cull, KXLY4 Multimedia Journalist, ianc@kxly.com
Rob Kauder, Internet Content Manager, robk@kxly.com
Published On: Aug 22 2013 07:53:50 AM PDT Updated On: Aug 22 2013 04:05:48 PM PDT

• Print
• Email

http://www.kxly.com/image/view/-/215...ert-Belton.jpg

SPOKANE, Wash. - WWII veteran Delbert Belton survived being wounded in action during the Battle of Okinawa only to be beaten and left for dead by two teens at the Eagles Lodge in Spokane on Wednesday evening.
Related Content

• Photos of homicide suspects

Belton, 89, died from the injuries he suffered in the beating Thursday morning at Sacred Heart Medical Center.
Witnesses say the Belton was in the parking lot of the Eagles Lodge at 6410 N. Lidgerwood, adjacent to the Eagles Ice-A-Rena, around 8 p.m. Wednesday when the two male suspects attacked him.
Belton died from his injuries Thursday at Sacred Heart Medical Center.
"Shorty," as he was known by his friends at the Eagles Lodge, served in the U.S. Army in the Pacific during WWII and was shot in the leg during the Battle of Okinawa. He went on to work at Kaiser Aluminum at the company's Trentwood plant for more than 30 years.
He loved playing pool, even though he claimed he was no good at it and had been a member of the Eagles Lodge for the last four months. In addition to playing pool he loved working on cars.
Belton's wife passed away several years ago.
Spokane police are looking for two male suspects in the attack. They said the suspects are African Americans between 16 and 19 years old.
One suspect was described as heavy set and wearing all black clothing. The other was described as being about 6 feet tall and 150 pounds. There was no description of what clothing the second suspect was wearing other than a silk do-rag.
Police investigating the deadly attack on Belton are also working to obtain surveillance footage from the scene.

• © 2013 KXLY.com. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without prior permission.

Arrest made in Spokane beating death of WWII vet

By Ed Payne and Amanda Watts, CNN
updated 11:06 AM EDT, Fri August 23, 2013


http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnn/dam/ass...-story-top.jpg

WWII veteran beaten to death


STORY HIGHLIGHTS

• NEW: Juvenile charged with murder, robbery
• Delbert "Shorty" Belton was a World War II vet
• He was shot in the leg during the Battle of Okinawa
• Suspects are described as "two young African American males"

(CNN) -- A juvenile has been arrested by Spokane police in connection with the beating death of an 88-year-old World War II veteran this week, police said Friday.
The male suspect has been charged with first-degree robbery and first-degree murder.
The man -- Delbert Belton -- was brutally beaten and left for dead by two teens outside a lounge in Spokane, Washington, where he loved to go play pool.
The motive? Police don't have one. The teens appeared to have picked him at random, authorities say.
A retired aluminum company worker who served in the Pacific, Belton, friends say, took a bullet in the leg during the Battle of Okinawa. He survived that attack.
http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnn/dam/ass...story-body.jpg
Delbert Belton survived being wounded in action during the Battle of Okinawa only to be beaten to death by two teens in Spokane, Washington.


But on Wednesday night, Belton -- affectionately called "Shorty" by friends for his height -- headed to the Eagles Lodge where he was a regular.
Police found him in the parking lot, with serious head injuries. He died Thursday.
"It does appear random," Spokane police Lt. Mark Griffiths told reporters. "It appears he was assaulted in the parking lot and there was no indication that he would have known these people prior to the assault."
It's the second time in a week that a seemingly random attack by teenagers has claimed a life.
On August 16, a 23-year-old Australian baseball player attending college in Oklahoma was gunned down in the town of Duncan.
One of three teens police arrested in that shooting said they carried it out because "we were bored and didn't have anything to do."
'All there is is bad news'
The randomness of the two attacks was not lost on Ted Denison, who's been friends with Belton for a long time.
"It's really depressing," Denison told CNN late Thursday night. "Seems that all there is is bad news."
The two men met more than 20 years ago and worked on cars together.
"We were mechanic buddies," the 42-year-old Denison said. "We just kind of kicked right along."
But the friends also hung out together outside the garage.
"We went dancing on Saturday nights," Denison said. "We went out to breakfast together."
Belton stopped by the Eagles Lodge two or three times a week. He played pool, but by his own admission, wasn't too good at it.
"He went up there and played pool, met with some of the guys he used to work with at Kaiser Aluminum," where he was employed more than 30 years, Denison said.
His wife died several years ago. The WW II vet is survived by a son, 65.
Waiting for a friend
Wednesday night, Denison was outside the lodge waiting for a friend because he didn't want her to walk home alone, Lillian Duncan told the Spokesman-Review newspaper.
"He was so awesome," Duncan told the paper. "Anybody that didn't get to know him missed out on a wonderful angel in their life."
Police are looking for two suspects. Witnesses described them as "young African American males of average build," according to a police statement.
Officers used K-9 search dogs to search for the suspects, swept for fingerprints on the chain link fence in the area where they were last seen headed, and scoured through surveillance tapes.
So far, the attackers haven't been found.
"We are actively looking for the suspects in this tragic incident and following up on tips and other leads in order to bring those responsible to justice," said police spokeswoman Monique Cotton.
Outside the lodge Thursday, friends and strangers alike left flowers, flags and messages for Belton.
Belton never had problems outside the lodge before -- no threats, no altercations, Denison said.
"If he had, I would have made sure I was there."
http://www.cnn.com/2013/08/23/us/world-war-vet-beating-death/index.html?hpt=hp_t1

Cops Hunt Teen Accused of Beating WWII Vet to Death

Aug. 23, 2013
By RUSSELL GOLDMAN Russell Goldman More from Russell

http://a.abcnews.com/images/US/ap_wo...3_16x9_992.jpgThis image from surveillance video shows a person that authorities say is a suspect in the beating death of an 88-year-old World War II veteran in Spokane, Wash., Aug. 21, 2013.
Spokane Police Department/AP Photo

A teenager suspected of beating to death an elderly World War II victim was encouraged to surrender today after wanted posters were issued for him.

Delbert Belton, 88, a veteran and pensioner, died from his injuries Thursday morning following an assault outside an Eagles lodge in Spokane, Wash.

Belton was "severely beaten to face and head," said police spokeswoman Monique Cotton. Belton is white and the assailants were black, but police say they do not believe the crime was racially motivated.

On Thursday, police apprehended one of the two juvenile suspects. Due to his age, police have not released the teen's name, but have confirmed he is 16 years old.

That boy has been charged with first-degree murder, and first-degree robbery. He has yet to appear in court or enter a plea.

Police issued a wanted poster for the second suspect, a 16-year-old named Kenan Adams-Kinard. The suspect in custody did not name his accomplice and has not been cooperating with police, Cotton told ABCNews.com.

"We are asking for the community's assistance in helping us to locate Adams-Kinard and bring him to justice," said Spokane Police Chief Frank Straub in a statement. "We would encourage Mr. Adams-Kinard to surrender immediately."

Two teens were seen beating the elderly man by an eyewitness and were recorded by a surveillance camera.

"He is a World War II veteran who suffered injuries in Okinawa," Straub said of Belton.

His sister, Alberta Tosh, told the Associated Press Belton was born and raised in Washington before joining the Army. He said he was shot in the leg on Okinawa, site of one of the fiercest battles of the war in 1945.

http://abcnews.go.com/US/cops-hunt-teen-accused-beating-wwii-vet-death/story?id=20051821

2nd suspect arrested in fatal beating of WWII veteran in Spokane

http://www.trbimg.com/img-521b7879/t...201308-001/600 Lill Duncan takes a photo of a memorial for Delbert Belton, an 88-year-old World War II veteran who was beaten to death, in Spokane, Wash. Police arrested a second suspect on Monday. (Tyler Tjomsland / Associated Press / August 22, 2013)

By Matt Stevens and Matt Hamilton
August 26, 2013, 8:42 a.m.

A second teenage boy was arrested early Monday in the fatal beating of an 88-year-old World War II veteran outside a lounge in Spokane, Wash., police said.
According to officials, the case began when calls came in to police shortly after 8 p.m. Wednesday, with witnesses reporting an assault outside Eagle’s Lodge, a popular gathering spot that offers bingo, poker and pool.

Officers arriving on the scene found Delbert Belton inside his car with serious head injuries. He was transported to a local hospital, where he died, police said.

Monday’s arrest came several days after police released images of two possible suspects in the beating, obtained from surveillance video taken from local businesses.

One teenager was taken into custody around 10 p.m. Thursday, but authorities had been searching for the second suspect until his arrest around 3 a.m. Monday. In a statement, police said the suspect was arrested “without incident” in a basement apartment at 500 West Montgomery Ave. in Spokane.

News reports have named both suspects, but Los Angeles Times policy is not to identify juveniles accused of crimes unless they are being tried as adults.

A probable-cause affidavit has been filed with the Spokane County Juvenile Court, requesting charges of first-degree murder and first-degree robbery for the suspect arrested Thursday, officials said. In the statement on the latest arrest, Spokane police said the second suspect was taken into custody under the same circumstances.

The statement said, “Several other people ... have been arrested for rendering criminal assistance.” Spokane Police Chief Frank Straub is expected to hold a news conference on the case later Monday morning.

Meanwhile, the killing has stunned friends and family and sent shock waves through the city. Belton served in the Army during World War II and was wounded by gunfire in the Battle of Okinawa. After completing his military service, he worked at an aluminum plant for more than 30 years.

Friends called him "Shorty," and it was the company of his friends that helped him cope with the death of his wife, Myrtle, about six years ago, said Barbara Belton, his daughter-in-law.

She described his death as “horrendous” and said she has struggled to make sense of his death.

For one thing, she said, he didn't look like a man of means, and his car -- a 1994 Ford Contour -- was anything but flashy.

"He didn't dress fancy," she said. "Why these kids thought he had some money, I don't know."

http://www.latimes.com/nation/nationnow/la-na-nn-spokane-beating-second-suspect-20130826,0,1614211.story

$2M bail set in death of WWII veteran

WGME

- ‎31 minutes ago‎

SPOKANE, Wash. (AP) -- A 16-year-old Spokane boy was ordered held on $2 million bail and will be tried as an adult in connection with last week's beating death of an 88-year-old veteran of World War II. . .

Delbert Belton Murder Update: WWII vet, 88, fought back against teens who beat him to death, police sayByErin DonaghueTopicsCaught on Tape

http://i.i.cbsi.com/cnwk.1d/i/tim2/2...22_244x183.jpg

Delbert Belton
/ KREM

Updated 5:16 p.m. (CBS) SPOKANE, Wash. -- World War II veteran Delbert Belton may have fought back against the two teens suspected of beating him to death outside a Spokane, Wash. Ice-A-Rena, police said in a news conference Monday morning, reports CBS affiliate KREM.Belton, who was shot in the leg during the Battle of Okinawa, was killed during an apparent robbery Wednesday outside the Eagles Ice-A-Rena. Authorities say two young men attacked Belton in his car outside the arena as he was waiting for a friend.

"Our information is that the individual fought back and that may have made this, you know, a worse situation," said Spokane Police Chief Frank Straub in a press conference Monday morning. "I'm not being critical of Mr. Belton, we certainly encourage individuals to fight back, and he should have. But it shouldn't have happened to begin with."

The victim's daughter-in-law said Belton was hit with "big heavy flashlights" and doctors told her he was bleeding from all parts of his face, reports the station.

After identifying two suspects, police arrested two 16-year-old males. One turned himself in to authorities Thursday, a second was arrested early Monday in a Spokane basement apartment. Both teens are charged with first-degree robbery and first-degree murder. They will be tried as adults, reports the Los Angeles Times, and are being held in lieu of $2 million bail.

Tips from the community and the second suspect's family helped police hone in on his location, he said.

"The two individuals we believe are responsible for the robbery and murder of Mr. Belton are in custody," Straub said, adding that police believe they have a "very strong case" against them.

Straub said three of the second suspect's friends, all juveniles, were arrested and charged with rendering criminal assistance to evade police apprehension, a Class B felony.

The motive for the murder was robbery, not race, Straub said Monday. The crime didn't appear to be gang-related, he said.

"It was a robbery that two young people, one of whom was at one point actively involved in basketball, committed on what they perceived to be a victim, and a ready victim," Straub said.

The teens stole cash from Belton, Straub said. The veteran's wallet was discovered in the area of the crime scene.

Belton was born and raised in Spokane. He survived being shot in the leg in 1945 at Okinawa, one of the fiercest battles of the war, and went on to spend 33 years working for Kaiser Aluminum before retiring in 1982.

Belton was called "Shorty" by his friends because he was little more than 5 feet tall, his niece Pam Hansen said.

She believes he was targeted because of his age and size.

http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-504083_1...th-police-say/

Bail at $3M for 2nd Teen in Veteran Beating Case

ABC News

- ‎22 minutes ago‎

Bail was set at $3 million Tuesday for a 16-year-old boy who is charged with killing a World War II veteran and contends the man was beaten to death because he shorted the teen and another boy on a sale of crack cocaine. . .

Thursday, Sep 5, 2013 04:02 PM PDT

Teens’ fingerprints found on WWII veteran’s car

By Associated Press

SPOKANE, Wash. (AP) — Investigators have discovered fingerprints linking two teenagers to an 88-year-old World War II veteran who was beaten to death last month, authorities said.

Police said in an affidavit that Demetruis Glenn and Kenan Adams-Kinard, both 16, killed Delbert “Shorty” Belton on Aug. 22 while he sat in his car. Investigators found Glenn’s prints on the exterior rear driver’s side door and the interior of the rear driver’s side passenger door and Adams-Kinard’s prints were on the exterior driver’s door and the interior of the rear driver’s side passenger door, according to the affidavit.

Belton’s body was found wedged between the front bucket seats, with his lower body from the neck down folded into the back seat area, according to the affidavit.

Glenn and Adams-Kinard will be arraigned Sept. 12. Both face charges of first-degree murder and two charges of first-degree robbery. They are being tried as adults.

The Associated Press does not generally identify minors accused of a crime but is naming the teens because of the severity of the charges.

http://www.salon.com/2013/09/05/teens_fingerprints_found_on_wwii_veterans_car/singleton/