Read A Sniper in the Tower Online

Authors: Gary M. Lavergne

Tags: #History, #United States, #General, #State & Local, #Southwest (AZ; NM; OK; TX), #True Crime, #Murder, #test

A Sniper in the Tower (4 page)

 
Page 6
rank of Eagle Scout and received national recognition for being the youngest Eagle Scout in the world at age twelve years and three months. The scout master, Father Joseph Gileus LeDuc, a close family friend, remembered that Charlie became an Eagle Scout so quickly because of constant pressure from his father. Harold Doerr, a Lake Worth scouting official, said, "This was a fine young man, a real Eagle Scout all the way." On the path to the rank of Eagle, Charlie and another scout named Michael Crook attended the 8 February 1954 meeting of the Lake Worth City Commission. The boys were dressed in full regalia when the Mayor of Lake Worth, James A. Stafford, asked them why they were there. Charlie and Michael stood at attention as they identified themselves and their troop numbers and responded that they were interested in learning about the operations of city government. A reporter covering the city beat was so impressed that he wrote, "They made a fine appearance and reminded the public just why this nation is great." Unfortunately, the two young, eager citizens could only have walked away confused; at the meeting it was revealed that Lake Worth had a zoning appeals board, but no zoning board.
12
As a scout, Charlie earned twenty-one merit badges in fifteen monthsan incredible accomplishment. He attended a National Boy Scout Jamboree in Santa Barbara, Florida, where he received the
Ad Altare Dei
Catholic Scout Award on 29 December 1953.
13
As a scout leader, the elder Whitman should have been extremely proud.
Sister Marie Loretta, a teacher at Sacred Heart School, described young Charles Whitman as "purposeful," a student who "seeks additional work," is "very capable" and "intelligent.'' His cumulative guidance record listed only one "B" in the first grade, and throughout the elementary grades (grades one to four) he consistently made the honor roll. On 5 December 1947 he was administered an IQ test and measured a 138.9, clearly a gifted student. During the middle school years (grades five to eight) he scored in the top five percent of students nationwide on standardized reading, language arts, and arithmetic.
14
A preoccupation with making money started early for Charlie Whitman and remained constant throughout his life. He took responsibility for a very large, probably the largest, Lake Worth paper route for the
Miami Herald
. Customers noted that papers generally
 
Page 7
landed at or near doorsteps. During bad weather, the route became a Whitman family affair, and deliveries were made by automobile. Bob Everett, the
Herald
's Lake Worth circulation manager, remembered Charlie as being very dependable, but not one to take criticism very well. He tended to personalize customer complaints and once asked Everett why his notes "sound so mean." A high school friend claimed, "He was always . . . busy working . . . and usually had some sort of job." By October of 1955 he had saved enough money to purchase a Harley-Davidson motorcycle for use on his route.
15
On 1 September 1955, Charlie entered Saint Ann's High School. Founded in 1925 and located in West Palm Beach, the school was decidedly upscale. While not a campus leader or standout, he was modestly popular. At least one friend remembers that Charlie did not hang around with the most popular students and tried to draw attention to himself by exhibiting an eagerness to take dares: "They had a tower at Saint Ann's with some sort of a circus act. It was a real tower and someone bet him he wouldn't go up; we were in the tenth grade. He went all the way to the top."
16
He had normal friendships with many of the other boys and dated several girls, but had no steady relationships. Frank McCarty, a friend, stated, "He was completely normal. Just one of the guys." Sister Estelle, Saint Ann's principal, remembered Charlie as better behaved, and an overall better student than most others. She also recalled that he was popular. There appeared to be nothing peculiar about Charlie Whitman.
17
He pitched for the school baseball team and managed the football team. Ray Roy, a former classmate and later a football coach at Saint Ann's, recalled that Charlie enjoyed squirting players and bystanders with plastic bottles of water that were supposed to be reserved for thirsty players.
18
Charlie's freshman and sophomore years were noticeably more successful than his junior and senior years. His standardized test scores were high and consistent throughout high school, but his grades dropped as he neared graduation. His grade point averages for the ninth and tenth grades were 3.30 and 3.46 (on a 4.0 scale) respectively; for the eleventh and twelfth grade they were 2.60 and 2.50. He had a mixed attendance record; perfect attendance during his sophomore year, but a total of twenty-six absences during his junior year, largely due to sixteen consecutive absences in February, 1958,
 
Page 8
when he underwent surgery to remove a blood clot on his left testicle. He graduated in 1959 with a cumulative GPA of 3.30, ranking seventh in a class of seventy-two, still a notable accomplishment in a small private school consisting of students from educated and wealthy households. But clearly, had Charlie been diligent through his junior and senior years he could have done even better.
19
One evening, very near his eighteenth birthday, like many new high school graduates, Charlie went out with a number of friends and became very drunk. When he returned home, his father reportedly lost all control of his temper. In a conversation with Father LeDuc, Charlie alleged that the elder Whitman had administered a severe punishment and had thrown Charlie into the swimming pool, where he nearly drowned.
20
In spite of his intoxication, Charlie remembered the incident with bitterness. Whatever happened, Charlie finally had enough. Although it was widely reported that he had been accepted as an undergraduate student at Georgia Tech, he never associated himself in any way with the university. Instead, in an attempt to rid himself of his father's financial control and dominance, he applied for enlistment in the United States Marines on 27 June 1959, only three days after his eighteenth birthday. His mother Margaret, who undoubtedly witnessed the swimming pool incident, was the only person he told. She did not stand in his way. Charlie caught a bus to Jacksonville, Florida, and officially entered the marines on 6 July 1959 at the age of eighteen years and two weeks.
21
Charlie Whitman had a very troubled childhood. While provided for in the material sense, he had little in the way of an emotional support system. In all significant pursuits, even as a very little boy, his father, himself the product of a broken and dysfunctional family (or arguably no family), sought relentlessly to instill a sense of excellence and near-perfection in his eldest. Charlie was never taught to handle failure; it simply was not an option. Few of his accomplishments were a consequence of intrinsic motivation. Success usually resulted from constant supervision, along with a desire to please, or avoid the wrath of, his overbearing father. His mother either did little to curb excessive expectations, or was powerless to do anything. For Charlie, mastery of one task simply meant that another awaited. Even after he had become a talented pianist, one of the youngest Eagle Scouts in the world, handled the largest paper route
 
Page 9
in Lake Worth, and could "plug the eye out of a squirrel" with a firearm, his father believed him to be spoiled and deserving of more punishment. Charlie escaped his father by joining the armed services. One problem remained, howeverthe United States Marines awaited the arrival of Charles Joseph Whitman.
22
II
What Thomas Jefferson wanted for all of Americaan agrarian culture, economy, and spiritcould be found in the little town of Needville, Texas, located thirty-five miles south of Houston. An historical marker gives a nearly-complete history while providing keen insights into what items are important to its citizens: God, work, and school. Needville's founder, August Schendel, opened a general store in 1892 and followed up with a blacksmith shop and cotton gin. By 1894, Needville officially became a village with the opening of a post office. The first church service had been conducted in 1891 and a school was opened in 1897. The village would become a trade center for widely scattered farmers and ranchers and the economy soon centered on their pursuits.
23
The boom of the petro-chemical industry of Texas engulfed Needville as well; its major sources of income changed during the 1920s, but agrarian values survived, evidenced by a Harvest Festival every third Saturday in October and an Annual Youth Fair and Rodeo in the spring.
When entering Needville, visitors in the 1950s and 1960s were greeted by a sign: "Needville Welcomes You" and just below those words, the town is described as "The Home of Friendly People." Another billboard described Needville as the home of the ''Blue Jays" and listed state champs, finalists, and playoff teams. Eight public service, religious and business organizations sponsored the sign at a time when Needville's population was less than 1,000. There were many large churches of different denominations for a village that small. Needville held evidence of "traditional" family values: few wives worked outside of their homes and in print few were referred to by their own names. Instead, married women were "Mrs. John Doe." At the edge of the hamlet, another sign reminded visitors that they were leaving the home of friendly people"Needville Thanks You."
 
Page 10
Raymond W. Leissner was a well-known rice farmer and realtor who served the community as a member of many civic groups. He was once the president of the chamber of commerce. The Leissners were prominent members of the Needville Methodist Church, a congregation tracing its roots to the founding of Needville. Mrs. Leissner taught English in the local elementary school.
Kathleen Frances, the Leissner's eldest child and only daughter, was born on 12 July 1943. At that time the Leissner family lived in Freeport, but everyone in Needville knew of Kathy's arrival. "Mr. and Mrs. Raymond Leissner of Freeport are the proud parents of a baby girl. The little Miss is the granddaughter of Mr. and Mrs. H. A. Leissner [of Needville]," reported the
Rosenberg Herald-Coaster
.
24
Kathy grew to be pretty, vivacious, talented, and neat. Her activities in elementary and high school were typical: she liked volleyball, worked on the school newspaper and annual staff, and was a baton twirler and saxophone player for the band. Like most other girls of the era, she was a member of the Future Homemakers of America, wherein she learned skills to prepare her for domestic life. She was crowned queen of the 1960 Needville Youth Fair. But she was also driven to further her education and become a working professional. She liked science and usually read what friends called "big, thick volumes."
25
Surrounded by good people who cared for one another, Kathy had a happy childhood. She was one of the original class members at Needville Elementary School in 1949's first grade. Her Needville High School classmates were supportive, more like brothers and sisters. The "village raised the children." Indeed, Needville
was
"the home of friendly people," and what neighbors did not know about each other could be learned in Lillian Brown's "News From Needville'' column in the
Rosenberg Herald-Coaster
. One typical announcement involved Kathy: "Miss Kathy Leissner returned home Sunday from Huntsville where she visited with relatives this past week."
26
Needville was not a very good place to keep a secret.
Many of the town's social events centered around its public schools. On 18 May 1961 the Needville Methodist Women's Society of Christian Service honored Kathy and six other Methodist high school graduates with a breakfast at Volger's Restaurant. On 23 May 1961 the Blue Jay Twirlers were honored at the home of Mr. and Mrs. G. R. Wruck. Kathy and the other twirlers were treated to
 
Page 11
a buffet supper and mini batons were given "from those who would take their place."
27
On 29 May 1961, she graduated from Needville High School with fifty-three other classmates. By that time she had decided to major in science in the College of Education at the University of Texas at Austin. She had been inspired to teach.
The high schools of the Rosenberg-Needville area had a long tradition of publishing "Wills and Prophesies" of each year's senior classes in the local newspaper. References to Kathy stated:
Continuing down the street, we observe Kathy Leissner trying in vain to purchase an automobile from a pair of crooked car dealers who go by the name of "Chiseling Lillie" and "Malicious Maggie."
Kathy Leissner wills her ability to stick her foot in her mouth to Bettye Vaughn.
28
Kathy Leissner was well prepared to enter the University of Texas, and would complete her degree program on time. She lived in a dorm and had an active social life. An attractive young woman, she measured five feet four inches tall, and while her weight fluctuated slightly, it hovered near 120 pounds. In February 1962, Francis Schuck, Jr., introduced her to his friend, a young, handsome marine named Charlie Whitman, who was mesmerized by her: "Her eyes are like twinkling stars, they are what fascinated me on our first meeting. . . . I can honestly say that she is the
most
versatile woman I have ever known." It was his first serious relationship, and he went to great lengths to get and keep her attention.
29
Charlie occupied Room 706 in Goodall-Wooten Dorm, nicknamed "Goody Woo." Widely regarded as a party dorm and located in the heart of the "Drag" near the corner of Guadalupe and 21st Street, the private dorm provided ready access to the campus. Experienced pedestrians strolling the Drag always looked up before walking beneath the balconies of Goody Woo. Inexperienced pedestrians were
lucky
to be pelted with only water. Housing officials probably thought that in Charlie Whitman, marine on scholarship, they had a well-adjusted, mature young man who would make an ideal tenant and good floor counselor. They were wrong. On one occasion he tele-

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