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Compiled from Times wires

© St. Petersburg Times, published September 14, 2002


Man pleads guilty to role in execution-style slaying

Man pleads guilty to role in execution-style slaying

BRADENTON -- One of five men accused in the execution-style murder of an 18-year-old Brandon woman pleaded guilty Thursday to second-degree murder.

Jason Hirshberger, 23, agreed to testify against the other men. He gave a detailed statement about the Feb. 14 killing of Marie Roehrig-Stephey.

Hirshberger told prosecutors he drove Roehrig-Stephey, 18, from Hillsborough County to a secluded area in east Manatee, where Wesley David Collins shot her in the back of the head and her body was dumped in a pond.

Edward Sauthoff, 30, of Riverview, and Collins, 24, of Brandon, face first-degree murder charges. Constantino Quiroz, 27, and Roehrig-Stephey's ex-boyfriend, Brian Bathe, 20, are charged with accessory to murder. All are expected to be tried later this year.

10 Marion County golfing buddies share Lotto prize

DUNNELLON -- Ten retired golfing buddies now can have fun with a different kind of green: a Lotto jackpot of $6.8-million.

The friends, who play at the Rainbow Springs Golf and Country Club twice a week, won a one-seventh share of last Saturday's $87.8-million jackpot, the third-largest in Florida Lottery history.

Six other winning tickets -- 10-16-22-29-36-41 -- were sold.

The men, ranging from 62 to 79 years old, each contributed $2 to the pool and organizer Dennis Phillipps bought the ticket at the Spring Food Store in Ocala.

The group will split a one-time cash payment of $6,852,930.76.

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