GLORIA POINTER - 14 yo (1984)/ Convicted: Hernandez Warren - Cleveland OH

Gloria Pointer, 14, of Cleveland, found beaten to death in a stairwell (republished)

This article was originally published in The Plain Dealer on Dec. 7, 1984. It was written by Katherine L. Siemon and Janet Kolodzy.

A Harry E. Davis Junior High School pupil was found beaten to death yesterday morning, about 2-1/2 hours after she started to walk to school.

Gloria Y. Pointer, 14, of E. 114th St., was found partially undressed in a back stairwell leading to the base­ment of an E. 105th St. apartment building.

Homicide detectives said they do not know if Gloria's death was related to the deaths and rapes of at least three other young girls in recent months.

Gloria, who was to have received a perfect attendance award when she arrived at school yesterday, began her 15-minute walk to school slightly earlier than usual so she could stop at a girlfriend's home to get a comb for a new hairstyle, said her mother, Yvonne Rashid.

Gloria called the friend just before she left home about 7 a.m. When she did not arrive, the girl went to school and told officials. She said she wanted to call Gloria's mother.

School officials called the mother about 8 a.m. and announced over the public address system that Gloria was missing and asked pupils who have seen something unusual to come to the office.

Gloria's body was found about 10:30 a.m. by an apartment building custo­dian. Some people in the building said they had heard a noise earlier and he was investigating whether someone had broken in.

Her body was clothed only in a shirt and socks. Her other clothes were found nearby. Dr. Lester Adelson, chief deputy coroner, said he could not immediately determine if the girl had been stabbed or otherwise assaulted.

"There is no question she was a vic­tim of a vicious homicide," Adelson said.

Gloria's mother said her daughter walked to school every day but usually met several girls at the corner of E. 114th St and Orville Ave. The girlfriend Gloria was to visit lived just beyond the school, 10700 Chur­chill Ave. Gloria's parents said a teacher told them she saw Gloria about 7:10 am. at E. 109th St with a man following a short distance behind.

"She was such a good girL I never had a minute's trouble with her," said her mother who sat with friends and relatives who had come by her home to offer support.

Bobby J. McDowell, the school's principal said Gloria was a cheer­leader and was very active in student council. "She was just a fine student" he said. "We had a recognition pro­gram this morning and she was to be honored for perfect attendance."

"This is a terrible thing to happen, the type of thing we dread," said Dep­uty Schools Supt Seymour Freedman. "We hope the individual who did this is caught and dealt with severely. Our hearts go out to the family."

McDowell said Gloria's death was an isolated incident He said the only problems the school has had are some gang fights.

Gloria's mother said she was upset with the schools for making starting time too early. She said it has been dark when Gloria leaves to be at school by 7:45.

"How many of these girls have to die before they listen?" she said.

Gloria was the fourth teen-age girl to be abducted and killed in Greater Cleveland in recent months.

Trina Middleton, 14, who was stabbed in Forest Hill Park, was the only one of the other victims killed in the city.

Two others were killed in Bedford Heights and Newburgh Heights, police said.

This article was originally published in The Plain Dealer on Dec. 7, 1984. It was written by Katherine L. Siemon and Janet Kolodzy.

Gloria Pointer’s Killer Sentenced 30 Years Later

by Jessica Dabrowski, Darcie Loreno, Jennifer Jordan and Suzanne Stratford
Posted on: 10:06 am, May 23, 2014
updated on: 04:13pm, May 23, 2014

CLEVELAND, Ohio — A three judge panel on Friday accepted a plea agreement that would bring the decades old Gloria Pointer case to an end.

Pointer was raped and killed on the east side of Cleveland on her way to school in 1984.  She was 14 at the time.

Last May, a new look at old DNA evidence linked Hernandez Warren to the crime.

As part of the agreement, Warren pleaded guilty to charges of aggravated murder and rape.  The death penalty was taken off the table.

On the aggravated murder charge, the judges imposed a sentence of life in prison with the possibility of parole after serving a full thirty years.

For the rape charge, Warren was ordered to serve a definite term of 10 years up to a discretionary 25 years to run concurrent to the aggravated murder sentence.

Warren previously had pleaded not guilty in the case.

When given the opportunity to speak, Gloria’s mother, Yvonne Pointer, read a poem from her daughter’s perspective.

“Was I bad?  Did I deserve to die that way?” it said in part.

Yvonne Pointer also reminded everyone Gloria has inspired a scholarship fund, a basketball league for kids, and a school in Africa.

Warren did not make a formal statement, but his attorney said his client had rehabilitated himself since the 1984 rape and murder.

The junior member of judges panel said in his short time on the bench he has come to see there is pure evil in the world.  He called Warren the personification of that evil.

http://fox8.com/2014/05/23/live-sentencing-possible-for-gloria-pointers-killer/