Essex man

Runaway Slave Ad

2010-01-02T20:22:00.000-05:00

Baltimore Sun on September 20, 1852

ONE HUNDRED DOLLARS REWARD - RAN AWAY from the subscriber on the 16th instant, a NEGRO BOY, named GEORGE STEWART, a slave for life. The said boy is about 20 years of age, five feet in height, of a bright mulatto color. Had on when he left, a pair of blue mixed pants, black frock coat, black hat, and coarse shoes. The above reward will be paid if said boy is taken out of this State, and lodged in jail; or FIFTY DOLLARS if apprehended within the State and secured. Baltimore County, September 17th, 1852.

NICHOLAS M. BRIAN, Stemmer’s Run Post Office

Runaway Slave Ads, Baltimore County, Maryland 1842-1863
by Julie DeMatteis and Louis S. Diggs, Sr.

Gorillas, Monkeys and Penguins in Essex

2009-12-24T17:49:00.003-05:00

A drinking buddy of mine has been insisting that when he was a kid he went to a pet store in Essex that had a gorilla! I always said that was the alcohol talking, until I stumbled upon the Essex, Maryland Facebook group:

Deborah Fedorchak Liberatore wrote: "Does anyone remember when they had a gorilla at the Essex Pet Store?"

Gordon Barr replied: "I remember the gorilla at the Essex Pet Store. Use to give you the finger."

My buddy was right!

Now I do remember the penguins at Eastpoint Mall and I vaguely remember monkeys at the Hess shoe store. I checked one of my favorite blogs, Tom Warner's "Accelerated Decrepitude" where I discovered that my fuzzy childhood memories were true. Read his post "When Animals Ruled the Malls: Baltimore's Wild Retail Kingdom."

Essex Mime Church

2009-12-23T10:46:00.002-05:00

God's Will Apostolic Ministries in Essex.

More Essex Mime Church videos at kbam5's Youtube page.

2007 Mariner Girls

2009-12-23T09:25:00.035-05:00

Baltimore's Bygone Booze

2009-12-21T15:03:00.007-05:00

Sexy Strippers Drive Men to Stab Cop in Neck

2009-11-09T02:14:00.005-05:00

Police: 2 People Involved In Officer Attack
Stabbed Off-Duty Officer Shoots Suspect At Club
(11/5/2009)

Baltimore County Police have released new information about the stabbing of an off-duty Baltimore City officer.

Initially it had been believed that only one man attacked Officer Eric Jansen, 42, but police now say Jansen was attacked by two men.

The suspect shot by Officer Jansen in the incident is at Shock Trauma and has not yet been charged.

The second suspect is identified as Lucas James Baumeister, 23. Baumeister was at the scene of the incident and was at first interviewed by detectives as a witness. Detectives later determined Baumeister was the other suspect, and he was placed under arrest Thursday night.

The incident began early Thursday morning as Jansen was leaving Christina's Female Revue. As he left the building the two men ran up to him and began stabbing him in the neck and lower back.

Jansen produced a handgun he was carrying off-duty and shot one of the attackers. That man and Jansen were taken to Shock Trauma. Jansen was released from the hospital Thursday night.

Baumeister is being held at the Baltimore County Detention Center with bail denied. He has been charged with attempted first-degree murder and assault.

Investigators do not know the motive for the attack.

CHRISTINA'S FEMALE REVUE

Fun Times at Rocky Point

2009-09-23T15:50:00.001-04:00

Rocky Point, Essex, 1979 Barry Holniker Photography
(submitted by Kelly)

Joseph C. Palczynski's '00 Crime Spree

2009-03-13T01:39:00.003-04:00

Joseph C. Palczynski's '00 crime spree
Selected articles on the 97-hour Dundalk standoff that ended in the killer's death
baltimoresun.com

Breaking point

2009-03-12T01:26:00.006-04:00

Breaking point

Joseph Palcyznski could not live without his girlfriend. Tracy Whitehead had to escape his abuse. His mother, Pat Long, feared it would all end in tragedy.

Written by Linell Smith. Reported by Smith, Patricia Meisol, Ann LoLordo and Marego Athans Baltimore Sun, July 3, 2000

As Joseph Palcyznski neared the violent end he had predicted, two women loomed largest in his life: the one he asked to marry him and the one who gave him birth.

Tracy Whitehead was 20 when she met the man she knew as "Joby." She was older than his previous girlfriends, and their relationship would last the longest, 18 months. By the time his violent jealousy finally drove her away, Tracy had suffered his abuse but had not forgotten his generosity. Joby was the one who helped her find a better life, Joby was the one who believed in her.

And Pat Long was the one who believed in him.

Before Joby met Tracy, his mother often packed his lunch and left it in his mailbox. She helped him buy the flashy cars, Jet Skis, designer label clothes - "the finer things"- that attracted people to him. And when trouble started, as it often did, she tried her best to make things right between her son and his girlfriends.

MORE...

Joe Palczynski: A Legacy Of Pain

2009-03-09T16:57:00.004-04:00

Joe Palczynski: A Legacy Of Pain

Monday, March 09, 2009
WBAL Radio as reported by John Patti

It was nine years ago this month that Joseph Palczynski terrorized residents of the Baltimore region by killing four people and taking a family of three hostage in one of the longest one-man standoffs ever known. Contacted in Port St. Lucie, Florida, Lynn Whitehead, one of the women Palczynski held hostage tells WBAL Radio "all I want to do is get my head back together."

Joseph Palczynski, an electrician and body builder, had a lengthy record of domestic violence and related crimes. At age 31, he had been through at least 7 young women over 13 years. Loving them, controlling then, then abusing them. His last love was 20 year old Tracy Whitehead.

CLICK HERE to listen to WBAL Radio's coverage from March 2000.

Part 1; Lynn Whitehead

The bizarre set of circumstances that led to a 97-hour standoff began on March 4th, 2000 when "Joby", as he was known to his girlfriends, was arrested in the Bowley's Quarters area of Baltimore County. He was charged with assault after a domestic argument with his girlfriend, Tracy."

Despite his lengthy criminal history, Palczynski was released the following day on $7500 bond put up by his mother. Lynn Whitehead tells WBAL Radio that "they should have never let him out." On March 7th, he kidnapped Tracy Whitehead and killed a couple with whom she was living with. A Good Samaritan was also killed by Palczynksi as he attempted to help Tracy. Two more people were shot on March 8th as Palczynski attempted to carjack passing motorists. One, a pregnant mother, died at a local hospital. The second shooting victim was a 2 year old boy who sustained minor injuries.

Joseph Palczynski then disappeared. An extensive manhunt was initiated that evening. During that 10 day period, Tracy Whitehead was able to escape and Palczynski found himself in Virginia where he kidnapped a 53-year-old man, forcing that man to drive him back to Baltimore County to look for Tracy.

Lynn Whitehead says her life and that of her family have been permanently affected by Palczynski. She tells WBAL Radio that her daughter "has been on medication for years after seeing all them people get killed. She'll never be the same. And Bradley, he never talked about it as a kid. That's all he talks about now." Lynn adds that in the past 9 years, she has been in and out of psychiatric wards three times and rehab 20 times. "I'm still trying to get through it."

Lynn Whitehead remembers the day Tracy brought Joe Palczynski around. "I met him out front in my yard. He seemed like a nice guy. It was always yes ma'am...no ma'am with him. He always called me Miss Lynn and everything. If you gave him something to drink, it was thank you. It was just strange how he snapped like that."

Nine years later Whitehead says Palczynski "made me scared in life to where I lock my doors. I can never be by myself. I live with all my kids. I will not stay home by myself anymore."

On March 17th, 2000 Joseph Palczynski re-surfaced at Lynn Whitehead's Dundalk apartment in the 7500 block of Lange Road.

It was St. Patrick's Day and Mel Blizzard was at a restaurant having dinner with his wife. Their food had just arrived when Blizzard's pager went off. The Commander of the Baltimore County Hostage Negotiation Team called the communications center and was told that Joseph Palczynski had taken three hostages on Lange Road. He was told to report to the Eastpoint Fire Station, where police had set up a command center. Forty minutes later Blizzard was being briefed on what has turned out to be the second longest "static" hostage barricade in U.S. history.

Part 2: Bradley McCord Details How Joby Shot His Way In

Joseph Palczynski was on the run from March 8th to March 17th. He spent much of that time in the woods using his survival skills. Police also surmise that because Palczynski was familiar with the local waterfront areas and the railroads he jumped a train that passed through Virginia.

Armed with handguns, a rifle, and hundreds of rounds of ammunition, Joby showed up at Lynn Whitehead's first floor apartment at 7520 Lange Road in Dundalk on March 17th, 2000. He was looking for his girlfriend, Tracy Whitehead.

Twelve year old Bradley, Lynn Whitehead's son, spotted him first coming up to the door. Andy McCord, Lynn's boyfriend, called 9-1-1. The voice on the other side of the door claimed to be the police but the dispatcher told Andy that officers had not yet arrived.

Palczynski began shooting and as McCord moved away from the door, Joby busted in. Palczynski grabbed the phone from McCord and told the dispatcher that he would kill not only Lynn but Andy, and their 12 year old son as well.

Today, 21 year old Bradley McCord recalls to WBAL Radio what happened next inside the apartment. "Me and my father scattered, my mom went behind some other door. He (his father) picked the dresser up and threw it against the door and I just jumped on top of him."

Lynn Whitehead says "I was hiding behind the door in my daughter's room". He (Joby) was shooting. Andy and Brad were screaming. I was about to pass out behind the door in Tracy's bedroom. Then he found me. He held a gun to my head and told Brad and Andy that if they didn't come out of the bedroom he was going to shoot me."

Brad and Andy came out and then Palczynski began ordering Lynn to tie Andy up and barricade the windows with sheets and mattresses. It was the start of 4 days of hell for Lynn, Andy, and Bradley at the hands of a guy who had already killed 4 people and had been on the run for 9 days.

Joseph Palczynski wanted Tracy Whitehead brought to him. Bradley remembers "he had like 20 pairs of socks on. He sat on the toilet with the door open while we all laid in the hallway that night. He just looked all crazy." Joe Palczynski held Lynn, Bradley, and Andy at gunpoint for the next 97 hours.

Part 3: How It All Ended

From Friday night, March 17th, 2000 to Tuesday night, March 21st, Joe Palczynski tried to get police to bring his girlfriend,Tracey Whitehead, to him as he held three people hostage in an apartment in Dundalk. But that was out of the question. Police had her hidden in a motel and she had no knowledge of what was going on. She wasn't even allowed to watch tv or listen to the radio.

Bradley McCord was being held hostage with his mother, Lynn Whitehead and father, Andy McCord. The 12 year old says he had actually gained Joe Palczynski's trust over the 97 hour standoff in Lynn's apartment. He says they talked about going jet skiing and how Joby had "messed up his life." Bradley says they even played scratch-off lottery tickets. "We all played. He (Palczynski) played and he had the winning one. He said here, I ain't going to be needing this anymore."

Lynn Whitehead says after 4 days of being held captive, she had had enough. She found some of her daughter Tracy's Xanax tablets. She melted them and mixed them with some iced tea and offered it to Palczynski. Lynn says "about ten minutes later he was out of it."

The plan was to escape through a window while Joby was asleep. But there was a problem. Lynn's boyfriend, Andy McCord and their son Bradley were also asleep. Whitehead tried to wake them but couldn't. She decided to jump out of the window in her daughter's room. A window which she says she had cracked open earlier in the day. When asked why she escaped without Andy and Bradley, Whitehead says "I was just getting more crazy in my head and I just took the first opportunity I could to get out without even thinking."

Eventually Andy McCord woke up and feared that if he tried to wake his son, Palczynski would also wake up. He too went out the window.

Retired Baltimore County Commander of the Hostage Negotiation team, Mel Blizzard says that is when they knew they had to move in because Palczynski was in there with a child and no telling what he would do. Police stormed the front window and they say as Palczynski woke up and went for his gun, they started firing. The medical examiner's report concludes that Joseph Palczynski took 27 bullets. He never made it off of the couch.

Brad McCord today says he thought he was going to die when the shooting started. When asked how he feels today about being left inside the apartment by his mother and father, Bradley says "I talk to my father about that many times. Many people call him wussy for what he did. He swears to me that Joby wouldn't hurt me but I say what if dad, what if? I got a kid now and, I was like, no matter what, man, I would not leave my kid in that situation. Never. That's just the way I am. I love my father to death now but I had arguments where I called him a coward."

Bradley McCord says that 97 hour hostage standoff changed his life. For years after it ended he was afraid that Palczynski's mother would come after him so he got into the habit of always locking his doors.

Lynn Whitehead says she has been in and out of psychiatric wards three times and in rehab 20 times. She tells WBAL Radio "I'm still trying to get through it."

Lynn Whitehead has moved from Baltimore County to Myrtle Beach and now to Port St. Lucie, Florida where she lives with Andy McCord, her two sons, their girlfriends, and a grandchild, Bradley's child.

Lynn Whitehead says her daughter Tracy, now 29 years old, has married and is living somewhere in Virginia.

Kix at the Seagull Inn, Essex, Maryland, 1983

2009-01-01T12:37:00.001-05:00

From the USA Network show "Hot Spots," 1983.

The Seagull Inn is now the River Watch Restaurant & Marina.

2006 Mariner Girls

2008-12-24T18:09:00.005-05:00

Essex resident spots manatees off pier

2008-09-25T18:39:00.005-04:00

Essex resident spots manatees off pier
By Nick Madigan

What was that thing in the water? A dolphin? A shark?

Gail Hill was calmly feeding the ducks off her pier in Essex's Norman Creek on Tuesday evening when she spotted what was unmistakably a large form moving just under the surface. Wait, make that two.

It was only when one of the beasts popped its whiskered snout out of the water that Hill realized the visitors were manatees - a not-too-common animal in the Chesapeake Bay and its estuaries. Normally, they're sunning themselves in balmy Florida.

"I wasn't sure what it was at first, not until ... I saw the bulbous head," Hill said yesterday. "They're kind of ugly."

There are legions of manatee lovers who would take issue with that assessment, but no matter. For Hill, the sightings were a first-time event in 34 years of living next to the creek, normally populated by geese, blue herons and "turtles bigger than trash cans."

For scientists, the appearance of the gentle, endangered herbivores, which can live 50 years or more and weigh as much as 2,000 pounds, was another in a growing body of sightings of manatees far from their natural habitat.

Jennifer Dittmar, who runs the stranding-response program at the National Aquarium in Baltimore and who spoke with Hill yesterday morning, said there have been about three or four reports of manatees in the bay every summer for the past four or five years, although not all were confirmed as the real thing. Officials were unable to confirm Hill's sighting yesterday.

"It's actually becoming less uncommon," Dittmar said of visits by manatees, the most notorious of which was Chessie, who was rescued near Queenstown in 1994, fitted with a radio transmitter and ultimately flown back to Florida - only to be spotted the next year off Rhode Island.

Scarlet Angel's Jackie Joyce Engaged

2008-03-15T19:44:00.006-04:00

I've seen Scarlet Angel perform at quite a few clubs in Essex: Mac's The Club. The Hot Spot (now closed), Sylvester's Saloon, Blue Fins... Jackie really knows how to belt out the tunes.

I *think* Scarlet Angel was slated to open for Great White before tragedy struck in Rhode Island where 96 concert-goers perished in a fire at The Station nightclub.

The band's drummer, Kim, runs Kim's Krypt, my favorite haunted attraction.

Related Links:
Scarlet Angel
Scarlet Angel on Myspace

Crews Put Out Fire At Enchanted Forest

2008-03-14T11:02:00.003-04:00

http://www.wbaltv.com/news/15586192/detail.html

Middle River bum hit by train

2008-03-13T13:57:00.009-04:00

(An Amtrak AEM-7 pulls his train north bound thru Middle River 2003, photo by guinnessman42)

Man has narrow escape on tracks
He is hit by train while sunning himself

by Richard Irwin
March 13, 2008

A homeless man narrowly escaped death or serious injury yesterday afternoon when he was hit by a CSX train while lying on the tracks near Middle River and sunning himself, Baltimore County police said.

Shortly before 1 p.m., a CSX engine pulling 29 freight cars was traveling about 30 mph in the rear of the 9200 block of Pulaski Highway in Middle River when the conductor, William Dunnane, 61, saw what he thought was a log lying across the tracks and applied the train's brakes, county police said.

Dunnane told police that as he neared the object, he realized it was a man lying on the tracks and applied more pressure on the brakes and sounded his warning horn.

Seconds later, the conductor said, he realized that the train might have run over the man.

From the train, Dunnane called police and railroad officials.

Police said the man, John Steinbrickner, 61, apparently moved off the tracks in time to prevent being run over and sustained only a minor injury to his left knee.

He told police he was lying on the tracks to get some sun, said Officer John Nida of the Essex Precinct.

Steinbrickner, who has no permanent address, was taken by the county Fire Department to Franklin Square Hospital Center for treatment. It could not be determined whether Steinbrickner was admitted or released.

"He's very lucky," Nida said.

I wonder what the special sauce is?

2008-03-12T17:41:00.010-04:00

(submitted by John)

The Kourtyard is now Jad's Caddyshack, a great place for "home cookin'" in Essex.

2005 Mariner Girls

2008-02-24T18:07:00.002-05:00

The "Mariner" magazine's "Mariner Girls" collection of local swimsuit beauties seems to have disappeared so we are sharing some of the highlights we shared to our hard drive.
Click photos for larger images.

Lauren, of Bear, Del., was discovered working at Drifter's
Cove in Chesapeake City. Photo by Steve Gottlieb.

Related Links

Cable in the 80's

2008-02-14T14:08:00.001-05:00

I present to you... the wired Comcast remote with dial!

Pikesville Maryland Rye

2008-01-31T14:50:00.004-05:00

(Photo from American Whiskey web site)

It's winter time which means sitting indoors sipping on whiskey, especially rye whiskey. Today we take a trip to the other side of the Beltway, to take a look at the last rye made in Baltimore: Pikesville Maryland Straight Rye Whiskey:

"To Serve Man"

2008-01-27T01:10:00.011-05:00

450 pound Joe Roy Metheny,
The Baltimore Pit Beef Serial Killer

"I lured 2 more crackwhores up there to my trailer. I killed and butchered their bodies up. I cut the meat up and put it in some Tupperware bowls then put it in a freezer. I buried the remains in several shallow graves in a little woods behind the company.

Over the next couple weeks on the weekends I opened up a little open-pit beef stand. I had real roast beef and pork sandwiches and why not they were very good. The human body tastes was very similar to pork. If you mix it together no one can tell the difference.

Everything was going pretty good until I ran out of my special meat."

(continued at Serial Killer Central)

Related: Joe Roy Metheny Art

Ace Frehley Would Rather See New York Boobs

2007-12-25T11:38:00.005-05:00

Instead, he is presented with a Baltimore rack, at the 1:20 mark, at Hammerjacks in 1992.

2004 Mariner Girls

2007-12-24T18:05:00.002-05:00

The "Mariner" magazine's "Mariner Girls" collection of local swimsuit beauties seems to have disappeared so we are sharing some of the highlights we shared to our hard drive.
Click photos for larger images.

Elise makes it official. Spring is here!
Photo by Terence Roberts.

Nadia enjoys some down time. Photo by Terence Roberts.

Annette melts the ice. Photo by Terence Roberts.

Rachel Agosto is at home on land or at sea.
Sign her guest book at www.RachelAgosto.com
Photo by Surfinbird

Related Links

At least he is honest.

2007-12-18T02:04:00.001-05:00

"Big Daddy Says No Fat Bitches"

2007-11-13T18:53:00.002-05:00

(Photo from Rev. Slaughter's Flickr Page)

My wife and I always seem to spot this vehicle on Eastern Blvd. when we're out running errands. Does Roy have a girlfriend? What woman would put up with this? I am shocked everytime I see this truck. Why did a reverend take this photo and post it on his Flickr page? I am reminded of another vehicle I would always see at the 7-11 on Back River Neck Road back ack in the late 1980s / early 1990s. It was a big station wagon full of trash with "FUR DOG" written on it.

Fresh fruit a big selling point in the 80s

2007-10-31T02:56:00.001-04:00

"The Haunted House" in Ocean City

2007-10-30T01:27:00.001-04:00

Trimper's "Haunted House" in Ocean City, Maryland

A stunning photo essay taking you on a virtual tour through this classic 60s "dark ride."

(continue to Laff in the Dark)

1972 was a great year to see movies

2007-10-14T03:24:00.001-04:00

In Essex alone you had the Hiway, Carrollwood, Aero Theater (with the black cinder block walls and the rats running under your feet...), you had the Bengies Drive-In Theatre and the North Point Drive-In...

His name was Shawn Wagner.

2007-09-22T02:06:00.000-04:00

Essex Tiki Boat Captain in Christmas Video

2007-08-23T12:16:00.000-04:00

Has anyone else seen the bearded man in this video cruising around Middle River in a bamboo tiki boat? He's only out on the water one or two times a year but when he is everyone starts spreading the message on their marine radios.

1970s Essex 4th of July Parade

2007-07-04T00:53:00.000-04:00

(Heritage Society of Essex & Middle River / Baltimore County Legacy Web)

The National Brewing Company's 'Shires' are seen in a 4th of July Parade in Essex in the 1970s. The six - horse team is seen pulling an old time beer wagon as the booted handler wearing a bowler hat walks alongside.

"You shouldn't wear such high heels on a boat!"

2007-07-01T01:44:00.002-04:00

Kelly Park poses at Weaver Marine in Essex

(Continue to Chesapeake Bay Mariner magazine's "Mariner Girls")

Good Luck Chickin' Head

2007-06-25T01:37:00.001-04:00

"Every year when crabbin' season starts, I buy a 40lb. box of skinless chicken necks up at Richardsons' to use for bait. Well, for some unknown reason there occasionally, out of 400 necks, for the last several years, at least one chicken head is mixed in with the necks. This year was no exception. I have come to believe that this is a good omen. My crab catch since I've been getting a chicken head or two each year has been real good.

Might just be superstition, but it works for me.

Looks like another good year, huh?"

(Thanks, George!)

Dale Coleman Sr., Age 62

2007-02-14T17:19:00.007-05:00

The 1960s and 1970s rock guitarist devised a concert finale in
which he would set his arms on fire.

By Jacques Kelly
The Baltimore Sun
February 14, 2007

Dale Coleman Sr., a 1960s and 1970s rock guitarist who created an act where he set his arms on fire, died Friday of Crohn's disease at Bon Secours Hospital. The Loch Raven Village resident was 62.

"He was one of the greatest guitar players I was ever associated with," said band leader Tom Stauch of Abingdon, better known as Tommy Vann. "He patterned himself after Jimi Hendrix, but Dale was always distinct and unique. Long before Hendrix, he was doing wild things with the guitar."

Born in Baltimore and raised in Timonium, Mr. Coleman began playing music while attending Dulaney High School. He also studied music composition for two years at the Peabody Conservatory.

Mr. Coleman began appearing at high school fraternity dances at the old Gwynn Oak's Park Dixie Ballroom.

"Every night seemed to end in a fight, and the mirrors at one side of the building got broken," said a brother, Chris Coleman of Sparks.

The rock bands Mr. Coleman joined performed at Baltimore County nightspots, including Christopher's in Timonium, Satyr House and Club Venus, both on Joppa Road, and Latin Casino in Essex. Friends said he established a following as he played.

"He had a bigger-than-life personality. He was a Hollywood kind of person who never made it to Hollywood," said Joe Baranoski, who heard him play nearly 35 years ago. "His music was incredible -- he played the music of the times -- Led Zeppelin, Hendrix and Grand Funk Railroad -- and he added his own flair to it."

Mr. Coleman bought a Gibson Firebird guitar and could play it with his teeth -- or behind his back.

"I saw him sleep with that guitar," said Tom Carson, a friend who sang with The Fugitives. "He was a wild man, an innovator, who played with long, bony fingers. He was one of a kind, a master of the guitar."

Mr. Coleman played with The Fugitives, Charades, Tommy Vann and the Professionals, and Expressway, which traveled with the Edgar Winter Group and was a warm-up act for Aerosmith concerts. His guitar playing is heard on the 1968 Tommy Vann recording of Soul Sister Annie on Capital Records.

"I'm just one of those people that has to move around when I'm playing," he told an Evening Sun reporter in 1974 when describing his stage personality.

As music changed in the 1970s, Mr. Coleman added electronic instrumentation to his performances, including the wah-wah pedal. He also sang and played harmonica in a style reminiscent of Bob Dylan.

Mr. Coleman added pyrotechnics, consulting with a chemist and a friend who taught high school science. They created a combustible mixture of mutton tallow and petroleum distillate.

"When I'm going that route, I soak my arms in alum and cold cream for a couple hours," Mr. Coleman said in the 1974 interview, adding that he had had only a minor burn in 50 finales to his act -- when he would set his arms on fire as he played.

Mr. Coleman was diagnosed with Crohn's disease in 1979. He later became disabled and retired from music.

He worked in the Charles Street jewelry shop owned by his father, Nelson Coleman Sr., in the basement of the Woman's Industrial Exchange building. He became a salesman and estate jewelry buyer before moving into a nursing home because of the illness. He entertained fellow patients on his guitar for the past two years.

Mr. Coleman's only child, Dale Coleman Jr. of Parkville, is also a rock guitarist and appears with Pure Gold, Unveiled and the Dale Coleman Duo.

A memorial services will be held at 1 p.m. tomorrow at the Ruck Towson Funeral Home, 1050 York Road.

In addition to his brother and son, survivors include his mother, Virginia Doederlein Coleman of Towson, and three other brothers, Mark Coleman of Bel Air, Randy Coleman of Alexandria, Va., and Jeffrey Coleman of Baltimore. His marriage to the former Georgia Blevins ended in divorce.

Murder at Blue Fins

2005-01-20T14:05:00.002-05:00

Note from Hugo: The weird thing about this story... is I was there during the shooting. The murderer was sitting next to me and put his coat on the barstool. I was drinking, not paying attention and suddenly something like a loud firecracker went off. No one knew what happened. The guy that was next to me came back, got his coat and left. Then it started to dawn on people that someone had been shot. The guy laid on the dance floor, bleeding to death. The police arrived and blocked the parking lot, taking everyone's info and statements before letting them leave. I was stuck in Blue Fins' parking lot til 3:30 am.

Suspect in Essex killing faces extradition from Colorado

TOWSON - A 21-year-old man faces extradition from Colorado after being charged in the Dec. 31 fatal shooting of a patron in the Blue Fins Saloon in Essex, county police said yesterday.

Jimmy Holger Silva of the first block of Wagner Lane, Middle River, was arrested by FBI agents on Jan. 14 in Pueblo, Colo., police said in a release. There is no date for Silva's extradition, police said.

He is charged with killing Romanio Antonio Jones, 30, of the first block of Norham Court, Essex, during a New Year's Eve gathering at the saloon in the 8200 block of Eastern Ave.