AMARILLO, Texas -- A police investigator brought hair and fabric samples to the FBI's Washington crime lab today to determine if a Cuban refugee raped and killed an elderly Roman Catholic nun in her convent room.
'We're hoping that the lab people will jump on it as soon as he gets to Washington,' said homicide Capt. Jimmy Davis. 'We're expecting the information late this evening. We're sure hoping.'
The samples were taken from Sister Tadea Benz, 76, and Fernando Flores, 28, who was charged Wednesday with a Saturday night burglary and attempted rape that occurred about five miles from the St. Francis convent where the elderly nun was beaten to death earlier that day.
Police Lt. G.E. Jacobs said the FBI tests could result in Flores being charged with the nun's slaying.
Jacobs said police were having difficulty gaining information about Flores because he maintains he cannot speak English and the refugee placement agency that sponsored him in Amarillo, Catholic Family Services, was refusing to turn over his background.
'They haven't released any information to us,' Jacobs said. 'We'd like to know how long he's been in Amarillo but they won't tell us. They say they aren't allowed to release any background on those people.
'And he hasn't told us anything. So far we've had to use an interpreter with him because he says he doesn't speak English. We've had other people who know him tell us he does speak English.
'We're trying to go back to Immigration (Services) and see what they can tell us,' Jacobs said. 'The FBI has fingerprints on the refugees so that might help.'
Jacobs said there had been attacks on elderly women in the Amarillo area since July. Flores has been in the city since at least September.
Jacobs said Flores apparently worked at manual labor since coming to Amarillo. Nothing was known about his life in Cuba.
Jacobs said he was not sure what prosecutors would do if Flores were linked to the nun's death.
'If we can get the death penalty, I'd hope we try him here,' he said. 'If not, I'd rather ship him back down to Fidel (Castro) and let him handle it. The prisons down there are a hell of a lot worse than they are here.'
Sister Tadea's body was found by nuns who thought she had died from a fall. Police summoned to the convent later that day to investigate a burglary learned of the elderly nun's death.
A subsequent autopsy found Sister Tadea's larynx was crushed, her left eye was blackened and her body was covered with knuckle marks and gouges.
A group of parishioners had offered to pay for a security system to protect the other frightened nuns at the convent, and officials at Amarillo National Bank have posted a $4,500 reward for information in the slaying.
