Winnipeg Free Press

Winnipeg Free Press (Newspaper) - September 7, 2006, Winnipeg, Manitoba a4 Winnipeg free press thursday september 7, 2006 Manitoba Dru Sjodin Case Boris Minkevich / Winnipeg free press a group of 14 couples get together yesterday to Check out sights at the Forks before heading to Sal a to celebrate their 50th anniversaries. First came love then came marriage then 50 anniversaries meals and celebrations. Its their Way stopped the group from meeting anniversary parties. E Rnest and Martha Neufeld to pay tribute to a landmark too few annually to reconvene club ?56. For the first 30 years no one really Are marking their 50th wed people reach. That they did and that our kids think its amazing says paid any attention says Martha Ding anniversary this week. They remained close friends is some Martha Neufeld. My daughter says Neufeld. They did to make a fuss so Are Jake and Irene Enns George thing they Don to take for granted. She can to imagine people staying about and Verna Froese Henry and Hilda each couple has different friends that her Friend Verna Froese interjects. Heinrichs de and Elvi Janzen strengths that complement the oth that a simply a value of the times the longer it gets and the older we George and Sylvia Martens Bill and ers says Verna Froese. We All got they grew up in says Vanita Schmidt. Get the More impressive it Anna Penner John and Janice Shel along but we made an Effort we people now look at marriages As they met at the Moose jaw Temple Lenberg Vic stayed in disposable. They Don to work to keep gardens last year. And Vanita about half of club ?56 were mar their friendships she says. I have they could to do enough for us Schmidt and ried at the former South end Mennon had some of my friends since 1939. Says Neufeld. John and Adina Ite Brethren Church on the Corner of our friendships Are Long standing. Vanita Schmidt Speaks for the Sukkau. William and Juneau. Some had known its like a support entire group when she explains Why they re All each other since childhood through together the couples who Range in these reunions Are possible. Members of Church activities others were rela age from 68 to 80, have 38 children. We Don to conform to the Holly club ?56 ? a Tive newcomers. Initially there were for their 25th group anniversary Wood standards where you walk tightly knit 11 couples but three More were they gathered with their kids and away from a marriage. You work at group formed added because of their close connect grandchildren at Hecla Island. It. At lot of us did things together As when they were Tion to someone else in the group. This year its just them. Families when we were younger. You All freshly mar we Call this the a group and the b the party got under Way with a just made an ried. In the group jokes Vic Schmidt an Origi reunion at the Sal son the promenade and although three of the group ensuing half Nal member. Last night. Tomorrow morning they la have died their widows Are an Inte Century they have supported one the couples have spread across go visit the old Church. They la head Gral part of the group. Another through times of Joy and Sor Canada. The Enns live in Edmonton. To Pine Ridge for Golf or just lunch this is about Friendship says Row marked the births of children Henry and Hilda Heinrichs Are in rest in the afternoon and get together Ernest Neufeld. Make sure you and grandchildren travelled together Saskatoon. The Penners Are in car for dinner and their annual formal write that and prayed together. Man and the Schellenberg Are in portrait. Theirs is a remarkable Story of. Alberta. Friday they la gather for Brunch enduring Friendship. Hilda Wiens now widowed lives in with a number of other friends. This week the couples and the Lindor Reynolds blogs at Regina. They laugh that they get a lot of three widows in their group have the geographic distance has to attention when they Book their gathered in Winnipeg for a series of death penalty decision on hold by Mike Mcintyre Fargo . ? jurors appear to be treading very carefully through uncharted Legal Waters and were unable to reach a verdict yesterday on a Pivotal Issue which will go a Long Way to determining if convicted killer Alfonso Rodriguez lives or Dies. Deliberations will continue this morn ing in the so called eligibility phase of the Case against Rodriguez who was convicted last week of the november 2003 kidnapping rape and murder of University of North Dakota student Dru Sjodin. Jurors have two options As they wrestle with the Issue of whether Sjodin a High profile killing meets the criteria for Rodriguez to face death under Federal Law. If they Rule it does to ? As defence lawyers have urged ? the Case will immediately end with Rodriguez being sentenced to life in prison with no Chance of parole. If they Rule it does ? As prosecutors have urged jurors will continue sitting for a final phase of the Case which will involve additional evidence and argument on the sole Point of whether Rodriguez lives or Dies. Jurors began weighing their decision before noon yesterday and then called it a Day by Early evening. Earlier yesterday lawyers for both sides wrapped up the eligibility phase of the Case. Defence lawyer Richard Ney told jurors Federal death penalty provisions require certain evidentiary tests must be met in terms of planning. Ney suggested there is no evidence of a cold blooded killing and that while Rodriguez May have planned to Kidnap Sjodin the murder want something he anticipated. This was a crime of immediacy of impulse. It was very disorganized said Ney. Prosecutor Drew Wrigley told jurors they should have Little doubt about what Rodriguez planned to do. Don to let anyone draw your attention away from Alfonso Rodriguez and How he terrorized Dru Sjodin in her final hours he said. The facts regarding his intentions Are very Clear and very Wrigley cited Rodriguez a three prior sex related convictions ? including one in 1980 that netted him a 23-year sentence ? As motivation for the murder of Sjodin. He was not going to make the same mistake again. There would be no wit Ness this time. Dru Sjodin would to breathe a word of this to anyone. Not one single breath Wrigley said. Sjodin 22, was randomly targeted by Rodriguez and grabbed from the Colum Bia mall parking lot in grand Forks As she left work. Her body was found five months later in a Ravine outside Crook Ston Minn. She was nude from the Waist Down her hands bound behind her Back. Her Throat had been Slit and there was evidence she was raped. ;