Furrow Indicted in Ileto Death

The Asssociated Press/August 19, 1999
By Linda Deutsch

Los Angeles -- A white supremacist accused of wounding five people during a shooting rampage at a Jewish center was indicted Thursday on a charge of murdering a Filipino-American postal worker.

A federal grand jury charged Buford O. Furrow Jr., 37, with murder of a federal employee, which carries a potential death sentence. He also was charged with gun violations.

The mailman, Joseph Ileto, was gunned down Aug. 10, shortly after five people were wounded at the North Valley Jewish Community Center.

Police said Furrow shot the Filipino-American man nine times because he was a nonwhite federal worker. At the community center, Furrow fired 70 shots, wounding a 68-year-old receptionist, a 16-year-old counselor and three boys, police charge.

He reportedly scouted three Jewish institutions for places to kill Jews before settling on the community center. He fled the shootings but surrendered in Las Vegas.

Months are likely on such issues as pretrial publicity, change of venue, use of Furrow's confession to the FBI and whether the death penalty will be sought.

If a mental defense is sought, complex pretrial litigation could delay the trial until next year. Furrow has a history of mental problems and has had ties to hate groups in the Northwest.