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- Niagara Gazette - 5/2/1960
LOCKPORTA 29-yearold
state game protector
was shot and killed Sunday
in what police termed a love
triangle, ;A Town of. Pendleton
-plumber has been
charged, w i t h first degree
murder in the slaying.
Lee E. Johnson, of Day Rd.,
a Niagara County protector
for the State Conservation
Department since 1957, died
of bullet wounds of the head
and right side. The death was
ruled a homicide by Dr.
George V. Muscato, this city,
a county coroner.
Held in Niagara County, Jail
without bail to await action of
the May grand jury is Henry
Domedion of E Canal Rd
Pendleton,
Discuss Divorce
The shooting occurred, according
to statements given
Dist. Atty. William
H. Earl,
L o ckp o r t,
a b o u t noon
when the two
men met on a
lonely section
of Davison Rd.
to discuss divorce
p r o b -
lems involving
Johnson and
t h e Domedions.
Mr. Earl said
Domedion admitted
shooting the other man
but claimed it was "an accident."
Domedion told Mr.
Earl Johnson first came into
the lives of him and his wife,
Mrs. Marcia Schmidt Domedion,
40, about 18 months ago.
He had come to the Domedion
home to take an animal from
a trap set by Douglas Domedion,
17, the couple's son.
Romance Blossoms
This visit led to a friendship
with the boy and later
developed into a romance
with Mrs. Domedion, the district
attorney said. Lockport
Police Chief Joseph Chausse
said Mrs. Domedion admitted
the friendship with the younger
man.
Mr. and Mrs. Domedion.
married in 1939, had an appointment
today with a Lock
port attorney to discuss a divorce.
Johnson was divorced
by his wife, the former Henri
etta Neumann, 33, of Buffalo,
In February.
Borrows Pistol
Domedion told Mr. Earl he
and Johnson met in Davison
Rd. to discuss rights to visit
Douglas, of whom the father
was to have custoday.
Domedion admitted he borrowed
a nine millimeter Polish-
make automatic pistol
from a brother two weeks
ago, purchased shdlls for it
and engaged in target practice
with the weapon. The gun
was on the front seat of his
1950-model sedan when he
met Johnson, Domedion said.
After telling Johnson he
had a plumbing job at near
by Niagara County Infirmary,
Domediori said the two sat in
Johnson's car and talked. He
later decided to "frighten
htm" he told Mr;nEarI,iand
returned to his car for the
pistoL
He claimed the first shot
went off accidentally when
he chambered a cartridge. It
struck Johnsbn in the' neck
and went out the head, an
autopsy revealed.
Police said Domedion told
them he became excited. The
second shot struck the back
window of Johnson's car. A
third hit the injured man in
the side.
Five empty cartridges were
picked up at the scene, Det.
Sgt. Robert Buchanan said.
Police Summoned
The shooting was discovered
by a Lockport motorist,
James F. Judge, 24 Lakeview
Pkwy., vice president of Ward
Bros. Mill Supply Co., this
city. He told police he stopped
his southbound car when he
saw "a man dragging another
manjon the road."
Domedion exclaimed, Mr.
Judge told police, "I just shot
this . . .;' .He asked Mr,.
Judge to call police. A second
motorist. Donald O. Bryne
1810 East Ave., who arrived
on the scene a moment later,
summoned police from a near-
by procery store.
...The' arrest was made by
Patrolman Daniel A. Harrington.
Mr Johnson was appointed
a game protector in Niagara
. County in November 1957. He
was a native of North. Tonawanda
and the only son of
Mrs- Earl Johnson, 1009 Nash
Rd. North Tonawanda, who
survives/ He was a graduate
of North Tonawarida High
School and served with the
'Army in. Germany from 1948
until 1952 He met his former
wife; Henrietta; Neuman in
Germany.
In addition to numerous
conservation clubs, he belong
ed to the German Shorthair
ed Pointers Club and was a
member of Friedens United
Church of Christ, North Ton-
awanda.
Rites Wednesday
His father, who died in
1954, was secretary of the
Chamber of Commerce of the
Tonawandas.
Services will be conducted
at 2:30 Wednesday at the
Wattengell Funeral Home,
North Tonawanda, by the Rev
Carl E. Berges. Burial will be
in White Chapel Memorial
Park cemetery.
Domedion, who has been
employed by Don Jones
Plumbing" and Heating, Inc.,
here for 15 years is a Navy
veteran of World War II.
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Abt 1931 - 1960 (~ 29 years)