[meteorite-list] Trial Opens In Theft Of Moon Rocks

From: Ron Baalke <baalke_at_meteoritecentral.com>
Date: Thu Apr 22 10:22:33 2004
Message-ID: <200306031614.JAA11074_at_zagami.jpl.nasa.gov>

http://www.chron.com/cs/CDA/ssistory.mpl/nation/1934964

Trial opens in theft of moon rocks
Associated Press
June 2, 2003

ORLANDO, Fla. -- The theft of a collection of moon rocks and
meteorites from the Johnson Space Center in Houston last summer also
involved 33 years of handwritten notes by a top NASA scientist studying
the origins of the universe, a federal jury was told Monday.

The disappearance of the six green cloth-bound journals came out as a
trial over the break-in got under way in Orlando.

Gordon McWhorter, 27, is accused of arranging the sale of the stolen
items for Thad Roberts, a once-promising science student and aspiring
astronaut from the University of Utah.

Roberts, 26, and two others pleaded guilty to burglary. Roberts is to
testify today against his old friend.

The stolen items were recovered July 20 at a local hotel after undercover
FBI agents used e-mails to negotiate their purchase.

The writer of the missing journals, Everett K. Gibson Jr., described what
was stolen as samples from each of the six Apollo lunar missions and
pieces of what may be the most scientifically important rock in the
world -- a Martian meteorite found in 1984 in Antarctica that Gibson said
shows signs of the possibility of life on Mars.

Gibson, on assignment in London, testified via videotape.

The specimens were allegedly stolen July 15 by Roberts and two other NASA
interns.

One, Tiffany Fowler, testified Monday about the theft and their arrests.
Fowler, 23, said McWhorter didn't know that she and Roberts had stolen moon
rocks from NASA until McWhorter met them in Orlando the night they were
arrested.

"He was surprised and seemed somewhat impressed," said Fowler, in today's
Orlando Sentinel. She described herself as Roberts' former girlfriend.

The third intern, Shae Lynn Saur, 19, is on the government's witness list
for the trial.

THE SUSPECTS

Thad Ryan Roberts
NASA co-op
Age: 25
Worked at the Neutral Buoyancy Lab Mission
Operations Directorate. Triple major at
University of Utah.

Tiffany Brooke Fowler
NASA intern
Age: 22
She worked in Biological Systems in Space
and Life Sciences. Recent graduate of Texas
Lutheran University. From Odessa.

Gordon Sean
McWorter
Age: 26

Shae Lynn Saur
NASA intern
Age: 19
Worked in Structural Engineering with
Thermal Design. Worked last summer in
the X-38 program. Pursuing a B.S. in
engineering from Lamar University.
Received on Tue 03 Jun 2003 12:14:42 PM PDT