No. H-8333 Information
PFN APQ 513 CEN 5071570
The District Attorney of the County of Alameda hereby accuses
LAWRENCE W. MEYERS also known as Meyers W. Lawrence of a felony, to wit, a
violation of Section 524 of the Penal Code of California, in that from on or
about the 28th day of July, 1985, to on or about the 7th day of August, 1985, in
the County of Alameda, State of California, said defendant did then and there
attempt to extort money and property from ROBERT HURTZ by threat.
JOHN J. MEEHAN
District Attorney of the County
of Alameda,
State of California
By William M. Baldwin
Assistant District Attorney
MEYERS, Lawrence W.
5862 Running Hills, Livermore SSAN#296-66-2630
About 1735 hours, Wednesday, 8-7-85, I was contacted . . . by KURTZ and
GYORY. KURTZ said he was the victim of an attempted extortion by a former
roommate, MEYERS and GYORY had witness information. KURTZ related the
following.
KURTZ said for the past 3-4 years he has known MEYERS. They had been
friends and at time roommates. . . .
KURTZ said on or about 6-7-85, MEYERS came to his home on an unannounced
social visit and during that time, MEYERS said he worked for Granada TV,
Livermore, CA. On or about 6-10-85, MEYERS returned to KURTZ's home and made
a sales presentation for a satellite TV antenna system. KURTZ was interested
in the offer, told MEYERS to come back in a few days and he would be able to
make a decision on the purchase. While waiting for MEYERS to return, KURTZ
contacted Granada TV, Livermore, found they were an reputable firm and
MEYERS did work for them.
On 6-18-85, MEYERS returned to KURTZ's home and a sales agreement was
made for the purchase of the satellite antenna. A work order was prepared by
MEYERS and a copy left with KURTZ. . . .
Between 6-18 to 7-1-85 MEYERS returned to KURTZ's home several times for
social visits and to keep KURTZ appraised of his purchase of the satellite
antenna.
On or about 7-6-85, KURTZ received a collect telephone call from MEYERS
who said he was at HIGHLAND Hospital, Oakland, CA, in the psychiatric
section. MEYERS asked KURTZ to come and visit him at the hospital. KURTZ did
visit MEYERS at the hospital twice, between 7-6 and 7-15-85. On KURTZ's
second visit, MEYERS told KURTZ he would be released from the hospital soon
and would need a place to stay. He asked if he could stay at the KURTZ home.
. . .
On 7-15-85 MEYERS arrived at KURTZ's home to live. Between 7-15 to
7-17-85, MEYERS was heavily medicated and slept most of the time. On and
after 7-18-85, MEYERS became very agressive and aggitated in his actions and
began taking on a military style attitude in his mannerism, associated with
an active combat soldier. MEYERS began staying up 16 to 21 hours a day
without sleep and engaged in military type war games of maneuvers in the
backyard (a hill and canyon area). MEYERS repeatedly advised KURTZ and his
roommate GYORY, that "You should make sure your enemy is killed on your
first shot." MEYERS carried a boot knife and a hunting knife and talked
quite a bit about firearms he had and could easily obtain. MEYERS also began
a "surveillance" of the neighbors and set up radio equipment in his room,
consisting of scanners, shortwave sets, telegraph keys, computers and tape
recorders. MEYERS became very engrossed in tape recording everything
broadcast on his scanners and advised KURTZ "You can't outrun a radio."
On 7-22-85, [omitted] DUGAN from Granada TV came to KURTZ's home for
measurements for the purchased satellite antenna and at that time DUGAN told
him that MEYERS no longer worked for Granada TV.
[Omitted section on argument whereby Meyers leaves the house. Later
Meyers meets KURTZ at an underpass to return some items belonging to KURTZ
and GYORY.]
KURTZ contacted MEYERS at the underpass and MEYERS handed KURTZ a note
and drove off. KURTZ read the note and it was a hand printed note from
MEYERS threatening to expose KURTZ as a homosexual and child molestor on TV
and in newspapers across the country. The note ended with MEYERS advising
KURTZ he had ordered a satellite antenna for him, it costs $5,000 and MEYERS
wanted his money now. KURTZ said he dismissed the note as an idle threat . .
.
On 8-5-85, GYORY told KURTZ he received a telephone call from MEYERS
about 0930 to 1000 hours advising of the same threats KURTZ had already
received and for KURTZ to check his mailbox. KURTZ went to his mailbox (on
the roadway in front of his home) and found a hand written note apparently
left by MEYERS. The note again threatened to expose KURTZ as a homosexual,
child molester, pornographer and registered sex offender. It also threatened
that MEYERS would impersonate a police officer, go to KURTZ's employer and
advise him of the threats listed above. . . . MEYERS urged KURTZ to leave
town, commit suicide or see a psychiatrist. Further, it threatened MEYERS
could make a professional execution of KURTZ. . . .
[Remainder omitted.]
Text of Note Meyers Handed Kurtz at the Underpass
DEAR FUCKING FAGGOT,
You will move out of your house, you will lose your job, you will have
your name in all the papers. You will be arrested for child molestation. TV
camera's will put your record collection and baseball cards and video games
on TV sets across the country. Reporters will call Mike and your work and
your father. I have a key to your house and I will tell the Hayward Police
Dept. about you soliciting me to do lewd things on a camera for money. I
will tell them about your photo's of naked little boys and I will contact
the father's of every [unclear] coming in and out of your house. I have
tapped your phone and bugged your house faggot. I know just how to [unclear]
you so that everyone knows that you are gye who likes to play with little
boy's penis's. You ordered a dish from me. The price is 5,000.00. NOW.
Alameda County Sheriff's Department 85-11709
Excerpt
from Report of Sergeant J. W. Reasoner #583
MYERS, Lawrence William WMA, 8-14-58, 6'0", 140 lbs, Blnd, Blu.
Last
Known Address:
5862 Running Hills, Livermore, Ca.
[omitted names]
. . . On Wednesday 8-7-85 . . . I received a call from a subject
identifying himself as Larry MYERS. MYERS insisted that I tape the
conversation to which I obliged after a short period of conversation. That
call occurred at approximately 1005 hrs. . . . During that conversation
MYERS willingly [said] that he was in fact extorting KURTZ for the sum of
$5,000.00 and that it didn't matter if KURTZ paid the money, MYERS was going
to kill him anyway. MYERS stated that he needed the money to finance his
para-military operations against drug dealers and homosexuals in the area
and that KURTZ deserved to die because he is a homosexual and child abuser.
Throughout the conversation, MYERS spoke in a tone of voice and used terms
consistant [with] and associated with military jargon. Further, during the
conversation, MYERS stated that he had dealt with Lt. JOHNSON of Livermore
Police Dept. . . . MYERS refers to other deaths of drug dealers that he had
contributed to in the Livermore area and considered himself a highly trained
American fighting man capable of ridding towns and cities of drug dealers
and homosexuals.
At 1500 hrs on 8-7-85, I proceeded to Livermore Police Dept. where
contact was made with Lt. JOHNSON. At that time I played a small portion of
the taped conversation for JOHNSON. JOHNSON immediately identified the
calling party as Larry MYERS stating that he would be willing to testify to
the identity of the caller. JOHNSON further stated that he did in fact have
dealing with MYERS in that MYERS wished to become a narcotics informant for
Livermore Police. JOHNSON said that during that time, approximately two
weeks prior to this date, Livermore Police attempted to test MYERS as an
informant which failed. JOHNSON described MYERS as a "wanna-be" narcotics
officer however, he could not supply any valid or useful information.
JOHNSON said that MYERS could be capable of killing someone if pushed into
it and described MYERS as mentally unstable. JOHNSON said he ultimately
kicked MYERS out of the police station. . . .
