WITNESS MISS AMURAO BEING RUSHED TO CAR AFTER TESTIFYING; SCENES OUTSIDE COURTHOUSE; VICTIMS' FAMILIES ARRIVING TO TESTIFY.




Initials JBC/V/RM/MM



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Background: THE ONLY GIRL TO SURVIVE THE MASS-MURDER OF EIGHT STUDENT NURSES IN A CHICAGO HOSTEL LAST SUMMER STEPPED INTO THE WITNESS BOX AT PEORIA, ILLINOIS, ON WEDNESDAY, AND IDENTIFIED 25-YEAR-OLD RICHARD SPECK AS THE MAN WHO, SHE SAID, HAD COMMITTED THE CRIMES. TIGHT SECURITY IS IN OPERATION AT THE TRIAL, WHICH BEGAN ON MONDAY.

MISS CORAZON AMURAO, WHO IS 24, WAS ONE OF NINE RUSHES SHARING THE HOSTEL. SHE TOLD THE COURT THAT IT WAS ABOUT 11PM ON JULY 13 LAST YEAR WHEN SHE ANSWERED A KNOCK ON THE DOOR TO FIND A MAN, SPECK, STANDING THERE WITH A PISTOL IN HIS HAND. SHE HAS TOLD POLICE THAT SPECK TOOK THE GIRLS FROM THEIR ROOMS ONE BY ONE AND KILLED THEM. SHE ESCAPED BY HIDING UNDER A BED.

IN HER EVIDENCE, MISS AMURAO, WAS ADAMANT THAT THE MAN SHE SAW WAS SPECK. SHE WAS CLOSELY QUESTIONED ON THE POINT BY SPECK'S LAWYER, MR. GERALD W. GETTY, WHO BELIEVES THAT HIS BEST DEFENCE IS THAT SPECK HAS BEEN WRONGLY IDENTIFIED.

THE HEARING CONTINUES.