Protesters want student expelled

Monday, August 31, 1998

Protesters want student expelled

CRIME: Activists at UC Berkeley demand David Cash’s dismissal
for not stopping assault on child

By Andy Shah

Daily Bruin Contributor

BERKELEY — A group of Los Angeles activists travelled to UC
Berkeley on Aug. 26 to demand the expulsion of second-year student
David Cash, close friend of alleged murderer Jeremy Strohmeyer.

Cash, a 19-year-old from La Palma, Ca., is said to have
witnessed Strohmeyer restraining Sherrice Iverson, 7, in a bathroom
stall of a Nevada casino in May 1997.

According to grand jury transcripts, Cash went into the bathroom
after he saw Strohmeyer and Iverson enter. Inside, he saw
Strohmeyer muffling the screams of Iverson, he said.

Cash tried to tell his friend to let go, he said, but left the
bathroom after Strohmeyer did not relent. Iverson was later found
molested and murdered. Strohmeyer is currently standing trial for
strangulation and sexual assault.

Cash did not report the incident to police, nor did he tell his
father, who took Cash and Strohmeyer to Nevada. This reticence, in
addition to comments made to the Los Angeles-based KLSX 97.1 talk
radio and the Los Angeles Times, have sparked heated reactions
nationwide.

In an interview with KLSX hosts Tim Conway, Jr. and Doug
Steckler on July 20, Cash claimed that he did not do anything wrong
by not stopping Strohmeyer from hurting Iverson.

"I have a lot of remorse toward the Iverson family. It was a
very tragic event," he told the radio hosts. "The simple fact
remains I don’t know this little girl … I don’t know people in
Panama or Africa who are killed every day, so I can’t feel remorse
for them. The only person I know is Jeremy Strohmeyer."

The radio hosts were outraged by his comments.

"David Cash, Jr. has demonstrated a sociopathic lack of
remorse," Steckler said.

The radio station spearheaded the bus trip to Berkeley and also
garnered support from community leaders.

Their primary objective was to get Cash expelled from UC
Berkeley.

This is unlikely to happen, however, because the incident
occurred before Cash was a student at UC Berkeley.

"We do not ask students to leave on the basis of outrageous
things that they may say or outrageous things that they may have
been witness to," said UC Berkeley Chancellor Robert Berdahl.

Also, Cash did not break any Nevada or California laws.

"There is no law that makes it mandatory to report a crime. In
my understanding, what he did does not fit into the definition of
aiding and abetting," said a Las Vegas police officer, according to
grand jury transcripts.

At the protest in Sproul Plaza, many Berkeley students joined
the Los Angeles activists in condemning Cash.

Waving signs and yelling phrases such as "No justice, no peace,"
the protesters made their way to Sproul Plaza and used a blowhorn
to gain the campus’ attention.

"This baby must’ve looked up to (Cash) and said ‘This man will
save me,’" Steckler said. "David Cash abandoned (Iverson). This is
a crime against humanity."

"You are an accomplice to my child’s murder," said Yolanda
Manuel, Sherrice’s mother.

"He watched a 7-year-old lose her life and didn’t do
anything."

Mark Klaas, the father of kidnapping and murder victim Polly
Klaas, showed up to lend his support.

"The fact that he is here and not in jail is the abdication of
social responsibility," he said.

Candice Blagmon, a first-year student, lives in the same dorm
building as Cash.

"You have no moral integrity," she said to Cash. "I’m scared of
you. Go home."

Others say that since Cash did not break the law, he should not
be expelled.

"It’s somewhat overblown. He didn’t actually murder her," said
Danielle Jones, a first-year psychology student. "But he should
apologize at least."

Cash contends that he has committed no crime.

In a statement to UC Berkeley’s student newspaper, The Daily
Californian, Cash said the following:

"Most people seem to be under the impression that I was in a
position to stop the heinous crime. However, as my grand jury
testimony clearly states, I was completely ignorant to the events
surrounding the death of Sherrice Iverson.

"I did not witness the alleged molestation and murder with which
Jeremy Strohmeyer has been charged. And as for the L.A. Times
article alleging that the notoriety made it easy for me ‘to score
with women,’ that is false.

"I do not wish to profit in any way from this tragedy. As I have
stated many times in the past, I have much sympathy for the Iverson
family and hope that justice is served."

Many of the activists are pushing to change what they see as a
moral issue into a legal one.

"We’re trying to set a type of legal precedent to expel him for
this," said Jason Insalaco, a producer for the Conway and Steckler
show.

The radio station and community leaders are trying to amass
100,000 signatures on a petition to have Nevada and California laws
changed, and to have David Cash tried in a court of law.

Jury selection is scheduled to begin today in Las Vegas in the
strangulation and sexual assault case against Strohmeyer.

Andy Shah

Protesters demonstrated on the UC Berkeley campus last week for
David Cash to be expelled from the university. Cash allegedly
witnessed the rape and murder of a young girl in Las Vegas.