September 20, 2005
Contact: Jeff Schrade (202)224-9093

(Washington, DC) The U.S. Senate Committee on Veterans' Affairs will hold a hearing Thursday concerning whether or not convicted murderers should be allowed to be buried at Arlington National Cemetery and VA national cemeteries.

The hearing, titled "Preserving Sacred Ground: Should Capital Offenders Be Buried in America's National Cemeteries?" will begin at 10 a.m. Eastern in room 418 of the Russell Senate Office Building, Thursday, September 22.  It will be webcast live on the committee's website. It may also be available ? audio only ? on the C-SPAN hearing's website, http://www.capitolhearings.org

In August there was an outcry when the public became aware that the remains of a double-murderer, Russell Wayne Wagner, an honorably discharged Vietnam veteran, had been officially placed at Arlington National Cemetery. Wagner was convicted of the brutal 1994 murders of Daniel Davis, 84, and Wilda Davis, 80, and had been sentenced to two life terms.

In 1997 Congress passed a law to prohibit those convicted of capital crimes from being interred at the nation's military cemeteries, but the law allowed continued eligibility to those who could be paroled. Since Wagner was eligible for parole, federal officials determined that the law did not bar Wagner's remains from being placed at Arlington.

• Panel 1

  The Honorable Barbara Mikulski (D-MD) ? to introduce her constituent, Vernon Davis

• Vernon G. Davis ? surviving son of Daniel and Wilda Davis, murdered by Russell Wagner

Panel 2

• Richard Wannemacher, Jr., Acting Under Secretary for Memorial Affairs, Department of Veterans Affairs
• Thurman Higginbotham, Deputy Superintendent, Arlington National Cemetery

Panel 3

• Dennis Cullinan, Director, National Legislative Service, Veterans of Foreign Wars ? presenting testimony on behalf of the VFW, the American Legion, Disabled American Veterans (DAV), Vietnam Veterans of America, and the Paralyzed Veterans of America
• -- Accompanied by Brian Lawrence, Assistant National Legislative Director, DAV

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