Below is a statement in reference to the murder of Officer Anthony Overberg
Name? Marvin H. Burroughs, 2250 Cathedral Ave., Norwood, Ohio.
Were you in Lawson's drug store on July 8th?
Yes, at about 9:45 P.M. my wife and I went to Lawson's store.
I waited on two or three customers and then I started to wash soda
glasses. I had seen a man go to the rear of the store, but I did
not recognize him as Sergeant Overberg.
Was anyone else in the store? At the time, Coors was drinking a Coca
Cola when a man, later we found out he was the bandit, came in. He
was a bout 5 feet 8 or 9 tall, brown wavy hair, suntanned complexion,
thin faced, fine featured, with a nose that seemed to me to be a sharp
one.
Where were you at that time? Behind the soda fountain at the dish tub.
Where were the other people? Lawson was serving a coca cola to the boy
at the end seat of the soda fountain, Coors was sitting in the second
seat from him and my wife was sitting across from the tub drying the
spoons as I was washing them
What happened? I saw the man bring a gun up over the end of the counter
in his left hand, saying "All right stay where you are, don't move or
you'll get hurt." Lawson had his arm on the end of the fountain and as
the bandit want past him to the register he lowered his arm. He rifled
the register, and then asked Lawson about his bill fold. Lawson said
there was nothing in the bill fold but there was another register across
the store. He sidled around to the other register and I saw him open
that one and take the money out of it. Then he asked about a safe and
Lawson said "The safe is in the far corner" in a louder voice than he
had been talking, but he did not shout. The bandit said Come on, and Law-
son started toward the rear along the south side of the store, he passed
behind me. He went to the rear of the store as the bandit was walking
back along the other side. I didn't hear Lawson say anything, but I heard
someone say, "Drop that gun, and I mean business." Then I heard one shot.
Alittle commotion preceded that shot. Then there was a pause, with some
commotion, then there were five or six more shots.
Lawson was back of the case when the first shot was fired, then
he came back to me. I was in a crouched position behind the soda fountain
He was down behind the fountain also.
Then we heard the bandit running out, he was going as fast as he
could and poking his gun into his coat with his left hand. My wife was
siting on the stool until the first shot was fired when she dropped to
her knees on the floor.
We heard Overberg holler Help Police, and Lawson went to the phone
and called the police. I didn't know until the police came that the man
in the back room was a policeman. Lawson called the police before he
went back to Overberg. Overberg called two or times and that was
all he said.
Marvin H. Burroughs
I have read the within statement and confirm its details.
Wilma S. Burroughs