Zile

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. -- Attorneys for Pauline Zile were elated that she escaped the death penalty yesterday on charges of murdering her daughter, but they barely had time to say so as they began working on an appeal that could tie the case up for years.Prosecutors also quickly turned to final preparations for the Aug. trial of her husband, John Zile, who police say bludgeoned to death 7-year-old Christina Holt while punishing her. Pauline Zile's crime, they say, was not stepping in to protect the girl.

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. -- A Palm Beach County jury began deciding yesterday whether Pauline Zile was a caring but overburdened mother or an ill-tempered woman who had a hand in her daughter's murder.Ms. Zile is charged with first-degree murder and three counts of aggravated child abuse in the death last year of her 7-year-old daughter, Christina Holt. She could go to the electric chair if convicted.Ms. Zile and her second husband, John, made Christina's final days a horrendous, terror-filled time, prosecutors told the jury.

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. -- Since she was 16, Pauline Zile has spent most of her time pregnant, raising children and working -- sometimes two waitressing jobs at a time -- and trying to please her husband, John Zile."

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. -- A cigar box filled with crime scene photos and tapes of John Zile's statement to police were among the evidence presented yesterday to the grand jury reviewing Christina Holt's death.The investigation wrapped up late yesterday after all evidence in the death of the 7-year-old girl had been presented to the 18-member panel, said Mike Edmondson, spokesman for the Palm Beach County State Attorney's Office. The grand jury report is expected to be released tomorrow.Medical Examiner James Benz and investigators from the Riviera Beach Police Department and State Attorney's Office appeared before the panel yesterday.

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. -- John Walter Zile pleaded with the judge for a second chance.L It was April 1986 in Maryland, and he was in trouble. Again.He wanted to prove that he was not a hardened criminal, show that he could start making good on his promises to be a responsible adult."

RIVIERA BEACH, Fla. -- Sometime in the night, police say -- four days after he beat her to death and stashed her body in a bedroom closet -- Walter John Zile said a prayer over the 6-foot makeshift grave of his 7-year-old stepdaughter, Christina Holt.She died because she had soiled her pants during a tongue lashing, then wouldn't stop crying when he began beating her.Christina Holt -- whose picture in the past week has graced 10,000 fliers and the television sets of millions -- has been dead and buried for more than a month.

McDonogh sophomore pitcher Teresa Zile started the season on the junior varsity team and she began yesterday's Catholic League tournament semifinal game against the Institute of Notre Dame on the bench.But Zile was called on to pitch yesterday at Furley Field when the Eagles' No. 1 starter, Kathleen Whalen, left the game after being hit in the knee by a line drive in the first inning.Zile, who had pitched in just two varsity games in relief roles, almost emerged as the hero. She came within one out of leading her team to victory, but IND rallied for a 5-4 win in nine innings.

Walter Zile has been bowling for "30 years or more." Born and raised in Carroll County, he lives in Westminster and bowls tenpins in two leagues -- Monday Seniors and Friday mornings at Westminster Thunderhead Lanes.Throwing a 15-pound ball, he averages 136, and his high series is 491."Almost had that 500 set," Zile said, "Just missed it by those few pins."It's not for lack of trying. He also bowls occasionally in the Colorama event at Hampstead Bowling Center on Thursday mornings."He's one of the original eight members of the Monday Seniors," said Henry Wheeler, secretary of the league.

About 500 skaters whirled around the Sportsman's Hall Skating Rink, showing their support for 9-year-old leukemia patient, Jennifer Zile.The evening, dedicated to raising money for Jennifer's medical bills, raised $2,376 in admission and skate rental fees at the party Monday night, said Nadine McCoy, organizer of the event.Another $50 was collected in buckets by the concession stand, shesaid.Fees were donated by Harry Morfoot, owner of the skating rink."He ate the cost of electricity to run the place," McCoy said.

Jennifer Zile and her younger brother, Ian, won't be able to spend Christmas together this year, but he's already given her the biggest gift of his 5-year-old life.Nine days ago, Ian donated a pint of his bone marrow to Jennifer, 8, who has acute myelogenous leukemia. Her family and doctors hope the donated marrow will make new blood cells the way her own marrow would and cure the leukemia.The transplant was done Dec. 14 at Children's Hospital in Washington, with the marrow administered to Jennifer through an intravenous tube while she and her mother, Linda, watched.