Phillylacrosse.com, Posted 9/4/12
Staff Report
Judge Frank T. Hazel of Media today rejected the latest appeals of a man sentenced to death in the murder of former Notre Dame Academy lacrosse great Aimee Willard in 1996.
Arthur Bomar, 53, was convicted of murder, kidnapping, rape and abuse of a corpse in the slaying of 22-year-old Willard, a George Mason University lacrosse star, who stopped on Rts. 476 and 1 after her car was bumped.
Prosecutors said Bomar, on parole at the time for a Nevada murder conviction, abducted her from her car.
Bomar was sentenced to death in December 1998 but appealed, on the grounds of ineffective counsel, trial court error, competency and constitutional issues, according to the Associated Press.
Delaware County District Attorney Jack Whelan was expected to hold a press conference late this afternoon to discuss the opinion.
The Delaware County Daily Times reported that Judge Hazel issued a 213-page opinion upholding the jury’s decision. Click here for the story.
Willard (June 8, 1974 – June 20, 1996) was murdered on her way home from a night out with friends. Her car was left running and her body was found, but the killer was unknown. The unsolved crime was featured on Unsolved Mysteries and later solved with DNA evidence.
In 1996, Willard led the Colonial Athletic Association in scoring with 50 goals and 29 assists. She was named to the All-Conference Team in both soccer and lacrosse, and to the All-American team for the Southeast region in lacrosse that year. US Lacrosse has created a national award in her honor.
The Aimee Willard Award was created to recognize the outstanding collegiate athlete participating in the National Tournament. It was established by her mother, her coach and the Philadelphia Women’s Lacrosse Association to honor her memory.
