write story based on the vampire cult provided

Notes

Dr. Thayer points out that the couple's deaths are newsworthy, but also that the arrests are more timely. And on top of that, the unique, bizarre elements of the story have to be worked into the lede, taking advantage of the Hallowe'en season to attract reader attention.

BUT: Don't take this one lightly; the reader has to be ableto follow what is being reported by authorities in two states.

?Avoid using names in the opening paragraph (lede graf) unless well-known

? Use full names on first reference; last names only in second and subsequent references.

Avoid dramatizing news stories.

? AP Style: spell out numbers below 10 (with a few exceptions like age and address)

? Always be aware you are composing a news story based on what you learn from an official report. Make sure to avoid sounding like you witnessed the event.

? Place three hash tags, centered, at end of story to indicate no further reporting forthcoming.

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Word limits: Time allotment: Dateline: EUSTIS, Fla From the Editor . . . The deaths are news, the arrests are even more timely, but the unique nature of the story must be worked into the lead. Be careful to keep Kentucky events and Florida events properly separated. Arrest made today in Kentucky. Arrested on warrants were Heather Werner, 15, of Murray, Ky.; Roderick Ferren, 16, of Murray, Ky; Dana Coop, 19, of Murray, Ky.; and Scott Belch, 16, of Mayfield, Ky. they were charged with murder. A companion, Eula May Burch, 16, who goes by the name of Charity Lynn Kearsarge, was charged with being an accessory to murder after the fact. They were found in Murray, Ky., after crossing three states in the Werner family vehicle. The charges are based on the deaths of Richard and Naomi Werner, both 47, of Eustis, Florida. The couple was bludgeoned to death on the weekend. Police say it was probably Saturday. The Werners were the parents of Heather Werner. They were Kentucky residents who were living in Florida, where Heather was attending school. Eustis is 30 miles NW of Orlando. All of the teens arrested belonged to a self-described vampire cult in Kentucky. Murray, Ky. Police detective Mike Jump said in an interview today: "They apprently like to suck blood. They cut each other's arms and suck the blood. They cut up small animals and suck the blood. They honestly believe they're vampires." The Lake County (Florida) Sheriff's Dept. said that there was no evidence of satanic rituals in the deaths, but Heather Werner told one deputy that she was a demon in past lives and had talked with spirits during human blood-drinking rituals. When the county sheriff found the dead couple, the Werners' light blue 1994 Ford Explorer was missing. When the teens were apprehended, they were riding in the car The leader of the arrested group was Roderick Ferren, who is Heather's boyfriend. Ferren has shoulder- length black hair, wears a black trench coat, carries a wooden stick and boasts of immortality as a vampire. Heather wears purple hair, black fishnet stockings, and a dog chain about her neck. Residents of Murray, Ky., said that the couple "stood out" in the community. The group calls itself the Vampire Clan and the group claims to have about 30 members. James Werner, 75, a retired lawyer for the Billy Graham Crusade, and Heather's grandfather, said he hopes the investigators are wrong about his granddaughter. "Heather is so quiet. She's a demure little girl. I never saw any evidence of anything like that." According to newspaper reports from Central Florida and Western Kentucky, Ferren had gone from Kentucky to attend school in Florida to be closer to Heather. He dropped out of school early this year