Assault on Taft could have been random, police say

Mar 8, 2010 — The News and Observer

Sue Stock and Jesse James Deconto

Mar. 8, 2010 (McClatchy-Tribune Regional News delivered by Newstex) -- RALEIGH -- A day after a state education board member was found seriously injured inside the home of a Raleigh attorney, police said they could not rule out a random assault in a normally peaceful neighborhood of modest homes inside the Beltline.

N.C. Board of Education member Kathy Taft, 62, was taken to WakeMed on Saturday after being found injured in the home of John Geil, a local tax and divorce attorney described as her romantic partner by a former colleague of both.

On Sunday evening, Raleigh police spokesman Jim Sughrue said Taft's injuries were serious and that she remains in the hospital. Sughrue did not give further details about how she was assaulted except to say investigators hadn't eliminated the possibility of a random attack. WakeMed spokeswoman Keicha Berzins said the hospital would not release any information on Taft's condition Sunday.

Geil could not be reached for comment.

Taft, 62, lives in Greenville. She was found injured in Geil's home at 2710 Cartier Drive, just off Oberlin Road, in Raleigh, police reported.

Taft and Geil served together on a now-defunct committee that advised the state school board on charter schools. Sandy Carmany, the former chairwoman of that committee, said she thought the couple had been dating for several years.

"It appeared to be an ongoing relationship," she said.

Geil's 1,427-square-foot home sits among other small homes valued at about $300,000 in an inside-the-Beltline neighborhood near Daniels Middle School.

"It's like the best neighborhood in Raleigh," said Deborah Bondurant, who lives down the street from Geil's home. "It's almost like being in the country."

Sughrue said police were releasing few details about the crime to prevent potential witnesses from parroting what they read online or in the paper or see on TV.

"Information is being rather tightly held right now," he said. "It assists detectives in validating information that they might learn. The information that people are providing is being provided firsthand rather than being something that they've seen or read. When more can be said publicly, the department will release additional information."

On Sunday afternoon, police were still blocking Cartier Drive on both ends, preventing anyone who did not have a residence there from entering the street either on foot or by car. Neighbors attempted to go about their business but said the episode had been disruptive.

Still, despite the recent events, Bondurant said she feels the neighborhood is safe. "We all look out for each other," she said. "That's what's so strange about it. No one saw anything."

According to the state Department of Public Instruction's Web site, Taft's board term ends March 31, 2011.

Before being appointed to the state Board of Education by former Gov. Jim Hunt in 1995, Taft was a former vice chairwoman of the Pitt County Board of Education. She is a founding member of the Pitt County Communities in Schools Program and is a graduate of East Carolina University.

Bill Harrison, chairman of the state Board of Education, said Taft is one of the longest-serving members of the board and heads the committee charged with making sure North Carolina students are academically competitive.

"She brings a perspective of where we were, how we got to where we are now and, really, what we need to do to get to where we want to be in the future," Harrison said.

Harrison said he has not spoken to members of her family.

"Our thoughts and prayers are with her and her family," Harrison said.

Taft ran for a state Senate seat in 2008. Her former husband, Tom Taft, is a former state senator from Greenville. The Tafts are longtime friends of former Vice President Al Gore and his wife, Tipper.

Police are asking anyone with information that might assist in the investigation to call Raleigh Crime Stoppers at 834-4357.

sue.stock@newsobserver.com or 919-829-4649

Newstex ID: KRTB-0170-42661993