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Sun June 17, 2007

Few may realize park bench's ties to a slain runner

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Dr. Don Smith, a board member of the Oklahoma City Running Club, sits on a bench at Lake Hefner placed in memory of former club member Judy Weichert. She was slain while running in 1984. BY BRYAN PAINTER, THE OKLAHOMAN
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By Bryan Painter
The Oklahoman
Occasional runners and a bicyclist or two passed the wooden park bench facing Lake Hefner as the wind curled tiny waves into white caps.

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The cool air, the easy pace of the morning and birds singing a soft blend of songs made for a calm atmosphere. Dr. Don Smith of the Oklahoma City Running Club was sitting on that park bench as I pulled just beyond a stretch of track on the lake's west side and parked.

The bench was the reason we were meeting. Actually the name on the gold plaque mounted to the bench was the reason I wanted to visit with him.

In July 1984, Judy Weichert, a member of the OKC Running Club, was training for a marathon. According to information from the organization, she usually ran with her husband, Steve, but on July 28, 1984, the 33-year-old woke early and went out for her 16-mile run in far northwest Oklahoma City.

On that Saturday morning, a passerby discovered Weichert on the side of the road, according to Oklahoma City police. She had been attacked and stabbed repeatedly in the chest and neck. Weichert died hours later at an Oklahoma City hospital, according to the running club.

Steve Weichert has been quoted by the organization as saying, "Next to me and our home, I think running was the most important thing in her life. It gave her confidence in herself. Running made her a stronger, more positive person.”

Members of the running club participated in compiling about $10,000 for information leading to the arrest and conviction of her killer. A story in The Oklahoman in September 1984 said the Oklahoma Sta