Beating remains a mystery
By GREG MOORE
Express Staff Writer
A 30-year-old Ketchum man was found bleeding and bound
with duct tape after being pummeled with a club Friday.
Sun Chateau resident Edward "Ted" Tuma was taken
by ambulance to St. Luke’s Wood River Medical Center after Ketchum
police received a call on the incident at 1:40 p.m. Tuma was released from
the hospital Saturday.
Bruce Byerly, a passing motorist, made the 911 call after
seeing Tuma walking up to Warm Springs Road from the apartment building.
He said in an interview that Tuma was "bleeding profusely," his
mouth was gagged with a shirt and duct tape, his eyes were covered with
tape and strands of tape were dangling from several points on his body.
Byerly also said Tuma’s hands were bound behind him with tape and he was
carrying a bloody fork that Byerly surmised he had used to pull tape off
his feet and legs.
Byerly said Tuma had severe cuts and bruises all over his
head and shoulders.
"It looked like the guy had had the (crap) beaten out
of him and had been left for dead," Byerly said. "He was kind of
in shock."
Ketchum police Chief Cal Nevland said Tuma told police
before he was taken to the hospital that he had been attacked in his
apartment by "two young males." Nevland said Tuma reported he
had no idea who the men were nor what their motive may have been.
He said Tuma reported that his assailants beat him with a
small club, similar to a chair leg, and were carrying a pistol, which
police believe was a Walther PPK .380 semi-automatic. He said Tuma’s
roommate said the only item that appeared taken from the apartment was a
cigar box containing a collection of matchbooks and a package of
cigarettes.
Nevland said Tuma left the area after he was released from
the hospital and police have not been able to interview him in more
detail. However, he said Tuma has kept in touch and does not appear to
have fled. He said police have "a lot of questioning" to do with
both Tuma and his roommate.
"I do not believe that this was somebody who just
burglarized a house and was surprised there," Nevland said.
