The Nation - News from April 10, 1988

A businessman who was a member of the secret army that won Israel’s independence has been granted clemency to complete his Florida murder sentence on a kibbutz in a deal with the Florida Cabinet. William Shapiro, 62, of Miami has served 13 years of his life sentence but plans to board an El Al jet Monday in Miami and renounce his U.S. citizenship upon arriving in Israel. High officials in the Israel government, Florida legislators and others sought clemency for New York-born Shapiro, citing a lack of credibility in the evidence that put him in prison for the murder of Burt deWitt, a business partner. Pleas on Shapiro’s behalf were sent by Meir Rosenne, former Israeli ambassador to the United States; Jerusalem Mayor Teddy Kolek, and William Wexler, former B’nai B’rith international president. Shapiro was convicted of hiring two men to kill deWitt, who was beaten to death with a pipe.