San Francisco News

August 23, 1943. This article is reprinted below.


Church Slayer "Sorry I Did It" Now

Peter Raftopoulos was "awfully sorry" today as he had shot and killed Private Edward P. Dafnos, 27, as he stood before an altar in the Greek Orthodox Church of the Annunciation, 245 Valencia st.

Red-eyed and haggard from his first night in jail on a murder charge, the cafe owner of 92 Embarcadero, indicated that his defense would be insanity as well as the "unwritten law".

"As I saw the man who had broken up my home, everything went blank," declared Raftopoulos. "I went insane."

Raftopoulos appeared today before Municipal Judge Dunn for arraignment on a murder charge. Inasmuch as no formal complaint had been filed, his hearing was postoned until Sept. 8.

Private Dafnos died at Letterman Hospital in the Presidio a few minutes after the shooting. He had been given a disability discharge from the Army two weeks ago. Before induction, he was the vice president of a mortuary.

According to his confession to police - which he refused to sign - Raftopoulos was leaving the church at about 10a.m. when Private Dafnos came in.

"They told me he was going to get me so I took no chances," Raftopoulos declared. "I got him."

Raftopoulos escaped from the church in his auto, but at Clay and Kearney-sts he surrendered to Patrolman Harry P. Gurler, saying: "I've just killed a man."

Mrs. Mary Raftopoulos, 28, sued her husband for divorce last spring. In March, Raftopoulos was arrested on a charge of assault to commit murder when he fired three shots at Dafnos, also known as Edward Dafne. At that time the same speed he had shown as a football and track star at Mission High School, saved him.

Raftopoulos was freed when Dafnos refused to prosecute him. But Mrs. Raftopoulos had her misgivings and only Saturday she said, had appealed to police for protection.

"They told me that there wasn't anything they could do," she sobbed. "They told me I would have to see the district attorney about a peace bond."

Northern police and the homicide bureau denied that the woman had made any such appeal. They pointed out that the district attorney office in the Hall of Justice keeps a bond and warrant clerk on duty day and night and that a peace warrant would have been available if Mrs. Raftopoulos had requested one.

The couple have one daughter, Bessie, who is 12 years old today. Mrs. Raftopoulos denied having been unduly friendly with the slain man. They were classmates at Mission High School.

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