Wednesday, April 12, 2006; B02

MONTGOMERY COUNTY

Montgomery County police yesterday found the body of an 83-year-old Rockville man reported missing last week and charged his tenant with first-degree murder.

William Brewer King's body was in the laundry room of his house, in the 1700 block of Grandin Avenue.

Suspect Kirk M. Wilkerson, 41, rented a room at the house, said Lt. Eric Burnett, a police spokesman. Detectives believe the men fought over money, Burnett said.

A neighbor who last saw King on March 19 contacted police Thursday to report him missing, police said. Officers found the body when they stopped by to follow up on the missing-person investigation, Burnett said.

-- Ernesto Londoņo

Susan L. Sachs, who was charged with fatally stabbing her 71-year-old landlady in Chevy Chase in August 2004, won't stand trial.

Montgomery County Circuit Court Judge Louise G. Scrivener accepted her "not criminally responsible" plea during a hearing Monday.

Sachs, who has paranoid schizophrenia, was remanded to a maximum-security state psychiatric hospital, where she will remain until mental health experts and a judge decide that she no longer poses a threat to herself or others.

Sachs, 40, is accused of stabbing Joyce Hadl while Hadl slept. Two men whom Sachs enlisted to help her hide the body pleaded guilty and are serving their sentences.

-- Ernesto Londoņo

A 2-year-old Frederick boy survived a three-story fall from an apartment balcony without serious injury, city police said yesterday.

A witness told police that the boy, who was not identified, climbed onto a chair, fell over the railing and landed in the grass below his apartment, in the 1400 block of Key Parkway, about 7:20 p.m. Monday, according to a written statement from Lt. Thomas Chase. The child then stood and walked around.

He was flown to Children's Hospital in the District, where he was treated and released. Police were continuing to investigate, Chase said.

-- Fredrick Kunkle

A 4-month-old baby who stopped breathing at a Forestville day-care center yesterday was pronounced dead a short time later at a hospital, Prince George's County police said.

Investigators were awaiting autopsy results to determine the cause of death, said Cpl. Clinton Copeland, a police spokesman.

Authorities received a call about the child at 3:15 p.m., Copeland said. The child, who was not identified, was taken to Malcolm Grow Medical Center at Andrews Air Force Base.

-- Allan Lengel

Two male drivers died yesterday afternoon in Upper Marlboro when their cars collided, Maryland State Police said.

One car was traveling south on Crain Highway when it crossed the center line and struck the other car about 4:45 p.m., police Sgt. J. Leichtman said. Neither car had other passengers.

The names of the drivers were being withheld last night pending notification of relatives. The cause of the crash was under investigation, Leichtman said.

-- Allan Lengel