Whitworth Letters Admit Spying

SAN FRANCISCO — In a stunning admission, Jerry Whitworth’s lawyer told a federal court jury today the former Navy radioman had written the “RUS” letters that were sent anonymously to the FBI and confessed involvement in espionage for the Soviet Union.

But attorney James Larson contended Whitworth had been unaware of the Soviets’ involvement in the spy ring run by his friend, John Walker, until shortly before writing the letters in 1984, and had cut off his supply of classified documents by then. The first letter, received in May, 1984, said the writer “didn’t know that the info was being passed to the U.S.S.R. until after I had been involved a few years and since then I’ve been remorseful. . . . “