GREG RISLING
Associated Press Writer
OXNARD, Calif. – Dave Laut was the idolized local boy who did his hometown and nation proud.
A stellar shot-putter who scored a bronze medal at the 1984 Summer Olympics, Laut married his high school sweetheart, Jane, settled down in the coastal community where he was raised and trained others to follow in his footsteps on the athletic field.
So when Laut, 52, was gunned down in his backyard in August by a possible prowler, hundreds of people paid homage at a memorial service where he was described as a gentle giant.