Bad haircut model, confessed mass murderer and court house lawyer Dylan Roof thinks it is no fair that his victims family and friends be allowed to make impact statements during the sentencing phase of his trial for the horrific murders of nine churchgoers in June of 2015. He wrote in a filing unsealed in the courtroom today:
“If I don’t present any mitigation evidence, the victim-impact evidence will take over the whole sentencing trial and guarantee that I get the death penalty,” Roof wrote.
This despite Roof, after firing his lawyers and representing himself, voluntarily mounted no defense other than his opening statement.
U.S. District Judge Richard M. Gerge was also late for a golf date I suppose, admonishing prosecutors:
“I’m concerned both about the number of witnesses and the length of their testimony and the length collectively of their testimony, and I want you to revisit your strategy here, because at some point I’m going to cut you off if it gets too long.”
While I am sure it is not the official stance of this blog that the death penalty is appropriate in any circumstance, this diarist is compelled to state that in certain cases, such as self confessed racially motivated, unrepentant mass murder, I am willing to let the jury decide.
“I am not sorry,” Roof wrote in his journal. “I have not shed a tear for the innocent people I killed.”
But I would not want young master Roof to think I’m unfair so I will only quote here two of the statements.
“”Denise Quarles, victim Myra Thompson’s daughter, spoke Thursday of how her mom was her confidante and role model who told her in a regular check-in not long before the shooting: “I just want you to know, if I never told you before, that I’m proud of you. She taught me what being a woman is, how to be a mom, how to be a grandparent, how to be a friend, how to treat people,” Quarles said as she started to cry.”
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“”Bethane Middleton, the sister of victim DePayne Middleton-Doctor, said of her sibling: “She protected me, and she guided me.”
Good luck to the jury in it’s deliberations.