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Home • News

Charleston Church Shooter Dylann Roof Not Interested In Convincing Judge To Spare Him The Death Penalty

The 22-year-old White supremacist told the presiding judge that he will not call any witnesses or admit any evidence on his behalf during next month's sentencing hearing.
Dylann Roof Had Handwritten List Of Black Churches He Considered Targeting
Grace Beahm-Pool/Getty Images
By Rachaell Davis · Updated October 26, 2020
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Charleston church shooter Dylann Roof seems to have no intention of convincing a judge to spare his life.

The 22-year-old White supremacist, who revealed last month that he’ll be representing himself in the absence of a lawyer during the sentencing hearing for his federal death penalty case, has now informed the presiding judge that he will not call witnesses or present any evidence in an attempt to convince the court he shouldn’t be sentenced to die. According to ABC News, Roof also stated that he does intend to give an opening statement.

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BREAKING: Dylann Roof tells judge he won't call witnesses or present evidence to try to spare his life for church massacre.

— The Associated Press (@AP) December 28, 2016

Roof was found guilty on all charges connected to the June 2015 shooting that claimed the lives of nine Emmanuel AME Church members as they sat in bible study. The same jury that tried and convicted him in mid-December will return next month to decide his sentencing fate. Prosecutors are expected to call more than 30 witnesses to testify during the sentencing hearing. 

Roof will also face a separate set of charges during a second state trial next month, in which he may also face the death penalty.

Opening statements for the sentencing hearing are set to begin on January 3, 2017.

TOPICS:  Race Racism