Man charged in Jewish site killings makes opening statement

The avowed white supremacist is charged with first-degree murder in the three shootings at the Jewish Community Center and Village Shalom in 2014.

Cross could be sentenced to death if convicted of the April 2014 killings of Reat Underwood, 14, and his grandfather William Corporon, 69, outside the Jewish Community Center of Greater Kansas City, as well as Terri LaManno, 53, outside a Jewish retirement home in Overland Park, Kansas.

Miller, also known as Frazier Glenn Cross Jr., has said he is suffering from chronic emphysema and wanted to kill Jewish people before he died.

Eight women and nine men have been chosen to sit on the jury. The alternates will not be identified until the case is ready to be deliberated. “He’d been plotting and scheming and premeditating his actions for weeks”.

Miller has pleaded not guilty, though he’s publicly admitted killing the victims. He also has said he didn’t know all three of the victims were Christians, or that the teenage victim was so young.

In the prosecution’s opening statement Monday, prosecutor Chris McMullin said Cross had confessed to the crime in a telephone call with an acquaintance last October.

“Our people have a right to survive inherently and the right to preserve our heritage and our culture and a safe future for white children”, said Cross, who is acting as his own attorney.

Several times last week during the jury selection process, Cross challenged the patriotism of would-be jurors and quizzed them about their views on the government and media. Judge Ryan responded, once again claiming the present phase of the trial was not the place to present evidence, but was to determine whether he committed capital murder.

When Cross fired his attorneys, Ryan cautioned him about the amount of work necessary to defend a capital murder case. Judge Ryan has ordered the lawyers to act as stand-by counsel for Cross.

“I had good moral reasons for what I did”, Cross told the judge.