OLATHE, Kan. (AP) - A white supremacist charged with killing three people at Kansas City-area Jewish sites accused a judge on Thursday of denying him a fair trial for not allowing him to present evidence explaining his mindset at the time.
Frazier Glenn Miller Jr., 74, is defending himself at his capital murder trial and could face the death penalty if convicted. He has admitted several times during his four-day trial that he killed three people and shot at three others, but has argued he was compelled to do it because Jewish people are trying to wipe out the white race.
Prosecutors rested their case Thursday morning, barely four days into a trial they had predicted could last three to four weeks.
Miller is charged with killing William Corporon, 69, and Corporon's 14-year-old grandson, Reat Griffin Underwood, at the Jewish Community Center in Overland Park, and Terri LaManno, 53, at the nearby Village Shalom retirement center on April 13, 2014. None of the three was Jewish.
After jurors were sent out of the courtroom, Miller asked for a postponement until Monday so he could work on his defense and rest up because the trial had taken a toll on his health. Miller fired his lawyers in May.
"It's not my fault I'm not prepared," Miller said.
The judge asked Miller to summarize the evidence he planned to present. Prior to the start of the trial, the judge ruled that Miller could not use a "compelling necessity" defense, claiming he was compelled to kill Jewish people because they pose a threat to the white race.
Miller, who also was known as Frazier Glenn Cross Jr., said he was planning to introduce books, CDs and news articles to illustrate his state of mind at the time of the shootings, but Ryan responded that it was unlikely those materials would be allowed to be admitted into evidence during the current phase of the trial.
Miller responded angrily that by denying him a chance to explain his actions, Ryan was violating his constitutional rights.
"Making it impossible for me to explain what was on my mind prevents me from getting a fair trial and guaranteeing a guilty verdict," Miller said. "I'm thoroughly convinced I was justified."
After a testy exchange in which Miller repeatedly talked over the judge and prosecutors, Ryan loudly warned him several times that he could be removed from the courtroom if he didn't show more respect for the court.
Ryan sent the jury home at noon and told Miller he could have until 9 a.m. today, when he would be expected to present his defense.