Page 6 - ARUBA TODAY

A6 U.S. NEWS
Thursday 11 May 2017

Convicted killer Roof picked death over autism label Families ask why
arrest in shooter
case took so long
The newly released docu-
ments reinforce how little
Roof thought of his victims. By ASTRID GALVAN
He told a psychologist that JACQUES BILLEAUD
no one would have paid Associated Press
attention if he killed black PHOENIX (AP) — Graciela
criminals, so that’s why he Beltran broke down in tears
sought out worshippers at in her west Phoenix living
a church. room as she recounted the
“Why would I be sorry for life and death of her son,
what I planned and did?” one of the victims in a se-
Roof told the psycholo- rial shooting case for which
gist. “You don’t feel sorry police say a 23-year-old
for people that you don’t man is responsible.
identify with.” A few feet from a large por-
Roof also told his lawyers trait of 32-year-old Hora-
and psychologists who cio de Jesus Pena, turned
examined him that he ex- backward because it’s still
pected white supremacists too hard for her to look at,
to take over the U.S. within Beltran recounted the day
several years, pardon him her son was gunned down
for the killings and make outside of their home after
him governor of South Car- leaving work.
olina. But during a Novem- Police on Monday said
ber competency hearing, 23-year-old Aaron Juan

Dylann Roof appears in the Charleston County Court to enter his guilty plea on murder charges in Roof told Gergel he figured Saucedo is responsible for
Charleston, S.C. Roof had his first appeal of his death sentence for killing nine people in a racist there was a less than half Pena’s killing on June 3,
attack on praying worshippers in a Charleston church rejected Wednesday, May 10, by the same a percent chance of that 2016, and that of eight oth-
judge who presided at his trial. happening. ers in a total of 12 shoot-
(Grace Beahm/The Post And Courier via AP, Pool) At a different hearing in ings. Saucedo said in court
November, Roof insisted his
By JEFFREY COLLINS tence he would rather die a telephone to call the he was innocent.
Associated Press than have an autism diag- church, GPS to find it and lawyers not be allowed to “It was about time,” Beltran
COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) — nosis made public and he the bullets and gun were publicly say a psychologist said.
Dylann Roof had his first ap- wanted a federal trial so manufactured in a differ- found evidence he might “It’s like a feeling of impo-
peal of his death sentence his picture — and what he ent state. have autism. Roof said that tence, them saying they
for killing nine people in a thought was his unusually The 23-year-old white su- would discredit his crime. have him, but my son is not
racist attack on praying large forehead — would premacist is expected to “Because once you’ve got coming back.”
worshippers in a Charleston be kept off television. file other appeals, some- that label, there is no point Beltran said Pena was
church rejected Wednes- In his first appeal, Roof ar- thing his lawyer David Bruck in living anyway. You see friendly with everyone and
day by the same judge gued that his crime didn’t spoke about in a compe- what I am saying?” Roof a devoted son who liked to
who presided at his trial. fit the definition of inter- tency hearing. told the judge. run, work out and read the
U.S. District Judge Richard state commerce needed “He has no intention of After a federal jury found Bible.
Gergel also ordered the re- to make a federal case be- waiving his appeals be- him guilty of hate crimes “We never think our chil-
lease of hundreds of pages cause he bought the gun cause this will give enough and obstruction of religion, dren are gonna go before
of Dylann Roof’s psycho- and bullets in South Caro- time for the world to turn Roof took over his own de- us, and especially not such
logical records as well lina and did not travel out- upside down,” Bruck said, fense and refused to put a good son,” Beltran said in
Wednesday. of-state to the church. according to a court tran- in any evidence in an at- Spanish.
They included Roof’s insis- But Gergel ruled Roof used script. tempt to have jurors spare Police say Saucedo had
his life. q no connection to Pena or
Foul play not suspected in 2 deaths in Central Park most of the other victims.
They say he only knew
the first person killed in a
NEW YORK (AP) — The bod- On Wednesday morning, cases right now,” he said. activity centered on a simi- string of nighttime drive-by-
ies of two men have been a body of a man in his 30s, The rare occurrences — larly picturesque area near shootings that began in Au-
discovered over two days wearing pants and shoes a body was last found in Central Park West and 90th gust 2015 and ended July
in Central Park, each float- but no shirt, and carrying Central Park waters in 2015 Street. 2016, terrorizing the mostly
ing in a lake, but investiga- identification, was found — brought negative atten- The reservoir is about a half- Latino neighborhood in
tors don’t believe either about 1½ miles south of the tion to a normally tranquil mile long and up to 40 feet west Phoenix known as
was the victim of a crime, reservoir in Swan Lake, a oasis in the heart of the city. deep. It’s surrounded by Maryvale.
police said Wednesday. pond frequented by tour- Swan Lake, at the south- a 4-foot-high ornamental Police say they don’t know
The first body, of a man ists near The Plaza hotel. east corner of the park, is fence and a popular track what motivated Saucedo,
thought to be in his 20s or It had been there about surrounded by pink and — the Parks Department who faces multiple charg-
30s, was found Tuesday in one to two weeks, Boyce white azaleas, Japanese says Onassis, former Presi- es of first-degree murder
the park’s Jacqueline Ken- said. Investigators were maples and other lush veg- dent Bill Clinton and Ma- and aggravated assault.
nedy Onassis Reservoir, working to confirm the ID. etation and is populated donna had all run there. Victims’ family members
near Central Park West and The medical examiner will with all manner of birds. According to the park’s said they were still reeling
90th Street. determine the causes of After Boyce’s press confer- website, the reservoir was from the brazenness and
It apparently had been death; neither body had ence, a white egret was decommissioned in 1993. randomness of the at-
there at least a month, said obvious signs of trauma. seen perching on a log at The city named the reser- tacks and because police
police Chief of Detectives “We don’t believe there’s the edge of the lake. voir for the former first lady couldn’t make an arrest
Robert Boyce. criminality in either of these A day earlier, the police in 1994 after her death. q sooner.q