Roof Pleads Guilty to All Counts, Waives Right to Appeal
CHARLESTON, S.C. (AP) — Convicted Charleston church shooter Dylann Roof has pleaded guilty to state murder and attempted murder charges, leaving him to await federal execution and sparing his victims and their families the burden of a second trial.
The 23-year-old Roof pleaded guilty Monday to all state charges, including nine counts of murder. It’s part of a deal with prosecutors in exchange for a life prison sentence without parole. He could get up to 30 additional years for each of the three attempted murder charges.
He also waived his right to appeal his guilty charges which he had the right to do 10 days after his plea.
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After his attorneys said they would not be bringing up the question of his competency, Roof struggled to answer the judge’s questions about his previous trial.
Judge Nicholson then said he was aware of Dylann Roof’s history of mental illness and substance abuse because of documents entered during the federal competency hearing. He said those documents will remained sealed but the federal court judge may release them after they have been redacted.
The self-avowed white supremacist was unapologetic at his federal trial as he heard days of testimony from survivors. In harrowing detail, they described the hail of bullets that began when parishioners closed their eyes to pray during a June 2015 Bible study at the historically black Emanuel AME Church.
Roof was convicted of 33 federal charges last year and sentenced to death.
