Charleston church massacre trial to recount brutal murders
The trial of Dylann Roof, who shot and killed nine churchgoers at a black Charleston church in an attempt to start a race war, will open on Wednesday.
The trial of Dylann Roof, who shot and killed nine churchgoers at a black Charleston church in what he himself described as an attempt to start a race war, will open on Wednesday.
It’s expected to be a horrific and trying trial, as coroners will take the stand to describe the deaths of the nine people who were killed during Roof’s rampage, and survivors will also take the stand to recount their night of terror.
In an attempt to keep the trial from being too traumatic, US District Judge Richard Gergel granted federal prosecutors’ request for a ban on any crime scene photos that showed the victims, meaning these images cannot be copied or posted online.
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“Making these images available for copying to those who might share his racist ideology would serve no purpose other than to cause pain to the victims and their families,” prosecutors explained.
Additionally, Roof has asked that his lawyers be allowed to help him during the trial, as he had earlier claimed he wanted to represent himself. Had he done so, he would have made his own opening statement at the trial and would have cross-examined witnesses himself, including the survivors.
However, Roof is expected to represent himself during the separate penalty phase during which jurors will decide whether or not to seek the death penalty.
