Convicted Jewish Community Center shooter Frazier Glenn Cross Jr. wants a new trial.
He filed a motion Wednesday demanding a retrial for a variety of reasons, most of which stemmed from Cross’ decision to represent himself.
Cross argues he did not have adequate help from the three defense attorneys appointed to serve as standby counsel.
“It was not made clear to me before the trial began that I would not be able to to ask for their advice anytime I wanted, including when the jury was present,” Cross writes.
According to the motion, Cross also thinks he should have been granted a change of venue due to extensive pre-trial publicity. Before Johnson County judge Thomas Kelly Ryan agreed to let Cross represent himself, his attorneys had submitted a motion for a change of venue.
However, once Cross took over as counsel, he did not follow through with a promised venue study and the motion was denied.
At trial, Cross took credit for shooting William Corporon, Reat Underwood and Terri LaManno to death on April 13, 2014, but tried to pin the blame on an alleged Jewish conspiracy to eradicate the white race.
Much of his expert testimony from fellow anti-Semites was disallowed.
Because the jury sentenced Cross to death, he’s entitled to an automatic appeal.
Elle Moxley is a reporter for KCUR. You can reach her on Twitter @ellemoxley.
