White supremacist Frazier Glenn Cross Jr. was found guilty of capital murder and five other charges by a 12-member jury Monday afternoon in Johnson County District Court. The pentalty phase of the trial — where it will be determined whether he will receive the death penalty or life in prison — began Tuesday morning and was not completed by the time The Chronicle went to press Tuesday evening.
The jury took less than two hours to reach its verdict on Monday, the Kansas City Star reported.
“I believe the fat lady just sang,” Miller, 74, said when the verdict was delivered.
Cross, also known as Frazier Glenn Miller, was convicted of three counts of first-degree murder in the deaths of Reat Underwood, 14, and his grandfather, William Corporon, 69, outside the Jewish Community Campus as well as Terri LaManno, 53, outside Village Shalom on April 13, 2014. {mprestriction ids="1,3"}None of the victims were Jewish, but Cross assumed they were Jewish when he shot them.
Cross, leading his own defense, claimed during the trial last week that the Jews have committed genocide against white people, and that they control both the media and Wall Street.
“I had no criminal intent,” he said. “I had a patriotic intent to stop genocide against my people.”
“I hate Jews. They are the ones who destroy us.”
The Star reported that Miller was also found guilty of aggravated assault for pointing a shotgun at a woman and asking if she was Jewish, and of firing into the JCC.
Following the verdict, Marvin Szneler, executive director of the Jewish Community Relations Bureau|American Jewish Committee, said, “The trial reminded the community, yet again, that unremorseful hatred, bigotry, and anti-Semitism are still here.”
“Tragic shootings have continued around the country over the last 16 months since ours in Overland Park. The pomposity was a display that explained to us why many minorities live in fear,” he continued.
The victims’ families declined to comment about the conviction, as did officials from Village Shalom.
Corporon and his grandson Reat were at the Jewish Community Campus to attend auditions for the Jewish Community Center’s SuperStar singing competition when they were murdered. The J issued this statement following the verdict:
“The Jewish Community Center of Greater Kansas City — The J — supports the criminal justice system in this process. While we continue to mourn the lives lost, we also look forward to a bright future for The J and the Jewish community.”{/mprestriction}
