The Argus Leader
SIOUX FALLS, S.D. — A penitentiary inmate who has admitted to killing a guard with a lead pipe now says he should die for the crime.
Eric Robert, 49, appeared Monday before Judge Bradley Zell in the sentencing phase of his trial. Zell will decide whether the inmate should die or receive a life sentence for beating 63-year-old corrections officer Ronald Johnson to death.
“My client has directed me to tell you the following,” Mark Kadi, Robert’s public defender, said in an opening statement. “The defense will talk about Mr. Robert’s history based on the reality of his actions, not fantasy stories to shock and awe the court. The truth of his past is despicable enough on its own merits. My client will move forward to address the court regarding his thoughts of anger and hate toward his enemy that he carries now and into the future.
Full Story: Inmate says he ‘deserves death’