Defendant in Jewish center shootings wants judge removed from case

The man accused of killing three people at Jewish centers in Overland Park last year wants the Johnson County judge overseeing his upcoming death penalty trial removed.

F. Glenn Miller Jr. alleges in a recently filed motion that District Judge Kelly Ryan is obstructing justice by not allowing him online access to prepare his defense.

Miller also said that he believes Ryan is a Mason and thus is unable to give him a fair trial.

He also predicted that the judge will rescind the previously granted permission to represent himself and “force” him to accept the representation of government-paid lawyers, whom he has previously said he does not trust.

The 74-year-old Miller, also known as Frazier Glenn Cross Jr., is charged with capital murder in the shooting deaths of three people outside the Jewish Community Center and Village Shalom care center.

After his arrest that day, he told police that he was an anti-Semite, and he has publicly stated that his intent was to kill Jews that day.

None of his victims was Jewish. William Corporon, Reat Underwood and Terri LaManno were all members of Christian churches.

Miller has said in court that he intends to present a defense of “compelling necessity.” Because the judge has told him he has not decided if that defense will be allowed, Miller claimed in his motion that he believes the judge will not grant it.

He claims that is also obstruction of justice.

The trial in Johnson County District Court is scheduled to begin Aug. 17. The next hearing to take up pretrial motions is set for July 17.

This story was originally published July 2, 2015 at 4:26 PM with the headline "Defendant in Jewish center shootings wants judge removed from case."