Kansas City man accused of slaying three asks for public defender
The Kansas City man accused in the shooting death of three people, including a toddler, told a judge Friday he could not afford a lawyer.
Jackson County Associate Circuit Court Judge Jalilah Otto referred Joseph L. Nelson to the state public defender’s officer and set his bond at $1 million cash only, the amount prosecutors had requested.
Nelson’s next court date is Oct. 1.
Prosecutors charged Nelson, 22, Thursday with three counts of first-degree murder in the Sept. 8 deaths of Bianca R. Fletcher, 17, Shannon Rollins Jr., 18, and Fletcher’s 1-year-old son, Joseph, in a south Kansas City home.
Prosecutors also have charged him with burglary, saying that he stole personal items from the victims, and three counts of armed criminal action.
To reach Brian Burnes, call 816-234-4120 or send email to bburnes@kcstar.com.
This story was originally published September 18, 2015 at 12:21 PM with the headline "Kansas City man accused of slaying three asks for public defender."