- Arthur Shelton
Arthur Shelton (b.
1954 ) is an AmericanChristian who, on October 18, 2004, shot and killed his 62-year-old roommate and friend Larry Hooper, because, according to Shelton, he had discovered that Hooper was anatheist and "the devil himself."Murder and trial
On October 18, 2004, Arthur Shelton, a self-described "Christian and an Eagle Scout," shot and killed his roommate Larry Hooper. During the
911 call that Shelton subsequently made to the police, he stated that he had "shot the devil himself." When asked how many times he fired the gun, he stated, "Hopefully enough."After several months of delays the trial began on December 18, 2005 and lasted for three days. During the trial, the tape-recorded call to 911 and the confession that Shelton gave to police after his arrest were presented as evidence.
Shelton was given a sentence of 25 - 45 years in prison by the judge, due to written pleas for mercy from his relatives.
Harassment during the trial
During the trial, several members of the Shelton family harassed and verbally abused three members of
American Atheists who had come to witness the trial. The harassment included verbal abuse, including referring to the atheists as "the people from hell, evil, and devils." During breaks in the trial, Shelton family members were reported blowing kisses at the atheists and saying "God loves you" while forcing crosses in their faces. At several points, tempers flared into shouting matches that had to be broken up by security.External links and sources
*"TAYLOR: Death is result of debate about God" - Joel Thurtell, The Detroit Free Press, October 28, 2004 http://web.archive.org/web/*/http://www.freep.com/news/cfp/3/vshoot28_20041028.htm http://web.archive.org/web/20041103024128/http://www.freep.com/news/cfp/3/vshoot28_20041028.htm
*http://www.parallelpac.org/murder.htm
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