May 30, 2000
A confessed serial killer faced a judge today and repeated his wish to be executed.
Now the court must decide if Roberto Arguelles is competent to make that decision.
News Specialist Jed Boal was in court for the hearing.
Roberto Arguelles says he wants to die and says he knows what he's doing.
He wants to speed up the process.
Oddly enough, checks in the justice system that protect his rights are slowing it down.
Roberto Arguelles murdered three teenage girls and a woman in early 1992.
He kidnapped them, sexually assaulted them and murdered them during a five week period.
In 1995, while in prison on a sexual assault conviction, he confessed to the murders and led police to the buried bodies
at a west Salt Lake pig farm and another remote area in American Fork Canyon.
He wants to die in front of a firing squad, but has to prove to the court he is mentally competent.
Despite his death wish, three doctors testified he is competent.
Dr. Noel Gardner/Univ. of Utah Psychiatrist: HE SAYS THAT HE CAN OFFER SOMETHING BACK TO THE FAMILIES HE'S HARMED, AND IN A WAY SEES HIMSELF AS GIVING SOMETHING BACK.
Arguelles seemingly hurt his own objective when he testified about voices he hears on a non-existent intercom, manned by guards and inmates out to get him.
The doctors said that didn't change their minds.
The prosecutor says it doesn't make him crazy.
Kent Morgan/Prosecutor: THIS IS VERY RATIONAL, LOGICAL BEHAVIOR FOR SOMEBODY ON DEATH ROW.
The doctors testified Arguelles makes choices based on a rational thought process, even if they are bad choices.
Arguelles wants his own defense to stop defending him.
His court-appointed attorneys oppose the death penalty, while he wants to die.
Dr. Noel Gardner/Univ. of Utah Psychiatrist: HE SORT OF REJECTS EVEN THE INVOLVEMENT OF HIS ATTORNEYS. THEY'RE TRYING VERY HARD TO DEFEND HIM IN A CASE THAT HE DOESN'T WANT THEIR DEFENSE.
If the judge finds Arguelles competent, he could be executed in a year.
Kent Morgan/Prosecutor: HE'S BEEN SENTENCED TO DEATH, AND I THINK IT'S APPROPRIATE THAT THE SENTENCE BE CARRIED OUT.
The competency hearing is not done yet.
They'll convene again tomorrow to talk about a video tape that Arguelles brought up. No one knew what he was talking about, so they'll try to figure that out and wrap up the hearing.
