Judge grants murder suspect’s wish to represent himself in court
September 21, 2016 - 11:08 am
An Arizona judge on Tuesday granted murder suspect’s Richard Polaski’s request to represent himself in further legal proceedings.
Mohave County Superior Court judge Lee Jantzen provided the litany of reasons why it’s against Polaski’s best interest before approving Polaski’s wish to act as his own legal counsel.
Prosecutor Greg McPhillips confirmed that Polaski, 63, made more incriminating comments during the hearing, including that “he did it” and that he acted in self-defense when he killed 65-year-old John Holland in June 2015.
Polaski told authorities about the homicide after he attempted suicide in Laughlin in early July. Police recovered Holland’s remains Aug. 29 after Polaski told investigators he buried his friend in a backyard and encased the site in concrete.
Holland is being held without bond awaiting trial for first-degree murder. Investigators are looking into Polaski’s claims that he and at least one other party conspired to forge documents to gain power of attorney and control of the victim’s trust account and property.
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