A former neo-Nazi's murder trial ended before it began on Monday when Devon Arthurs pleaded guilty to the double murder of his roommates Jeremy Himmelman and Andrew Oneschuk.
Jury selection for Arthurs' double-murder trial was set to begin Monday morning when Arthurs changed his plea at the last minute. Arthurs pleaded guilty in exchange for 45 years in prison for the fatal ending to his neo-Nazi friend group.
Himmelman and Oneschuk were found dead with gunshot wounds in 2017. The murders were the culmination of a friendship between four men who all were members of the neo-Nazi group Atomwaffen Division until Arthurs converted to the Muslim faith and left the group. In a statement issued to police during interrogation, Arthurs argued that he was saving Americans from mass destruction after learning that one of his roommates, Brandon Russell, planned to bomb power plants and synagogues around Florida.
More details of the complicated friendship and the Atomwaffen Division were expected to be revealed during Arthurs' trial, which had been delayed several times because of Arthurs' mental state. He had been twice deemed incompetent to stand trial.
How was Arthurs involved with Atomwaffen Division?
According to a report by the Associated Press, Arthurs was one of four roommates who all were a member of the tight-knit neo-Nazi group Atomwaffen Division, which translates to "atomic weapons" in English.
Arthurs killed two of his roommates after learning of a plan to bomb power plants and synagogues around Florida.
Tampa Bay Times reported that Arthurs had recently been teased by his roommate for his change of faith, and the families of the victims alleged that the murders were in retaliation, according to the Associated Press.
Upon searching the apartment, police found explosive materials and other ingredients needed to make a bomb, neo-Nazi materials, a framed photo of Oklahoma City bomber Timothy McVeigh and weapons. The bomb material allegedly belonged to Russell, who was arrested on federal charges.
At the time of the murders, Arthurs had recently converted to the Muslim faith. He confessed to the killings shortly after he was arrested, explaining that his roommates planned to bomb multiple locations "because they want to build a Fourth Reich."
The Fourth Reich is a hypothetical Nazi ruler that would succeed Adolf Hitler, who served as the Third Reich from 1933 to 1945. Under Hitler's rule, millions of Jews and other minorities were murdered during the Holocaust.
What was Arthurs' legal defense?
Arthurs' legal team was expected to argue an insanity defense, a risky maneuver that "rarely works", according to Florida State Attorney Dave Aronberg.
"They made the calculation that 45 years was a better result than rolling the dice on an insanity plea," Aronberg told Newsweek.
An insanity plea is difficult to accomplish because there must be proof that the defendant had a mental defect and that as a result, couldn't discern between right and wrong.
"When you try to explain to police that you are fearful because your roommates are neo-Nazis and were critical of your Muslim faith, it sounds like you knew what you were doing," Aronberg said.
Uncommon Knowledge
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Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
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Anna Skinner is a Newsweek senior reporter based in Indianapolis. Her focus is reporting on the climate, environment and weather ... Read more
