Joseph McEnroe, who admitted killing four adults and two children on Christmas Eve 2007, is trying to convince a jury to spare his life.
Quick Facts:
- Carnation killer Joe McEnroe tells jurors: "If you want to kill me, go ahead."
- He was talking about the killings to avoid the death penalty.
- The jury is in the penalty phase of trial, deciding death penalty or life in prison.
- McEnroe was already convicted of killing six members of his girlfriend's family.
- Defense claims McEnroe's girlfriend, Michelle Anderson, forced him to kill her family.
But Tuesday afternoon, McEnroe threw up his hands.
“You know what? Fu** it. If you want to kill me go ahead,” he said.
McEnroe faced intense questioning from King County Senior Deputy Prosecutor Scott O’Toole. He asked McEnroe why he lied throughout the case, to which the killer said in some cases he was trying to protect his girlfriend.
The six people he shot were family members of Michele Anderson, his girlfriend at the time. The victims were her parents, Wayne and Judy; her brother and sister-in-law, Scott and Erica; and their children, Olivia, 5, and Nathan, 3.
Follow this link to see photos of the Anderson family.
McEnroe appeared to be caught in lies Tuesday. O’Toole questioned why McEnroe had a hard time remembering killing two children when questioned by detectives.
“You’re the only person who fired a bullet into Nathan’s head and didn’t remember 48 hours afterward?” Senior Deputy Prosecuting Attorney Scott O’Toole asked, asking McEnroe why he lied.
“I’m trying to go off and lay out what happened,” McEnroe told the court. “If that doesn’t work for you, that’s cool. I don’t care.”
The prosecution also questioned why McEnroe’s voice changed during his testimony.
O’Toole played audio clips from McEnroe’s interview with detectives on December 26, 2007 before his arrest. On those tapes McEnroe has a deeper, stronger voice. During questioning by the defense McEnroe had a higher, softer voice.
McEnroe told the jury he’s been working on having a voice that is “more pleasant.”
McEnroe does have a speech impediment, trouble pronouncing “R” sounds. During tense questioning on Tuesday, he was much more clear, and easier to understand.
McEnroe’s twitching – something he claimed to do because he was nervous – was also more pronounced during the intense questioning Tuesday. O’Toole pointed out that not one witness mentioned that McEnroe even had a twitch when they testified during his trial or during the penalty phase. McEnroe claims it is so severe it sometimes keeps him awake at night.
McEnroe got frustrated with questions from the prosecution and at one point said, “What I’m trying to go and say is that- You know what, F*** it, if you want to kill me, go ahead.”
That statement shocked the courtroom. McEnroe is on the stand trying to convince the jury to give him life in prison instead of the death penalty.
McEnroe kept blaming his girlfriend Michele Anderson for murders.
“She’s the one who decide up front they have to die. Ok. She’s the one who talked me into it,” McEnroe said about killing the children.
Michele Anderson is also charged with the murders. Her trial is schedule for the fall.
McEnroe will be back on the stand Wednesday morning. The prosecution has another days-worth of questions for him.
Click here to read previous coverage of the McEnroe murder trial.
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