Stay up to date with notifications from The Independent

Notifications can be managed in browser preferences.

Suspect in killing of Indiana cop seeks to represent himself

A man facing a death penalty charge in the fatal shooting of an Indiana police officer has asked a judge to represent himself, and his appointed attorney wants to withdraw from the case

Via AP news wire
Thursday 29 December 2022 21:25 GMT

Your support helps us to tell the story

From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.

At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.

The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.

Your support makes all the difference.

A man facing a death penalty charge in the fatal shooting of an Indiana police officer has asked a judge to represent himself, and his appointed attorney wants to withdraw from the case.

Phillip Matthew Lee, 47, of Richmond, is charged with murder in the death of Richmond Police Department Officer Seara Burton. He filed a motion Dec. 22 to represent himself at trial, court documents show.

That same day, his court-appointed defense attorney, Andrew Maternowski, filed a motion seeking to withdraw from the case, records show.

His trial is scheduled to begin March 7.

Burton, 28, died Sept. 18 from a gunshot wound to the head after she was taken off life support Sept. 1. She was shot Aug. 10 after officers stopped Lee and Burton was called to assist with her police dog.

A gag order bars police, attorneys and others from commenting on the case.

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in