Lovelace Dresses For Self-Defense Alleged Murderer Brushes Up On Law From Cell In Bonner County Jail

Confessed killer Faron Lovelace fired his court-appointed attorneys a month ago. This week, Lovelace will defend himself against a firstdegree murder charge in one of the county’s most bizarre cases.

Lovelace, 40, is a self-described racist who said he wants to die for his crime. He files his own hand-written motions to the court and browses law books while being held in the Bonner County Jail.

Lovelace’s wife writes letters pleading with the judge to free him. But the one-time federal fugitive is doing little to save himself. He wants to appear before a jury in jail clothes with his hands cuffed to a chain around his waste. He’s shunned attorneys who wanted to help him avoid being put to death.

Jury selection in his trial begins Monday.

“It’s between rare and extremely rare for someone facing the death penalty to defend themselves,” said Bonner County Prosecutor Phil Robinson. “To my knowledge I don’t know of anyone in our judicial district who has ever done this.”

Robinson was Lovelace’s defense attorney and agreed to help get him a death sentence. Robinson had to step down from the case after he was elected prosecutor. The state attorney general’s office is now prosecuting the case.

A judge did appoint an attorney to be Lovelace’s “adviser,” but it will be Lovelace who questions witnesses. He also turned down an offer from the state to provide “suitable courtroom attire.”

“There are many rules about people not appearing to be in custody. The idea of wearing jail clothes and a belly chain is almost forbidden because of its prejudicial effect on a jury,” Robinson said.

The unusual requests by Lovelace hint that he really doesn’t plan to defend himself, Robinson said.

Lovelace’s case has been an oddity since he was arrested in August 1996. He was hiding from federal authorities at a makeshift camp in the mountains near Priest Lake after escaping from a Wisconsin prison.

When he was finally caught, Love lace confessed to a murder Bonner County authorities didn’t even know had occurred. He also told of his plot to kill Bonner County Sheriff Chip Roos, assassinate former Sandpoint Mayor Ron Chaney and other political officials not named in court records.

The only caveat Lovelace made for his confession was that he be put to death if he led police to the body of the man he murdered. If assured a death sentence, Lovelace said he would plead guilty to the 1995 killing of neo-Nazi skinhead Jeremy Scott. Scott was killed execution-style with one shot fired into the back of his head.

Lovelace gave a two-hour video-taped confession to police that will be used at trial. He led agents to Scott’s body, which he had buried in a shallow grave north of Sandpoint.

Once court proceedings began, Lovelace reneged on the agreement. He pleaded not guilty to the murder, fired his lawyers and was found competent to represent himself. He told the court he did not want to spend his life in prison or sitting on death row.

“If he is found guilty I pray for his death (rather) than prison,” Lovelace’s wife, Norda, recently wrote to the judge.

The trial is expected to last only three days. The attorney general’s office plans to call just five witnesses and show Lovelace’s video-taped confession. The state is seeking the death penalty.

Because of his inexperience in court, Lovelace asked for six hours to give his opening statement to a jury.

“I will be slow, (and) I possess a fear known as ‘stage fright,”’ he wrote to the judge. Lovelace added that he had lots of material to present to the jury.

In his confession, Lovelace said he surprised Scott at his remote cabin. He held Scott prisoner for hours, and fired one shot over his head because he was “arrogant.” Court records say Lovelace struck Scott in the face twice with a rifle butt before killing him.

Lovelace hauled the body away in a pickup and buried Scott in a remote area. Lovelace is also charged with kidnapping and aggravated assault.

“I believe that all that was required for capital punishment is premeditated murder. I’m a criminal, and I wanted to be killed for what I’ve done,” Lovelace said in a recent jail interview. He insists he has changed his plea because the state will not successfully win a death sentence and he doesn’t want to spend years on death row.

“When I confessed to the crime, I believed Idaho would kill me. I’m going for life in prison, not death row.”

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