The Murder of Larry Hooper
by Arlene Marie
On October 18, 2004, Arthur Shelton (age 50), a self-described Christian and Eagle Scout, murdered his friend and roommate, Larry Hooper (age 62), because Hooper did not believe in God.
On December 18, 2005, after many months of postponements, Shelton and his defense attorney Seymour Schwartz, appeared at the Frank Murphy Hall of Justice in Detroit, Michigan. Assistant Prosecuting Attorney Christina Guiruis brought charges against Shelton for murder in the first degree. A trial by jury was waived. Judge Gregory D. Bill was assigned to the trial.
The trial began with the taped phone call Shelton placed to the Taylor police department in Taylor, Michigan, on October 18, 2004, at precisely 12:44 AM. Shelton sounded calm and prideful when he told the dispatcher he had just shot "the devil himself" with a revolver and a shotgun because "He [Hooper] didn't believe in God."
Shelton told the dispatcher he was "still armed and ready to shoot again in case he moves. I want to make sure he's gone."
When the dispatcher asked how many times he shot the victim, Shelton replied, "hopefully enough."
Throughout the 15-minute phone call, Shelton often repeated the words, "I'm a Christian and an Eagle Scout and I wouldn't lie."
Shelton also said, "Don't worry about me. I'm fine. But he's the devil."
The dispatcher struggled to convince Shelton to lay down his weapon and go outdoors with his arms raised. Shelton eventually complied. He initially resisted because he feared Hooper might not be "dead enough."
"Dead enough" was an understatement. When the police arrived, they were confronted with the grizzly scene of Hooper's body still sitting upright on the couch with his head blown away. Hooper's brain matter was lying in his hand. The autopsy report presented by the prosecutor was gruesome, to be sure. For the record, Hooper's tests were negative for narcotics and alcohol.
Testimony by the arresting office and those transporting Shelton to the police station revealed that, while the officers were interested in gathering details about the incident, Shelton was obsessed with talking about God and the Eagle Scouts. Shelton said that he "Would not talk to anyone who didn't believe in God."
Shelton eventually agreed to talk to the police because he felt they believed in God.
On the second day of the trial, the court played the videotape of Shelton's late-night interrogation. He appeared calm and cooperative as he enjoyed the cookies and milk that he was given. During the interrogation, Shelton was still obsessed with talking about God and the Eagle Scouts. He stated that he was "not sorry for a second that he killed Hooper."
He stated, "In the eyes of the law I was wrong and will probably spend the rest of my life in prison, but in the eyes of God I have killed an evil person—the devil himself."
When Arthur Shelton took the witness stand in his own defense, he reiterated much of the same rhetoric.
On day three of the trial, summary arguments were heard. The defense had little problem proving that Shelton is obsessed with religion, God and Eagle Scouts. Schwartz pleaded for a verdict of Not Guilty due to insanity.
The prosecution also had an easy time proving that Shelton was competent and knew the difference between right and wrong at the time he shot Hooper. Guiruis asked for a verdict of guilty of murder in the first degree. Judge Bill rendered his verdict quickly: Guilty of second-degree murder with mental illness.
On December 19, 2005, we returned to Judge Bill's court to witness Shelton's sentencing. The prosecution asked for the "high end" of punishment, which is 25 to 45 years. The defense pleaded Not Guilty due to insanity or, at the very most, a soft sentence at the "low end" of punishment, which is 15 to 22 years in prison.
Judge Bill invited Shelton to make a statement. After fumbling for words, Shelton stated that he was sorry Hooper was dead, but he "did a job that had to be done."
Shelton claimed he actually "saw fire and smoke" coming from Hooper's eyes, and that made him sure that Hooper was "the devil himself."
Judge Bill proceeded to tenderly read letters from Shelton's family members, all pleading for leniency. Shelton sat facing the audience and blew kisses to his tearful and sometimes sobbing family. In the end, the now stern-faced Judge Bill pronounced the sentence: 25 to 45 years.
Shelton was stunned, and tried to negotiate the sentence exclaiming, "I'm 50 years old and that is as good as a life sentence."
Judge Bill responded, "Mr. Shelton, you gave Larry Hooper a life sentence by committing one of the most heinous murders to come before my court."
Later, in a private conversation, Guirguis explained that Michigan law requires that Shelton must serve at least 25 years before being eligible for parole.
I will now describe a disgusting chain of events that took place in various locations: the courtroom, the hallways, the lobby of the court building, the staircase outside of the courthouse, and even the ladies' restroom.
George Shiffer and I attended the first day of the trial. Upon our arrival, court officials asked who we were. I gave the court official my American Atheist business card. Word that there were Atheists present traveled fast in the tiny courtroom, which offered very limited seating. The only other people in attendance were 11 members of Shelton's family, who immediately began taunting George and me with name-calling, such as "the people from hell," "evil," and "devils."
During the courtroom breaks, Shelton's family members waited for us in the hall. They continued the harassment, now adding the phrase "God loves you" to the mix. They started blowing us kisses and then began shoving their holy cross and/or crucifix necklaces in our faces. Several of the women even followed me into the restroom. They did their best to intimidate me with their crosses.
Through it all, Shiffer and I never flinched. At the end of the day, however, I reported this harassment and taunting to the Officer of the Court. The officer stated that they were aware of the problem. We were escorted to the elevator, passing by the disappointed group of "good Christians."
Joe Milon joined us on day two. When Shiffer, Milon and I entered the courtroom, the taunting and harassment immediately began. Within an hour, Judge Bill announced that anyone making gestures and faces had better cease or they would be removed from the courtroom.
For the rest of the day the Christians simply fondled their crosses and constantly flopped them about with their hands. When they weren't fondling their crosses, they wore their crosses on their backs. Why? Because Shiffer, Milon and I were seated in the back row.
As we returned from lunch, this time without court escort, the Christians were waiting for us on the seventh floor. They lunged at us with small signs they had painted and shouted, "Jesus lives!" Some shouted, "God loves you."
During one incident, the Christians thrust their crosses within two or three inches from our noses.Tempers flared and a brief shouting match began. It was only brief because the court officers were there in a flash.
My friend and fellow Atheist, Lee Helms, attended on day three. Even though his philosophical position was not known to the court, he was inconvenienced by the taunting Christians as well. At the conclusion of the day, an officer of the court detained Helms, explaining they were having trouble with "those [Christian] people." Helms had to be escorted to the elevators.
The day of sentencing was truly a horrific experience for Shiffer, Milon, Helms, Marty Maier, and me. When we were leaving the courtroom, the Christians (Shelton's family members) lay in wait for us in the hallway. With their tears dried and looks of hatred on their faces, they surrounded us, shouting, "The one good thing of all of this is that another Atheist is dead and the world is better off for it" and "The only good Atheist is a dead Atheist!
Shelton will be eligible for parole in 2030; he will be 76 years old.
[Editor's Note: This item comes from Scouting For All, an organization which attempts to force Boy Scouts of America to open its ranks to _all_ boys and young men of good character without regard to their sexuality or their beliefs about God. The behavior of the 'Christians' in the courtroom certainly make one to almost be ashamed to wear the label. Most Christians, of course, would not be quite that crass nor inconsiderate of the beliefs of another person. It is really sad that some people who consider themselves to be 'Christian' (and it is not _my_ place to judge on that topic, some people insist I am not a very good Christian myself) act out as they do, in the Savior's name. PAT]
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