Police recording: California killings defendant cites racism
FRESNO, Calif. (AP) - A man accused of killing four people in California told detectives in a recorded interview he was fed up with racism against black people and since he was suspected of killing of one white man he may as well kill more.
The recording was played Monday in the trial of Kori Ali Muhammad, who could face the death penalty if he is convicted, the Fresno Be e and ABC30 (KFSN-TV) reported.
Muhammad, a black man whose defense says he is mentally ill, was recorded by detectives on the day of his arrest in 2017.
"I didn't want to do nothing to law enforcement so I just found some white men to kill," Muhammad said to police.
He explained on the recording how the killing of motel security guard Carl Williams III, 25, led to the other three killings.
Muhammad said he tried to visit a friend at the motel in April 2017, but Williams was disrespectful to him.
According to earlier testimony, Williams noticed Muhammad and told the motel manager, who asked Muhammad to register and pay a nominal visitor's fee. Muhammad went to the office to register, but the manager testified he felt threatened and kicked out the guest and Muhammad.
A security camera recorded Muhammad come up behind the guard and shoot him.
On the recording, Muhammad spoke about disrespect and racism.
'œIt starts taking its toll on you and you get fed up with the racism,'ť he said. 'œYou get tired of letting things slide.'ť
While on the run after the shooting, Muhammad stopped at a coffee shop to use WiFi and learned via a news app that he was wanted for Williams' killing.
On the recording, he said that if he was 'œgoing down for murder'ť the best thing was to 'œkill as many white men'ť as he could.
Several days after the motel shooting, three more men were slain, beginning with Zachary Randalls, 34, who was in a Pacific Gas & Electric truck.
"When I walked up to the truck, I saw a Mexican driver and a white guy," he said. "I didn't want to target the driver because he was Mexican so I shot the white dude."
Mark Gassett, 37, and David Jackson, 58, were then slain in the downtown area.