Accused Holocaust museum shooter says he was protecting his country

An 89-year-old white supremacist charged with killing a black security guard at the US Holocaust Memorial Museum was ordered to remain in jail Wednesday after prosecutors said the frail man was still dangerous because he had "no true friends" and "nothing to lose."

A judge also ordered James von Brunn to undergo a competency evaluation despite objections from the von Brunn, who was in court in a wheelchair. He was otherwise nonchalant and even smiled when a prosecutor said von Brunn had wanted to kill as many people as possible in the June 10 attack.

The 30-minute hearing was von Brunn's first public appearance since the shooting. The Washington federal court hearing had been delayed several times as von Brunn recovered in a hospital after being shot by other museum guards.

During the hearing Von Brunn shook his head and then called out "your honor" when the judge suggested he was going to order a mental evaluation. His attorney and the judge tried to advise him not to speak.

"Your Constitution guarantees me a speedy and fair trial," von Brunn finally said in a halting voice.

"I'm a United States citizen, and as a US naval officer I swore to protect my country. I take my vows very seriously," said von Brunn, a World War II veteran who served on a patrol boat.

'Actions videotaped'

In asking that von Brunn not be released, prosecutor Nicole Waid said von Brunn's actions were clear on videotape. She said that though von Brunn may appear frail, he is still a danger because he "has no true friends" and "nothing to lose."

Waid said von Brunn arranged his finances and funeral plans before his "suicide mission" at the museum, and he wanted to kill as many people as possible.

Von Brunn was indicted in July on charges including first-degree murder for the death of museum guard Stephen T. Johns. Four of the charges carry a possible death penalty if he is convicted.

Public records show that in 2004 and 2005 von Brunn lived briefly in Hayden Lake, Idaho, which for years was home to the Aryan Nation, a racist group run by neo-Nazi Richard Butler. He had a racist, anti-Semitic Web site and wrote a book titled "Kill the Best Gentiles," which alleged a Jewish conspiracy "to destroy the white gene pool." He also claimed the Holocaust was a hoax.