None — Michael Ryan said he wants a death sentence after being convicted of first-degree murder Thursday, Channel 9's newspaper partner the Gaston Gazette reports.
Ryan was convicted of shooting and killing 65-year-old David Farrar in the back yard of his home outside Mount Holly in March 2007. Co-defendant Wesley Adair pleaded guilty to murder in Farrar's death and testified against Ryan.
Before the sentencing phase of his trial began, Ryan dismissed attorneys Calvin Coleman and Rick Beam. Lawyers told Superior Court Judge Robert Ervin that he shouldn't be allowed to represent himself.
"We feel, Your Honor, that it is a violation of the 14th Amendment and the Eighth Amendment if the defendant is intending to commit suicide by jury," Coleman said. "These proceedings should be halted."
Ryan denied wanted to commit suicide by jury, saying his decision was strategic because a capital sentence would allow him more appeals.
"That is not the situation — ‘suicide by jury,'" he said. "With the death sentence, you get four appeals. With a life sentence, you get one appeal. Sitting out on death row, you get some respect. I don't want to go out in the yard with those knuckleheads. I'm not looking to get myself killed. Believe me, that ain't happening."
Coleman and Beam said an attorney from the N.C. Capital Defender's Office wanted to speak before the sentencing began, but the judge allowed the trial to proceed.
"I'm fine, you know what I mean?" Ryan said. "There's no reason for this. I don't care what these people who come down have to say. This is me. Let's just get this case on."
Before the sentencing began, Ryan's attorneys told the judge they planned to call members of his family to testify about his character. Ryan then dismissed Coleman and Beam and asked to represent himself.
"Let me ride this out by myself, Your Honor," he said.
Prosecutors Kelvin Atkinson and Bill Stevenson called David Farrar's widow and daughter-in-law as witnesses in the sentencing hearing. Rebecca Farrar said she was proud of her husband and loved him dearly.
David Farrar "was a devoted father and grandfather" who showed horses with his daughter and played baseball and collected sports memorabilia with his son, Rebecca Farrar said.
Michelle Farrar said her two children adored their grandfather, who would give them gold coins for correctly reciting the alphabet.
Ryan did not question either witness and presented only one exhibit: a copy of his criminal record, which contains more than 40 charges and numerous convictions.
Ryan said he didn't want anything on his record blacked out, including charges that were later dismissed or those he may have been acquitted of.
"I was arrested for them, maybe I was able to get some knocked off, but this is just going to show them what kind of person I am, you know what I mean?" he said.
Ryan specifically asked the judge to include information about his escape from prison in records the jury would see.
"I escaped from prison," he said. "I want the jury to know that can happen."
Ryan's sentencing continued Friday morning in Gaston County Superior Court.