Cameras will be allowed inside a Greene County courtroom when the trial of a man accused in the mass murder of three people inside a Newton County church begins in late June.In pre-trial motions filed with the court lawyers for Eiken Elam Saimon requested that a judge deny cameras access to the proceedings. That motion was denied.
Authorities say that Saimon gunned down three leaders of a Neosho Micronesian church on August 12, 2007, because he was mad that people were using his car without his permission. Killed in the ambush at the First Congregational Church were Kernel Rehobson, Intenson Rehobson and Kuhpes Jesse Ikosia. Kernel Rohobson was Saimon's second cousin.
After the shooting Saimon held twenty parishioners hostage inside the church.
Saimon is also facing charges of statutory rape. Prosecutors allege that Saimon raped his 14-year-old niece two days before the shooting rampage.
Saimon's trial has been moved from Newton County to Greene County on a change of venue.
UPDATE (03-20-09):
The man accused of shooting three people to death three during church services at a small southwest Missouri church has entered into a plea deal with prosecutors.
Eiken Elam Saimon death penalty trial was to begin in June, but he pleaded guilty today (03-20-09) to three counts of first-degree murder and four counts of first-degree assault for the Aug. 12, 2007, ambush at the First Congregational Church in Neosho.
Three church leaders were killed and four were wounded before Saimon took the rest of the congregation hostage that hot summer day because he was mad that people were using his car without his permission.
One of the men killed, Kernel Rohobson, was Saimon's second cousin.In the deal, Saimon also pleaded guilty to charges of statutory rape and statutory sodomy for sexually assaulting his 14-year-old niece two days before the church shootings.
Saimon will spend the rest of his life behind bars. He received three life sentences without parole, plus four 30-year sentences for the assaults and two seven-year sentences for the sex offenses.
https://www.courts.mo.gov/casenet/cases/searchCases.do07NW-CR01647-01 - ST V EIKEN ELAM SAIMON
07NW-CR01745-01 - ST V EIKEN ELAM SAIMON
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