Accused Alexandria serial killer spars with judge over ‘excessive bail’
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Version 0 of 1. The man accused of killing three prominent Alexandria residents over a span of a decade in brazen daylight attacks at their homes sparred with a Fairfax County judge Thursday, refusing to answer basic questions during his formal arraignment and complaining about his “excessive bail.” At the final hearing before his trial next week, Charles Severance flashed the eccentricity and recalcitrance for which he has become known. The white-bearded man, who turned 55 on Friday last week, would not state his name, saying instead to Judge Randy I. Bellows, “Excuse me, your honor, but I’m under the impression these are suggestive questions.” He asked the judge to “quantify my bail” and protested repeatedly that his being jailed without the ability to pay for his release was unconstitutional. [At early hearing, Charles Severance interrupts his own defense] “Is without bail excessive bail?” Severance asked the judge. “This court has no reservations in saying it’s appropriate that you be held without bail,” Bellows responded. Severance is charged with murder in the February 2014 slaying of music teacher Ruthanne Lodato, the November 2013 fatal shooting of regional transportation planner Ronald Kirby and the 2003 killing of real estate agent Nancy Dunning. Prosecutors have alleged a custody dispute that went against him and a general hatred of those he considered Alexandria’s elite led him to shoot the victims in essentially random attacks at their homes. Severance’s trial is scheduled to begin with jury selection on Monday, and Thursday’s hearing was an opportunity for the parties to resolve the last remaining pretrial disputes and formally arraign Severance. [Knock. Talk. Enter. Kill. Exit. Murder: The writings of Charles Severance] Until Bellows began questioning him as part of the arraignment, the hearing proceeded without incident. Severance seemed engaged in some of the matters being discussed and conferred frequently with defense attorney Joe King. As a clerk read each charge against him and asked for his plea, he responded 10 times, “Not guilty.” Bellows then asked him for his name, and Severance bristled. “Excuse me, I thought we just did the arraignment,” he said. He did answer some questions, which were mostly basic inquiries about his ability to understand the proceedings and discuss the case with his attorneys. He gave his date of birth, for example, and said unequivocally, “I am requesting a trial by jury.” When the judge read the counts against him, Severance said: “Excuse me, your honor, this sounds redundant.” He wasn’t wrong; the clerk had just done the same thing in obtaining his pleas. He also asked to have the questioning conducted in front of a jury, though the judge denied the request, noting that his attorneys had elected at an earlier hearing not to do that. But for the most part, Severance simply refused to answer Bellows’s inquiries. He turned many away with a simple “next question” and claimed at various points he was “being coerced” or subjected to “trial by ordeal.” He invoked the Constitution and the Founding Fathers in asserting his right to bail. Bellows engaged with Severance on some topics and simply noted his refusal to answer questions on others. He eventually concluded that Severance’s not-guilty pleas were freely and voluntarily entered, then ended the hearing. King and Alexandria Commonwealth’s Attorney Bryan Porter later declined to comment. Alex Malycke, a friend of Severance’s who attended the hearing and said he had written to him in jail, said of Severance’s behavior: “He’s a handful. That’s Charlie for you.” He said Severance was having a “tough time” in jail, though he was trying to maintain some normalcy. In one recent exchange, Malycke said, Severance, a baseball fan, expressed that he was “not too thrilled” with Washington Nationals reliever Jonathan Papelbon. |