(Jacob Bruns, Headline USA) A Florida man who previously converted to Islam has pleaded guilty to murdering his two roommates because they insulted his newly found faith.
The killer, Devon Arthurs, 24, accepted a sentence including 45 years in prison for his 2017 shooting of his former friends and roommates, Jeremy Himmelman and Andrew Onseschuck inside their Tampa apartment, the New York Post reported.
Arthurs, Himmelman and Onseschuck had formerly been a part of a Neo-Nazi group in Florida before Arthurs renounced his views for a more multicultural option. According to Arthurs, his newfound faith demanded that he commit himself to jihad.
“I had to do it,” he reportedly told the detectives. “This wouldn’t have had to happen if your country didn’t bomb my country.”
He also told the court that he was “brainwashed,” the Tampa Bay Times noted.
“I feel like I can honor the memory of Jeremy and Andrew by being a better human being,” he said. “I’ve let my family down. I’ve let myself down. And I’ve let my country down. And I think about that every single day.”
Arthurs also apologized for the murders and said that he wished to devote his life to combating political radicalism.
“I feel I can be an advocate against extremism. I’d like to take this moment to tell the world to stay away from extremist groups…” he said Monday.
“I’m very sorry for everyone that was involved,” Arthurs continued, saying he deeply regretted his actions and would work on controlling his anger.
“I’m very sorry for everything that has happened. If I could go back and do something over, I would sign myself into a hospital and work on my anger issues and my rational thinking skills.”
Himmelman’s sister, Riley Borghetti, also committed herself to doing whatever it takes to stop political extremism.
“This is a system issue,” she said. “And long as the rhetoric is what it is in our world, this will continue to happen.”
