Execution set for Arguelles

Convicted murderer Roberto Arguelles shouted profanities, coughed and spit. He had to be removed from the courtroom twice. But his unruly behavior didn't prevent 3rd District Judge Michael Burton from signing a death warrant Thursday.

The execution is set for June 27 at the Utah State Prison, one day before convicted killer Troy Kell is to be executed. Both men have asked the executions be carried out by firing squad. Kell's death warrant was signed earlier this week in 6th District Court.

Arguelles, 41, was convicted in 1992 for the rape and murders of four Utah females, three of them teenagers. The Utah Supreme Court upheld his conviction in January of this year, ending his automatic appeals.

Arguelles has asked the court to put him to death since 1997, but an attempted suicide in 1998 short-circuited his campaign to be executed and prompted a mental health evaluation. He has been found mentally competent to defend himself.

Among his nearly incoherent ramblings in court Thursday, Arguelles demanded an attorney and said he needed to be taken to University Hospital because he said he had broken bones and cartilage in his nose, back and neck. He also said prison food makes him ill and that his heart had stopped several times.

Wearing a black net over his head that prevented his spit from hitting someone, Arguelles also alleged that the court was not a "real" court and said Burton was not a "real" judge.

In the midst of his complaints about his injuries and ailments, the grandmother of one of Arguelles's victims shouted out in reply.

"That's nothing compared to what you did to my granddaughter," said Rose Edwards, grandmother of Lisa Martinez.

Arguelles, who has refused court-appointed counsel, also offered a $1,000 reward to anyone who would contact attorney Karen Stam, who works for the Legal Defender's Association and was once assigned to represent him. Stam and the LDA were disqualified from the case because of conflict of interest.

Twice officers from the Utah Department of Corrections and bailiffs from the Salt Lake County Sheriff's Office removed the handcuffed and shackled Arguelles from the courtroom so that Burton could discuss with Utah Assistant Attorney General Thomas Brunker and Salt Lake County prosecutor Kent Morgan how to proceed.

Morgan pointed out that Arguelles has a history of behaving in a way as to disrupt court proceedings and urged Burton to sign the warrant.