South Dakota Murder Defendant Upset with Portrayal

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (AP) - A man who killed an elderly woman in her South Dakota home and stole her car as part of an alleged plot to assassinate President Barack Obama says he's tired of being portrayed as a monster.

Forty-three-year-old James McVay spoke out several times during a Wednesday court hearing in Sioux Falls before consulting with his lawyers and issuing an apology. He accused prosecutors of cherry-picking information to make him appear dangerous, and said news reporters "are deciding whether I live or die."

McVay pleaded guilty but mentally ill to first-degree murder in the July 2011 killing of 75-year-old Maybelle Schein in her home. He could face the death penalty. Several issues have held up his sentencing, including arguments over the appropriateness of the death penalty for a mentally ill defendant.

Copyright 2013 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.