Cult leader asks bizarre questions while representing himself at trial

What surprised Marie most was that his questions led to topics he previously hoped to keep hidden from the jury. She explained, “It was strange because these kinds of things were the kinds of things that at the hearing, at the pretrial hearing, they all agreed they weren’t going to bring up at trial, and he brought them up himself.”

Marie added: “He had so many confusing and mixed messages that it became clear he is a scammer. He can’t even keep his own story straight. Even in his opening statements, he admitted to committing the crimes.”

In the courtroom, Bateman reportedly appeared mild-mannered and was asked to speak three times by the court reporter, court records said. Arizona daily sun.

“I have a clean slate, a very clean slate, so please keep that in mind,” he told the jury, despite previously pleading guilty to conspiracy to transport a minor for criminal sexual activity and conspiracy to commit kidnapping. Bateman was sentenced to 50 years in prison.

He added: “I am not a child molester.”

Marie pointed out the dissonance between his innocuous opening statement and the subsequent, more telling questions. She added: “So now the jury knew he was in prison. Now the jury has found out why he considers himself a prophet?’