WORCESTER (MA)
Boston Globe
By Associated Press | September 17, 2005
WORCESTER -- The inmate accused of killing defrocked pedophile priest John Geoghan told a judge yesterday he wanted to plead guilty, but minutes later retracted that and said he wanted a trial.
Joseph Druce, 40, was in Worcester Superior Court for a hearing on his request to toss out statements he allegedly made to authorities, boasting that he killed Geoghan to stop him from molesting more children.
But as the hearing began, Druce told Superior Court Judge Timothy Hillman he wanted to speak and said, ''I'm ready to represent myself, your honor, and plead guilty today."
Hillman said he would need to take a number of steps before he could accept a guilty plea, including determining whether Druce was mentally competent to waive his right to a trial.
Hillman also told Druce he planned to continue the hearing.
At that point, Druce told Hillman, ''I want a trial, actually, your honor."