Stalker accused of murder gets mad — and hurls laptop at court reporter, Colo. judge says

An accused murderer’s trial had barely begun in Colorado Springs on Monday when the defendant lost his temper — and nearly smacked the court reporter with a laptop, the judge said.

Glen Galloway, 46, is on trial for double murder in the brutal 2016 deaths of his ex-girlfriend, Janice Nam, and a homeless man who was his friend, KRDO reports.

As Galloway’s trial got underway with opening statements, Galloway asked the judge to let him have new attorneys, the Colorado Springs Gazette reports. But Galloway had already asked the judge for new public defenders, the judge pointed out — and the judge had already ruled on the earlier request.

“I've had new conflicts since last week,” Galloway responded, according to the Gazette.

Judge Gregory Werner asked others leave the courtroom for a closed session with the defense, so they could discuss the new “conflicts” Galloway was bringing up. It didn’t end in Galloway’s favor, though: Werner denied Galloway’s request for new lawyers, the Gazette reports.

That’s when Galloway got a hold of one of his public defender’s laptops and hurled it across the courtroom — barely missing the court reporter, the judge said on the record after the incident, according to the Gazette.

When observers were allowed into the courtroom again, Werner asked Galloway if he was going to be better behaved as the trial progressed, the Gazette reports. Galloway said nothing. His hands had been restrained so he couldn’t lash out again, and the judge said he could remain at the trial so long as he doesn’t have more outbursts.

Galloway was convicted of stalking Nam, 28, the year before her death — and video footage caught Galloway at Nam’s home the night she died, according to El Paso County prosecutors.

Marcus Anderson, a homeless man who was found shot to death, had lived with Galloway on the streets, prosecutors said. Prosecutors accused Galloway of killing Anderson to get ahold of his truck in May 2016, and then driving the vehicle to his ex-girlfriend’s home, KKTV reports. Once Galloway got to her home, he used a hammer to break through a glass door and then brutally beat Nam before ultimately shooting her to death — in the course of about 40 seconds, according to prosecutors.

Nam's body was discovered in the bedroom, according to court documents. The drawer of her nightstand was open, suggesting she was about to grab a gun as she was killed, KKTV reports.

Surveillance footage from before Nam’s killing caught Galloway and Anderson heading to a storage unit to gather tools for making meth, prosecutors said. But only Galloway left the storage unit, video showed — and Anderson's body was found there, KRDO reports

Galloway, a former soldier at the Fort Carson Army base just outside Colorado Springs, faces two counts of first-degree murder. His defense lawyers didn’t dispute that Galloway killed Nam, but argued that it wasn't preplanned and that he only did it because he “snapped” after killing Anderson in self-defense, the Gazette reports.

Galloway had been convicted of stalking Nam but not yet sentenced. Out on $6,000 bail, he ripped off his ankle monitor before his January 2016 sentencing and disappeared, the Denver Post and KKTV reported.

Months later, Nam was dead. She had filed restraining orders against Galloway repeatedly, the Gazette reports, writing in court records that: "I have no doubts about him killing me … He has kicked my dog. and I was terrified that he would beat me to death next."

It’s a high-profile case in El Paso County, and the first time the death penalty has been a possible punishment there in about 10 years, KOAA reports.

Most juries have 12 members plus two alternates, but the one selected for Galloway’s trial has a total of 18 seated because a long, involved trial is expected, KOAA reports: “You're going to need a larger alternate pool in order successfully get through the case,” Scott Sosebee, district administrator for the 4th Judicial District, told the TV station.

It’s so many additional members that the courtroom had to be remodeled to accommodate everyone.

This story was originally published May 14, 2018 at 6:54 PM with the headline "Stalker accused of murder gets mad — and hurls laptop at court reporter, Colo. judge says."