White supremacist appears in court with swastika carved in his forehead charged with killing two in racist rampage

Keith Luke appears during his arraignment in Brockton Superior Court, in Brockton, Massachusetts in May 2009 - with his Nazi swastika clearly visible

The murder trial of self-proclaimed racist Keith Luke - who once arrived at court with a swastika carved into his forehead - began this week in Plymouth County Superior Court.



Luke is accused of going on a racially motivated shooting and rape spree in January 2009 that left two people dead and another critically injured.



The jury, eight white men and eight white women, heard that Luke had stockpiled gag balls, handcuffs, hammers, hatchets, box cutters and a sledgehammer described as ‘sexually sadistic and meant for rape and torture’ in his room and van after his arrest.

The items were ordered online by Luke - using his mom's credit card - 90 days before he went on his rampage and prosecutor Frank Middleton told the court that this meant Luke had premeditated his crime.



'It goes to show planning for months,' said Middleton to Judge Frank Gaziano, after he asked for this evidence to be included in the trial which is expected to last three weeks.

On January 21st, 2009, Luke is accused of shooting three people, killing two, before embarking on a frantic car chase and shoot-out with the police that almost injured innocent bystanders.

Arriving in court in chains and an orange jumpsuit, Luke, who is now 26, cut a drastically different figure to how he first appeared four years ago.

Keith Luke in court this week where is on trial for the murder of two people and the rape of another during a brutal killing spree in 2009

Keith Luke in court on Tuesday 14th of May wearing a white t-shirt (left) with his attorney Joseph Krowski and (right) with the shirt removed

Then he weighed almost 300 pounds, and sported a Nazi swastika which he had carved into his own head according to the Enterprise News.

On Tuesday, he appeared thinner, with no beard and the swastika had healed to leave a noticeable scar.



Escorted to court guarded by seven security officers Luke grinned during jury selection and at one point made a silly face to photographer from the Enterprise News.



Authorities allege that Luke shot dead Selma Goncalves, 20, and Arlindo Goncalves, 72, who are not related and a third person who can not be identified because Luke is accused of raping.

Authorities allege Luke gunned down Selma Goncalves, 20, and Arlindo Goncalves, 72, who are not related, and shot a third person, who survived and whom he is charged with raping

All of the victims are of Cape Verdean descent.



He is facing 18 charges, including two counts of murder, six counts of armed assault with intent to murder, armed kidnapping with sexual assault and four counts of aggravated rape.



His attorney, Joseph Krowski, Jr., told the jury that Luke 'was not criminally responsible for the acts he perpetrated upon those people,' - claiming insanity.



Outlining a life of mental illness for Luke, he said that Luke obsessed with drawing death scenes growing up and visited over 30 mental health workers during time spent in mental hospitals throughout his teens.

