Challenges in the Life of Dylann Roof in a Detailed Timeline

A closer look at the defining struggles that shaped Dylann Roof's life and career.

Dylann Roof is an American white supremacist and neo-Nazi who committed the Charleston church shooting on June 17, 2015. He killed nine African Americans during a Bible study at Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church, including senior pastor Clementa C. Pinckney, and injured another person. Roof confessed to the shooting, stating his motive was to incite a race war. He was apprehended in Shelby, North Carolina, following a manhunt. His actions have been widely condemned as domestic terrorism.

Sections (5)

Full Timeline Early Life & Education Challenges & Struggles Controversies & Scandals Legacy & Impact

2009: Exhibiting Obsessive Compulsive Behavior

According to a 2009 affidavit filed for his father's divorce, Dylann Roof exhibited obsessive compulsive behavior and began smoking marijuana in middle school.

2010: Dropped Out of School

In 2010, Dylann Roof stopped attending classes and dropped out of school, spending his time playing video games and taking drugs.

July 31, 2015: Roof Pleads Not Guilty

On July 31, 2015, Dylann Roof, at the urging of his lawyer David Bruck, pleaded not guilty to the federal charges against him. Roof wanted to plead guilty, but Bruck was unwilling to advise a guilty plea until the government decided whether to seek the death penalty.

April 2016: State Trial Delay

In April 2016, Dylann Roof's state trial was delayed to January 17, 2017.

May 24, 2016: Justice Department Seeks Death Penalty

On May 24, 2016, the Justice Department announced they would seek the death penalty for Dylann Roof, making him the first person in U.S. history to face the death penalty on both federal and state charges at the same time.

June 9, 2016: Roof Requests Bench Trial

On June 9, 2016, Dylann Roof, through his lawyers, announced that he did not want to be tried by a jury. Instead, Roof wanted the judge presiding over his case to hear the case entirely by himself. The judge denied that motion after the prosecution opposed Roof's request.

June 2016: Jury Selection Postponement

In June 2016, the jury selection process for Dylann Roof's state trial was initially expected to start, but it was later postponed in November 2016.

August 2, 2016: Lawyers Challenge Capital Punishment Laws

On August 2, 2016, Dylann Roof's lawyers filed a motion arguing that the federal capital punishment laws were unconstitutional.

August 4, 2016: Roof Beaten by Inmate

On August 4, 2016, Dylann Roof was beaten by a fellow inmate, Dwayne Marion Stafford, while detained at the Charleston County Detention Center, suffering bruising to the face and body.

August 23, 2016: Federal Prosecutors Announce Expert Witnesses

On August 23, 2016, federal prosecutors announced their intention to call thirteen expert witnesses at trial, including white supremacy experts, to testify on Roof's extremist ideology.

August 31, 2016: Judge Orders In Camera Hearing

Around August 31, 2016, District Judge Richard Gergel ordered an in camera hearing to be held on September 1 to rule on the admissibility of some potentially explosive evidence.

September 1, 2016: Hearing Set for Evidence

On August 23, 2016, court documents indicated the presence of extensive incriminating evidence against Roof, and a hearing was set for September 1, 2016.

September 6, 2016: Prosecutors Seek to Bar Juror Mercy Requests

On September 6, 2016, federal prosecutors filed a motion seeking to bar Dylann Roof's attorneys from asking the jurors for mercy during sentencing should he be found guilty.

September 26, 2016: Jury Selection Begins

On September 26, 2016, jury selection began for Dylann Roof's trial. The initial pool of three thousand candidates was narrowed down to the final jury.

November 8, 2016: Competency Evaluation Ordered

On November 8, 2016, District Court judge Richard M. Gergel ordered a competency evaluation for Dylann Roof, scheduled for November 16, 2016. He also postponed the jury selection to November 21, 2016.

November 14, 2016: Competency Hearing Delayed

On November 14, 2016, Gergel delayed the competency hearing to November 17, 2016.

November 2016: Jury Selection Postponement

In November 2016, the jury selection process for Dylann Roof's state trial was postponed.

November 16, 2016: Competency Evaluation Scheduled

On November 8, 2016, District Court judge Richard M. Gergel scheduled Dylann Roof's competency evaluation for November 16, 2016.

November 17, 2016: Competency Hearing Further Delayed

On November 17, 2016, Gergel further delayed the competency hearing for Dylann Roof to November 21, 2016.

November 21, 2016: Jury Selection Postponed

On November 8, 2016, District Court judge Richard M. Gergel postponed the jury selection for Dylann Roof's trial to November 21, 2016.

November 22, 2016: Competency Hearing Ends

On November 22, 2016, the competency hearing for Dylann Roof ended.

November 25, 2016: Roof Declared Competent

On November 25, 2016, Dylann Roof was declared competent to stand trial.

November 28, 2016: Jury Selection Delayed

On November 16, 2016, Gergel delayed the jury selection for Dylann Roof's trial to November 28, 2016.

December 4, 2016: Roof Requests Return of Defense Team

On December 4, 2016, Dylann Roof, in a handwritten request, asked Gergel to give him back his defense team for the guilt phase of his federal death penalty trial.

December 5, 2016: Roof Allowed to Rehire Lawyers

On December 5, 2016, Gergel allowed Dylann Roof to hire back his lawyers for the guilt phase of his trial.

December 6, 2016: Motion to Delay Trial Denied

On December 6, 2016, a federal judge denied a motion by Dylann Roof's defense team to delay Roof's trial.

December 7, 2016: Federal Trial Begins

On December 7, 2016, Dylann Roof's federal trial began with a jury consisting of "two black women, eight white women, one white man and one black man".

December 28, 2016: Roof to Proceed Without Attorneys

At a court hearing on December 28, 2016, Dylann Roof reiterated that he would proceed with the sentencing phase without attorneys.

January 3, 2017: Motion to Declare Incompetent Denied

On January 3, 2017, Judge Gergel denied a motion, submitted under seal by Dylann Roof's court-appointed counsel, that sought to have Roof declared incompetent.

January 10, 2017: Jury Recommends Death Penalty

On January 10, 2017, the jury recommended the death penalty for Dylann Roof.

January 2017: State Trial Further Delayed

In January 2017, Dylann Roof's state trial was delayed again.

January 17, 2017: State Trial Delay

On January 17, 2017, Dylann Roof's state trial was delayed again.

April 19, 2017: Federal Authorities Take Custody

On April 19, 2017, federal authorities took custody of Dylann Roof and transferred him to FTC Oklahoma City.

May 10, 2017: Motion for New Trial Denied

On May 10, 2017, Judge Gergel denied Dylann Roof's motion for a new trial. On the same day, Gergel unsealed psychiatric reports from two court-ordered exams of Roof performed by James Ballenger.

January 2020: Death Sentence Appeal

In January 2020, it was reported that Dylann Roof was appealing his death sentence, arguing that representing himself deprived the jury of extenuating information about his mental illness.

May 25, 2021: Appeal Process Begins

On May 25, 2021, Dylann Roof's lawyers began an appeal process before the United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit claiming that Roof was "too disconnected from reality" to represent himself at the federal trial.

August 25, 2021: Appeal Rejected

On August 25, 2021, a panel of the Fourth Circuit unanimously rejected Dylann Roof's appeal and upheld the death sentence.

September 10, 2021: Attorneys Appeal Judges' Ruling

On September 10, 2021, Dylann Roof's attorneys appealed the judges' ruling.

September 24, 2021: Federal Court Declines Appeal Case

On September 24, 2021, a federal court declined to take the appeal case against the panel's decision.

March 2, 2022: Attorneys Ask Supreme Court to Resolve Dispute

On March 2, 2022, attorneys for Dylann Roof announced that they had asked the Supreme Court to resolve the dispute between them and their client over the mental illness defense.

October 11, 2022: Supreme Court Denies Appeal

On October 11, 2022, it was announced that the Supreme Court had denied Dylann Roof's appeal without comment.

December 2024: Biden Excludes Roof from Commutations

In December 2024, President Joe Biden announced commutations for the death sentences of 37 out of 40 federal death row inmates to life imprisonment without the possibility of parole, excluding Dylann Roof because of his conviction for hate-motivated mass murder related crimes.