WASHINGTON -- The German man authorities say killed his 91-year-old Georgetown socialite wife says her death was the result of an Iranian plot.
Albrecht Muth was in D.C. Superior Court on Friday and continued to assert his "independent" ties to the Iraqi military, something prosecutors and the Iraqi embassy in Washington have said are fictional.
After warning him against the dangers of self-representation, Judge Russell Canan granted Muth's request to represent himself in his trial next fall.
As Patch reports, Muth criticized his defense attorneys, saying they have not delivered messages to the White House and Pentagon. He said he needs a U.S. Army major and an Iraqi Air Force captain to aid his defense.
When Muth requested there be closed hearings so sensitive "information about Iran and U.S. government agencies, such as the CIA, could be kept secret," Canan said that such secret hearings are rare but added that Muth could request one formally.
According to Patch:
During the proceedings, Muth asserted that his military status was crucial to his case. "It is my judgement that my wife's murder was a hit by Iranian agents," said Muth. He added that this should be given greater weight because of the plot against the Saudi Ambassador. According to Muth, he and the ambassador had been working on the same issue: namely, U.S. military engagement with Iran.
A status hearing was scheduled for Feb. 3 and his trial is slated to start next October. Muth is being held without bail and insists he's an Iraqi brigadier general and that the court is not respecting Geneva Convention rules for military officers.
Drath, was found dead in her Georgetown home in August. After claiming that she died after a fall, medical examiners determined Drath died of strangulation and blunt force trauma to the head. Their marriage has been described as tumultuous, with Drath obtaining several protection orders against her husband.
COMPLETE COVERAGE FROM PATCH: The Curious Case of Albrecht Muth
RELATED VIDEO: Albrecht Muth Charged With Wife's Death