Corrections & Clarifications: A previous version of this story incorrectly stated Michael Crane’s 2017 plea. He pleaded not guilty, but he told the court he took blame for the crimes.

A man accused of murdering three people in burglaries throughout the Valley has pleaded guilty a couple months after a judge deemed him mentally competent.

Bryan Bouchard, a spokesman with Maricopa County Superior Court, said Michael Crane pleaded guilty to three counts of first-degree murder on Monday.

Crane had pleaded guilty to burglary, theft and other charges in December, days after the mental competency ruling was announced. The Maricopa County Attorney’s Office hadn’t said whether it would consider offering a plea agreement to the murder counts at the time.

Crane made headlines in 2012 after he was charged with first-degree murder in the January 2012 deaths of Glenna and Lawrence Shapiro of Paradise Valley and Bruce Gaudet of Phoenix involving two different burglaries.

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Prosecutors said Crane tied up and shot the three victims, stole their valuables and set fire to the homes.

Crane had pleaded not guilty to the murders in 2017, but told the court, “I take the blame for all these crimes and would like to go home,” while pointing his finger skyward.

His sudden change in behavior led to Judge Warren Granville saying he wanted to approve a Rule 11 motion filed by his defense attorney and the state to find out if the intent to change the plea was voluntary or if Crane’s mental condition played a role.

Crane admitted he refused to take prescribed medication for the schizoaffective disorder — a cross between schizophrenia and bipolar disorder — with which he had been diagnosed.

Crane had previously claimed he was Lucifer during a mental competency hearing and was removed from the courtroom during several hearings. Crane has also said he is a “sovereign citizen” and therefore state laws didn’t apply to him.

Nearly two years passed before Granville determined Crane was mentally fit in December.

Bouchard said Crane faces multiple life sentences, but no longer faces the death penalty as part of the plea deal. His sentencing is scheduled for March 22 at 10 a.m. at the Maricopa County Superior Court.

Reach the reporter Perry Vandell at 602-444-2474 or [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter @PerryVandell. 

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