Kan. man charged with murder wants "murder" tattoo removed

GREAT BEND, Kan. - A Kansas man charged with first-degree murder is afraid the tattooed mirror-image letters spelling out the word "murder" across his neck might prejudice a jury, so he is asking for a professional tattoo artist to remove or cover it up.

Prosecutors say they aren't opposed to Jeffrey Chapman covering his tattoo, but Barton County Sheriff Brian Bellendir says he is against transporting Chapman to a licensed tattoo facility - the only places tattoo artists are allowed to practice under Kansas law.

The Great Bend Tribune reports Chapman's trial is scheduled to start Monday in the November 2011 killing of Damon Galliart, whose body was found by hunters in a roadside ditch southwest of Great Bend, in Barton County.

The State says that, even if the defendant cannot get it removed, Chapman is not prevented from "covering his tattoo using clothing, bandage, or other means compliant with jail policy," according to the Tribune.

Wichita defense attorney Charlie O'Hara believes Chapman's ink could cause a problem at trial. "Whenever you try a jury trial, the appearance of the defendant makes a lot of difference," he told CBS affiliate KWCH.

Chapman's attorney Kurt Kerns says in a motion that the tattoo would be extremely prejudicial if seen by a jury, according to the Tribune. "Mr. Chapman has secured a licensed tattoo artist from Hays who is willing to go to the jail," the motion states. "The fact that he has 'Murder' tattooed across his neck is irrelevant to the State's case and extremely prejudicial to Mr. Chapman if introduced at trial or observed by the jury."

KWCH reports that the trial is scheduled to begin on April 28 and should last about two weeks.