Man facing murder charges gets "made-up"

NEW PORT RICHEY - When 23-year-old John Ditullio stands trial this coming week, he'll look very different from his most recent mug shot.

"They're covering up tattoos on both sides of the neck. They're covering up a barbed wire tattoo across the face," said Bjorn Brunvand, Ditullio's defense attorney.

Brunvand says his client has acquired a number of tattoos since he was arrested in 2006.

On his face, he now has a barbed wire tattoo. On one side of his neck there's an offensive expletive and on the other side, a Neo-Nazi symbol.

A judge has agreed the court will now pay up to $150 a day for a makeup artist to cover up all three tattoos every day of the trial when it begins Monday.

"When you have offensive tattoos people are going to judge you. It wouldn't be fair to judge him because the trial should be about the facts, not about tattoos," said Brunvand.

But the prosecution has argued that covering up Ditullio's tattoos would be covering up his identity as a Neo-Nazi; something the prosecution believes motivated Ditullio to commit the crime he'll now stand trial for.

Detectives say in 2006 Ditullio put on a gas mask and stormed into his neighbor's home. They say he stabbed 17-year-old Kristopher King and neighbor Patricia Wells.

Wells managed to get away, but King did not survive.

Wells said she was convinced hate was behind the attack because they had black friends who visited the home.

"They had made their threats to me before, but I thought that's all they were, were threats," Patricia Wells said after the 2006 attack.

But the defense maintains Ditullio is innocent.

Yes, they admit he is part of the Neo-Nazi compound that was located next door to Wells' home.

But Brunvand says this is a case of mistaken identity. Since Ditullio didn't commit the crime, he says, his personal beliefs in the form of tattoos shouldn't sway jurors who could be deciding whether he's guilty or not and possibly whether he lives or dies.

"Inside of all of that outside appearance, there's someone else; a different person," adds Brunvand.

Jury selection begins Monday. Ditullio and his attorney will arrive at least an hour ahead of time every day so the make up can be applied.

Ditullio faces charges of first degree murder and attempted murder.