Dylann Roof said white nationalists would save him from execution

Dylann Roof, the 23-year-old convicted of killing nine black parishioners in a South Carolina church in 2015, reportedly told a psychologist that his death penalty wouldn't happen. The reason: white nationalists would save him.

A November 2016 report written during the trial found that Roof reportedly told a psychologist that he'd be "rescued by white nationalists after they took over the government," according to CNN.

The report also found that Roof was diagnosed with autism and had experienced "psychiatric symptoms that are not explained by autism spectrum disorder, including anxiety, depression, suicidal ideation, obsessive-compulsive symptoms, disordered thinking, and psychosis." His psychotic symptoms included delusions of grandeur and somatic delusions, or the false belief that something is terribly wrong with one's body.

In January, U.S. District Judge Richard Gergel issued a court order that suggested unsealing almost 300 trial documents. But before these psychiatric records were opened, other court documents provided insights into Roof's mental state. As reported by The Post and Courier, forensic psychiatrist James Ballenger concluded that Roof exhibited signs of "Social Anxiety Disorder, Mixed Substance Abuse Disorder, a Schizoid Personality Disorder, depression by history, and possible Autistic Spectrum Disorder."

Federal officials are showing footage of Roof's prison visits with his family, according to the Associated Press. Roof's counsel reportedly wanted to screen the videos during his trial, but Roof dismissed the idea over concerns about his privacy. Roof later fired his lawyers so they couldn't show them.

The videos, which will be watched on Tuesday by select journalists, include an exchange where Roof asked his sister if the baby she had is transgender and another in which he urged any family members still distraught over his actions to move on.

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