Lawyer: Report supports insanity defense for man charged with killing Mich. abortion protester
By APFriday, January 15, 2010
Insanity defense to be used in protester slaying
CORUNNA, Mich. — The lawyer for a man accused of killing an abortion protester and a business owner in a small Michigan city says he will press ahead with an insanity defense.
Defense lawyer Robert Ashley says an independent mental-health expert has found that Harlan Drake lacked criminal responsibility at the time of the killings. The county prosecutor’s office disagrees.
Drake is charged with first-degree murder in the shooting of James Pouillon (POOL’-yuhn), who was protesting abortion outside Owosso High School, 90 miles northwest of Detroit. The 33-year-old trucker is also charged with killing business owner Mike Fuoss (FOOSE) on the morning of Sept. 11.
Prosecutors have mentioned some type of grudge as a possible motive, but Drake’s family denies it.
Drake’s trial has been set for Feb. 23.
