Loughner researched lethal injection(& political assassins) before Tucson shooting, sources say

[RamboLiberal]

Source: Washington Post

In the weeks and days before the shooting rampage in Tucson, suspect Jared Lee Loughner surfed the Internet on his computer in what investigators believe was an effort to prepare for his alleged assassination attempt, law enforcement sources familiar with the investigation said.

Loughner pulled up several Web sites about lethal injections and solitary confinement in prison, said the sources, who asked to be anonymous because the investigation is ongoing. He also viewed Internet sites about political assassins, according to an analysis of Loughner's computer that was completed by investigators last week, the sources said.

-----

Prosecutors hope to use the information they have found on Loughner's computer, along with notes seized in his home, to indicate that Loughner, 22, was not insane and knew right from wrong. They have turned over to the defense the information they obtained from the computer, as well as discs containing about 250 interviews conducted by investigators.

"The impression investigators have is that he was trying to educate himself on assassinations and also research the consequences," said one source close to the investigation. The source said Loughner pulled up sites that explained the process and effects of lethal injections.



Read more: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/20...

[Xipe Totec]

1. Just because he's evil doesn't make him crazy. nt

[rfranklin]

2. He wanted to commit suicide but had to do it in a spectacular fashion...

I think that is why he was so happy in his mug shot...mission accomplished!

[hedgehog]

3. I'm certain the Right wing will come up with a work-around, but

- if Loughner was crazy, doesn't that mean that he belongs in an institution

- if Loughner was sane enough to be responsible for his actions, and therefore should face execution, doesn't that mean he actually was influenced by right wing rhetoric?

[RZM]

6. Agree with 1

2 needs work. Being sane does not mean he was influenced by this or that. It just means he was sane.

[slackmaster]

14. A person can be both crazy and fit to stand trial

- if Loughner was sane enough to be responsible for his actions, and therefore should face execution, doesn't that mean he actually was influenced by right wing rhetoric?

Not necessarily.

[bergie321]

4. That pretty much destroys

His insanity defense.

[tropicanarose]

5. Was he planning for his own suicide or his own death by lethal injection after

being sentenced to death? I am so tired of seeing that guys smiling mug in the news.

[Roy Rolling]

7. Not a political act?

I can't wait to hear how violence-enablers from the right deny his researching of political assassins led to a totally non-political shooting spree.

[ck4829]

8. Looked like he was well aware of the consequences of his actions

Going to be very hard to prove he was mentally ill now.

K&R.

[Bette Noir]

10. He can be mentally ill and still be legally sane.

Medical terminology doesn't correspond with legal definitions.

[Playinghardball]

9. I'd like to inject him with something,

and it wouldn't be drugs...

[CLANG]

11. I'm afraid to ask...

[somone]

12. Looks like he's gonna get the needle now

forget the insanity defense

[julian09]

13. "Sources" sounds ligit to me

[chowhound]

15. i cant believe the not guilty plea

what can he say? that wasn't me who was holding the gun. it wasn't me trying to reload. it wasn't me being tackled to the ground.

[udbcrzy2]

18. No, he's going to plead insanity but will have to prove it. n/t

[chowhound]

22. his lawyer said

she wouldn't pursue the insanity. i guess she could be lying.

[udbcrzy2]

28. Wow, I didn't see that anywhere

I haven't been following the case that closely, but I must have missed that one. According to this article as of last week she did not know if she was going in that direction or not. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/20...

I wouldn't think that she would give away what her defense is going to be just yet, but you never know...

[Ian David]

25. IIRC, pleading insanity only helps if you're the kind of insane that doesn't know right from wrong.

[chowhound]

16. oops dupe

[udbcrzy2]

17. Mentally ill does not = insanity

If the Feds don't get him, then AZ will. He's getting the death penalty. Even if his high-profile government paid attorney fights for his life in Federal Court, he's still got to go through the Arizona State system for the other murders he committed that day.

[hedgehog]

20. It's one thing to plan a political assassination, but what about everyone else he shot at?

Thinking about it, he seems to have combined two American nightmares: assassination and random mass murder.

[slackmaster]

21. That's how I see it. His primary target was Congresswoman Giffords for whatever reason...

...but he didn't bother checking the credentials of the other people he shot, including at least two Republicans who he killed.

[saras]

19. He's bad enough that inappropriate smear tactics aren't really needed

For chrissakes, I'm going to research lethal injection and political assassins on the Internet RIGHT NOW, because of THIS POST.

Does that make me equally as criminal?

As far as I know, there's no evidence of any kind indicating he has, or had, 'mental problems' except being the kind of person who would do what he did.

"Loughner, 22, was not insane and knew right from wrong" - I think this is a standard presumption in our court system. It's good that they have evidence for it, but they shouldn't need it, as the evidence for the opposite position is trivial.

"the sources, who asked to be anonymous because the investigation is ongoing."
No, they asked to be anonymous because what they did is equally as criminal as what Assange or Bradley did. They're sabotaging a criminal trial in progress. Where's the Wikileaks haters calling for equal punishment for these folks?

[Dappleganger]

23. He researched the consequences...

definitely not insane.

[Ian David]

24. I'd say he's probably gonna get what he wanted.

[LawnKorn]

26. The right wingers can't just claim Loughner is "Just some nut" anymore

Loughner knew what he intended to to, and researched what would be the consequences.

The question that needs to pursued is what lead him down the path to the assassination attempt. I don't think it would be anything he read in any progressive literature.

[LisaL]

27. Mentally ill does not equal "legally insane."

Legally insane person does not know right from wrong. If Loughner researched methods of punishment, it would suggest he knew it was wrong. So I believe he would have a hard time trying to prove legal insanity, even if he is mentally ill.

[Xipe Totec]

29. Agreed

Otherwise, you could argue that anyone who commits a crime is by definition legally insane and therefore not subject to punishment.