It’s not every day I receive an email with the above headline in the subject bar [h/t PetitionForRedress]. True story! “An Atascadero, [CA] man accused of gunning down his neighbor has believed he was a werewolf for about 20 years,” sanluisobispo.com reports. “The District Attorney’s Office says Mark Andrews, 51, committed murder when he shot Colleen Barga-Milbury, 52, twice on May 22, 2013. But Andrews has pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity.” Ya think? That said, the explanation raises several important unanswered questions . . .
Why was Mr. Andrews allowed to spend two decades in society laboring under the impression that he was a werewolf? Especially when his schizophrenic fixed delusion manifested itself as a danger long before he murdered his neighbor? To wit:
In 2009, according to court records, Andrews believed a different neighbor was a vampire. Andrews left mounds of dirt and flour on that neighbor’s door and once pounded on the neighbor’s door, calling her a “bitch,” though she didn’t answer.
At his home, according to police reports, police found two lists of names, several marked “hate with death.”
Murphy testified that she asked Andrews why he didn’t kill the neighbor from 2009.
“God didn’t tell him to kill her,” she said . . .
During his cross-examination, he suggested that various people who had interactions with Andrews before and after the murder did not detect psychotic behavior, including police who interviewed him after the shooting, jail staff and the defendant’s treating psychiatrist, who had described Andrews as relatively stable three months earlier.
Murphy said sometimes schizophrenics can control their symptoms and appear more normal, especially if they are taking their medications. Andrews’ mother, Carol Andrews, has said that her son was not taking his medications regularly closer to the time of the killing, Murphy said.
Adam Lanza, James Holmes, Jared Lee Loughner, Mark Andrews. Once again, we’re looking at a mentally ill killer who didn’t receive the care and supervision needed to render them safe for society – or determine that such a thing was not possible and institutionalize them before they could take innocent life.
It’s not about the gun. California’s highly touted, unconstitutional “gun violence restraining order” did not and could not have prevented this incident. These cases are all about the failure of our mental health care and law enforcement systems to take responsibility for those who clearly can’t take responsibility for themselves. Not to mention their relatives’ failure to step up.