Michigan Murders: Martyrdom on Hold

Unlike this guy, who by all accounts had a long history of abortion clinic harassment and vandalism and knew precisely what he was doing, Harlan Drake, the man accused of murdering an anti-abortion activist -- except maybe he wasn't -- and a business owner, has been judged incompetent to stand trial. He will be remanded to a secure mental health facility for treatment.

He was assessed by the Center for Forensic Psychiatry in Ann Arbor. Doctors there found several factors that we've blogged about pertinent to their recommendation:

His suicide attempt while in custody.

His depression and difficulties with medication.

His involvement in and witnessing of a highway crash that resulted in the deaths of two teenagers.

The trial has been postponed until he has been treated for a period of up to 15 months and deemed competent.

This is a terribly sad story, for all concerned, the friends and families of the victims and of the disturbed -- but treatable, we hope -- accused.

But I guess this puts the campaign to canonize the anti-abortion guy as a martyr on hold, at least.