The Seattle P-I reports Spokane murder suspect Ryan Snow slashed his grandfather's throat but is stressing he's bipolar, a not uncommon tack. We'll see if defense attorneys pick up that theme, as seems likely. A "bipolar" defense seems increasingly likely for Naveed Afzal Haq in his alleged murder of one and attempted murder of five at the Jewish Federation of Greater Seattle offices Friday. Meanwhile "blackout drinking" looks like it will be central to the defense in the alleged killing of four in Kirkland earlier this month by Connor Schierman. Is something wrong here? I think so.

Both in prosecution and upon conviction, heinous murders beg the ultimate sanction, not weasely evasions of responsibility abetted by defense attorneys, psychiatric consultants, addled jurists and the media. Each time the perpetrator becomes a patient, the risk grows that the real victim(s) will become a footnote, a casualty of the liberal impulse for absolution.

A University of Washington expert offers some insight on bipolar killers in a P-I article today:

...said Wayne Katon, a psychiatry professor at the University of Washington....rarely is the disorder associated with this type of crime.....(he added) "It's very, very unusual for bipolars to be killing anybody, let alone five or six people. Data would suggest that in terms of violence, the homicide rate of bipolars is lower than the general population," he said.

Haq's bipolar excuse for shooting Jews, already being talked up by his lawyer Larry Stephenson (see above link) is null and void. Likewise Schierman's repugnant defense-to-be of "blackout drinking."

King County Prosecutor Norm Maleng, a moderate Republican, has two current high-profile cases - Schierman's and Haq's - in which his office must push for the death penalty, or risk looking disturbingly soft on murderers.

Let's keep in mind that life in prison isn't so bad for the type of pathological loser who gets convicted of first-degree murder: they get shelter from the elements, plus room and board, and a controlled environment free of disturbing challenges such as finding work, forming and maintaining relationships, and living life by society's rules. Each such inmate costs taxpayers aplenty, though.

It's a matter of morality, justice and lastly, cost control. Alleged murderers such as Haq and Schierman, if convicted, must certainly get the big Bee Sting.

No excuses.

TECHNORATI TAGS: MURDER, BIPOLAR DEFENSE, BLACKOUT DRINKING, SEATTLE, SPOKANE, RYAN SNOW, NAVEED AFZAL HAQ, CONNOR SCHIERMAN, NORM MALENG, KING COUNTY PROSECUTOR, JEWISH FEDERATION