Ronald Lee Haskell, 33, was brought into the courtroom with his hands
and feet cuffed and wearing a jailed issued orange jumpsuit. This was
his first appearance before a judge where he heard the capital murder
charge and the evidence against him. Deputies say on Wednesday he shot seven family members of his ex-wife, killing six of them.
As
the prosecutor read the calculated details in the probable cause
documents, Haskell's knees started to buckle and he collapsed to the
floor. Deputies helped to keep him standing, but he collapsed again.
Haskell was then placed in a chair and rolled out of the courtroom.
Sources
tell Local 2 he's been an uncaring, uncooperative suspect the last two
days, which is in stark contrast to his collapse in court Friday.
"Maybe
reality is finally setting in. This is not TV this is not fiction. He
is facing his consequence," said Assistant District Attorney Tammy
Thomas.
Haskell's public defender says he is a troubled individual who was off his medication.
"The
focus of my defense with Mr. Haskell is his mental condition. Our laws
say a person suffering from mental illness is not criminally
responsible," said his attorney Doug Durham.
He says Haskell is
being treated with a cocktail of medications in jail. Durham also says
he's consulting with mental health experts on how to proceed with the
case.
http://www.click2houston.com/news/stay-family-shooting-suspect-was-high-school-prom-king-in-alaska/26922470