(Image source: CNN )


BY NICHOLE CARTMELL

ANCHOR NATHAN BYRNE

A guilty plea might be in the works for the 23-year-old accused of killing six people and severely injuring 13 others including Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords in the Tuscon shooting last year. Here’s New York 1 with the details.

“Jared Lee Loughner will enter the plea in exchange for a sentence of life in prison. A court appointed psychiatrist is expected to testify Tuesday that Loughner is competent to enter a plea on multiple murder and attempted murder attempted murder charges.”

An NBC correspondent says Loughner has been receiving treatment from doctors since the shooting. However, the correspondent says a judge must be satisfied that Loughner is knowing and voluntary if he is going to make this plea.

“That's going to require the judge to ask Loughner a series of questions in open court to make certain he has the capacity to understand what a guilty plea means, including the fact that he gives up all of his appeal rights.”

But Loughner’s past does not suggest he will be mentally stable this time around. According to the Los Angeles Times , his mental condition has been central to the court proceedings that have followed the shooting. He was declared incompetent to stand trial in May 2011.

“ … two medical experts agreed that Loughner suffered from schizophrenia and predicted that any improvements would be far away, if possible at all … [At the May hearing,] federal marshals forcibly removed Loughner from the courtroom after he began shouting and screaming incoherently, something about ‘kill free’ or ‘kill shot’ … Then he yelled, ‘She died in front of me!’”

But CNN notes the usage of anonymous sources by other newsrooms. Information about the guilty plea was attributed to “knowledgeable sources” and “an official familiar to the case.”

A spokesperson for the U.S. Attorney’s office in Arizona told CNN he can’t confirm or deny the reports.

But a reporter for The Inquisitr says there is overwhelming evidence that supports Loughner’s guilt. If he’s granted the plea, the reporter says this might provide an end to this deadly event for some.


“The attack that wounded Giffords caused her to resign her seat in [C]ongress, though it has now been filled by her former aide, bringing some closure to that chapter of the saga. A guilty plea by Jared Loughner would go a long way toward bringing it to a close altogether.”

The Los Angeles Times reports it is still unclear whether Loughner will admit guilt to all of the charges. His trial is scheduled for Tuesday.