Admitted murderer's lawyer brings up video games in defense
The lawyer for a 24-year-old man on trial for murdering an elderly widower two years ago is attempting to convince an Alabama jury that his client acted out as if in a video game. Andrew Reid Lackey admits to shooting, stabbing (over 70 times) and gouging out an eye from his 80-year-old victim. According to the Decatur Daily, Lackey's attorney, Randy Gladden, says his client is a computer geek who immersed himself in video games and lives in "a different world than you and I."The murder seems to have started as a simple case of greed because Lackey originally broke into the man's house to rob him. One little thing standing in the way of the defense that Lackey was living in a "different world" is he put a lot of real-world thought into the robbery. He brought with him (and this is only a small sample of items found in the car) night vision goggles, police scanner, mallet with a white towel taped around it, sledgehammer and hatchet. The trial resumes today.
[Via GamePolitics]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
Brian Jarrett @ Feb 28th 2008 1:37PM
Does this mean he gets 2 jail cells? One for the real him and another for the video game him? Sucks for all the people who only get one cell. :(
NATO_Duke @ Feb 28th 2008 1:38PM
Oh man, he so doesn't get how to farm for gold. You sir are out of the guild!
OBM @ Feb 28th 2008 1:38PM
God, what a way to try and look innocent. He's a psychotic prick, end of, games or no games. Who the hell carries about a mallet, hatchet and sledgehammer in their car? Mentalists, that's who. Perfect example above.
upz @ Feb 28th 2008 1:59PM
Derren Brown does what?!?!
Bluebrake @ Feb 28th 2008 2:09PM
I knew there was something off about that Uri Geller.
OBM @ Feb 28th 2008 2:18PM
Seriously, get a dictionary.
J @ Feb 29th 2008 5:03PM
Yea, so instead of pleading "insanity" to get a softer sentence, they're pleading "gamer"?
Is it too much to hope that the judge laughs them out of court?
cjshrader @ Feb 28th 2008 2:51PM
I think it's funnier their way.
OBM @ Feb 28th 2008 3:05PM
You're right, it's hilarious an 80 woman being murdered and the suspect blaming it on a game. Where has my sense of humor gone.
ssuk @ Feb 28th 2008 3:14PM
It's obviously not video game influenced, Snake could hold all those items on his person.
thomas.williams.jr @ Feb 28th 2008 1:38PM
It's sad the best defence his attorney can muster is "Video games made him do it". Where's Jack Thompson's inevitable comment on the situation?
Co @ Feb 28th 2008 1:38PM
Well it is Alabama, maybe they'll pull it off!
Morte @ Feb 28th 2008 2:22PM
Wow, seriously "Co," so because you have an inaccurate view of
Alabama, which is no better than racism or sexism at it's core value,
that makes you a sudden expert on the Alabama legal system? Brilliant,
just brilliant. Though I shouldn't expect much from a wannabe-thug
Gator fan. Get back to me when your team can manage to beat Auburn
again. Failure.
Microswirl @ Feb 28th 2008 2:57PM
We all know what people from Alabama are like: www.youtube.com/watch?v=JS7RGuLt63k
I thought I told you to shut up!
Co @ Feb 28th 2008 3:01PM
LMAO yea Morte, cuz that really hurt us in winning a National Championship that year. Auburn = irrelevant!
GatorSax2010 @ Feb 28th 2008 3:45PM
Wait, what does college football have to do with this? About as much as video games do, I'd guess.
Grant @ Feb 28th 2008 4:11PM
this case isn't about sex with his sister,
thats about the only sort of case they find excusable down there, pretty much everything else gets the death penalty by lynching.
icicle0424 @ Feb 28th 2008 4:29PM
aww, sounds like somebody's got a case of the Alabama blues, cheer up man, at least ya ain't Georgia!
Ibere @ Feb 28th 2008 1:40PM
That's just immoral, to blame video-games and start a backlash against a hobby jusy to try to save a muderer. That's why a hate lawyers so much... except Phoenix Wright, he's a good guy.
matthew_neitzer @ Feb 28th 2008 1:44PM
I think this guy is a little beyond moral integrity, considering he killed 2 elderly people, brutally, I might add. :D
matthew_neitzer @ Feb 28th 2008 1:46PM
O yeah, lawyers have to do whatever they can for their, um, clients(?)... it sucks... so, I'm going now... okay, bye
FrankTheCrank @ Feb 28th 2008 1:40PM
You know if he had just done a Sonic Spin...he'd be a free man. Nobody gets hurt doing the Sonic Spin.
Jonathan Tran @ Feb 28th 2008 2:24PM
70 stabs are for newbs. Everyone knows a single backstab is a 1-hit KO.
AnonyMack @ Feb 28th 2008 3:05PM
robots do.
rasgueado @ Feb 28th 2008 1:40PM
Uh huh... well this is a guy that stabbed an old lady 70 times and gouged her eye out. I *totally* already believe he's living in a different world, he's crazy. Crazy needs no computers to be crazy.
Ben @ Feb 28th 2008 2:08PM
A widower is a man, not a lady.
rasgueado @ Feb 29th 2008 1:40AM
Oh well... you got me there. That just undoes my *entire* argument.
daedalus @ Feb 28th 2008 1:41PM
Elder Stole 4: Obliteration
Orc @ Feb 28th 2008 3:46PM
Granny Theft Auto
Dave @ Feb 28th 2008 1:42PM
exactly.. i hate when they blame computers or video games.. crazy is crazy
Mills and Boom @ Feb 28th 2008 1:44PM
What a nutter. Bad news is there are probably many more like him just waiting to go off.
Nick the Hero of Canton @ Feb 28th 2008 1:45PM
The guy looks like Chicken Little.
Just saying.
Huey2k2 @ Feb 28th 2008 1:45PM
I'm tired of video games being used as a scapegoat by idiots in the media for aggressive behavior. I have been playing video games since I was a little kid and have never confused them with reality.
Also that guy gives off a very creepy vibe, I'm not saying you should judge guilt on how someone looks (even though he did do it), but he looks like a creepy serial killer.
Crono (NDF - Knight of the Old School) @ Feb 28th 2008 2:02PM
You say you shouldn't judge by looks, but gamer and nerd types give off a vibe. There's a guy that works at the local grociery story, and I knew before I even talked to him that he enjoys occasional bouts of D&D.
We recognize our own kind. The same goes for crazy. This guy has crazy written all over him.
Marty @ Feb 28th 2008 1:46PM
1990-1999: My parents' bad parenting made me do it
2000-2009: Video games made me do it
2010-2019: ???
h8rain @ Feb 28th 2008 2:10PM
2010-2019: My parents bad video games made me do it.
Yourself @ Feb 28th 2008 2:11PM
Robots
doom saber @ Feb 28th 2008 3:12PM
Also, 1990-1999 is "Rap music made me do it."
DWells55 @ Feb 28th 2008 3:26PM
2020-2029: Profit
BigD145 @ Feb 28th 2008 3:47PM
Where's the D&D love in there?
Orc @ Feb 28th 2008 3:59PM
That is right the 80s Dungeons and Dragons caused people to kill or commit suicide. Oh and I can not forget to mention Pat Robinson reading the Dungeon Masters Guide on air to show people it was satanic.
onetrueping @ Feb 29th 2008 8:28AM
2030-2039: Terminators made me do it.
Zertoss @ Feb 28th 2008 1:47PM
To Mr. Attorney: I recommend becoming an hero. Also, ask yourself "What would Phoenix do?"
Nigeria @ Feb 28th 2008 1:47PM
What a horrible way to die.
But, we shouldn't judge. The killer may not have probably not in a proper state of mind at the time. The article read that the state of Alabama has the death penalty: that surely is not the answer.
CGamble20 @ Feb 28th 2008 1:57PM
He stabbed an edlerly woman 70 times you douche bag.
Mills and Boom @ Feb 28th 2008 2:00PM
And pulled out her eye.
Normally I condemn America for having the ol' DS but frig it. Kill him. Or I will. In a state that won't kill me back.
Crono (NDF - Knight of the Old School) @ Feb 28th 2008 2:04PM
It can be argued that no murder is done "in your right mind". But the death penalty exists EXACTLY for crazies like this. He's crazy. He has no regard for human life. He committed a gruesome murder. Fry him.
Nigeria @ Feb 28th 2008 2:05PM
Douche bag?
???
Breath and relax.
CGamble20 @ Feb 28th 2008 2:18PM
My bad...it actually might have been the man he stabbed 70 times. Whatever it is, it makes no difference.
Death Penalty for this psycho!
Mr Khan @ Feb 28th 2008 4:30PM
Nah, Death Penalty should be reserved only for those who are literally too dangerous to be left alive. Someone like bin Laden, or something, where a political danger is created simply by existing
Otherwise, an eye for an eye will just leave us all blind