(DailyFix.org) – While mental diseases may be a complicating factor in violent crimes, they’re not an excuse under the law.
On April 22, 2018, Travis Reinking stormed a Nashville Waffle House and killed four people. According to his attorneys, Reinking suffers from schizophrenia. He believed the government and pop star Taylor Swift were tormenting him. Reinking was so delusional he committed the atrocious murders with an AR-15 in hopes of stopping his suffering.
On Saturday, February 5, a jury took two hours to convict Reinking for the killings. They found him guilty of 16 counts in total, including multiple charges of first-degree murder. The jury sentenced the man to life in prison without the possibility of parole. The court will decide sentencing for any remaining charges later. Davidson County Criminal Court Judge Mark Fishburn must still decide whether Reinking will serve concurrent or consecutive sentences. That decision likely won’t come ahead of May.
The judge told jurors ahead of their decision they could take Reinking’s mental issues into account. The jury did not find the argument persuasive enough to render a different decision. One by one, the victims’ families shared their heartbreaking stories. Reinking’s family was also present. His mother said she wished she could turn back time. She said they had no idea how badly Travis was hurting. She concluded by saying all those affected by Travis’s actions would be in her prayers.
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