Man Who Shot Pro-Life Advocate: I Have No Remorse, Killed Him Over Abortion
by Steven Ertelt
LifeNews.com Editor
March 9, 2010
Owosso, MI (LifeNews.com) — The man who is on trial for killing local pro-life advocate James Pouillon and a businessman says he has no remorse over the shooting. Harlan Drake told a jury that he should be put to death because he killed Pouillon and businessman Mike Fuoss, and said he shot Pouillon over abortion.
Prosecutors have already pointed out that Drake confessed to shooting Pouillon and said he did so because of abortion.
They played a recording of Drake after his arrest admitting to the shootings and saying they came because he didn’t like how Pouillon would hold graphic signs showing the victims of abortions.
Drake confirmed that reasoning when he appeared on the stand in his own defense.
According to local news reports, Drake confirmed that he and his mother had a conversion over lunch the day before about not liking Pouillon’s signs.
"Kind of under my breath I said ‘I’ll take care of that tomorrow,’" he said, claiming his nieces saw the signs and had nightmares.
"I did not believe that he should be showing the sign to children, especially at a high school where young girls of impressionable age would see that and either be disgusted or scared," he added.
On the day he shot Pouillon, Drake said he recalled thinking about what was upcoming.
"The only thought I had was that they didn’t have to see that sign again. I was hoping that he wouldn’t be there that morning," — adding "So that I wouldn’t have to shoot him."
After killing Fuoss, a businessman he says treated his family poorly, Drake said he had no reason not to stop.
"I just shot one person. I might as well shoot anybody else that I think might deserve to be shot that day," he said, according to local media reports.
Drake added that he has no remorse about the shootings but admitted he should receive the death penalty for them.
"I deserve to die for committing those murders," he told the court.
His defense attorneys are hoping the jury will see that Drake has mental health issues that should be resolved and that he needs to be declared not guilty by reason of insanity. Prosecutors hope jurors will realize Drake engaged in premeditated murder.
The Flint Journal also indicated Drake told the jury he thought it was "weird" for President Barack Obama to comment on the case — even though it came only after pro-life advocates noted his hypocrisy for taking longer to condemn the shooting of a pro-life advocate than late-term abortion practitioner George Tiller.
"I’m not proud of the fact that he spoke about me," Drake told the court.
Meanwhile, Dr. Emanuel Tanay, a forensic psychologist, testified Monday that Drake suffered from severe mental illness at the time of the shooting.
“My diagnosis is that he suffers from a psychotic illness,” Tanay said, according to the Argus Press. “He’s psychotic. He’s suffering from psychosis.”
Tanay claims Drake has suffered from brain damage but admitted under questioning that he had no conducted medical tests to prove it.
If Drake is found not guilty by reason of insanity, he will be sent to a state mental facility for evaluation and possible treatment, but he could be released back into the community.
Drake has already been treated for mental health issues after he was declared incompetent to stand trial, and his competency was later established by the court.
Pouillon was a regular protester at the Feminine Health Care Clinic in Flint, Michigan, operated by abortionist Alberto Hodari.
Since his death, Hodari has placed that abortion clinic up for sale in the wake of a lawsuit filed by Caitlin Bruce who alleges that Hodari forced an abortion on her there even though she had withdrawn her consent after viewing her pre-born baby on ultrasound.
Operation Rescue eventually named Pouillon its pro-life person of the year.
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