Lakanwal Hospitalized After Refusing Food and Water, Facing 12-Plus Charges in Guard Killing
Updated
Updated · The New York Times · Jul 10
Lakanwal Hospitalized After Refusing Food and Water, Facing 12-Plus Charges in Guard Killing
3 articles · Updated · The New York Times · Jul 10
Summary
Rahmanullah Lakanwal was admitted to a hospital on an emergency basis overnight Wednesday after refusing food and sometimes water, according to a court transcript and prosecutors.
Judge Amit P. Mehta called the condition “self-inflicted” and “dire,” and ordered Lakanwal’s medical records from Wednesday through his hospitalization turned over to prosecutors.
Prosecutors said the U.S. Marshals Service warned last month that Lakanwal had failed to consume adequate nutrition for an extended period, creating risks of long-term harm or death.
Lakanwal has pleaded not guilty to more than a dozen charges, including the murder of National Guard Specialist Sarah Beckstrom and attempted murder of Air Force Staff Sgt. Andrew Wolfe in Washington last year.
The case already carries higher stakes: prosecutors said last month they were weighing whether to seek the death penalty if he is convicted in Beckstrom’s killing.