Lawyer says suspect in soldier’s death delusional

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (AP) — A lawyer for a man accused of killing a soldier outside an Arkansas recruiting center says his client drove through three states looking for someone to attack after seeing video of U.S. military action in the Middle East.

Abdulhakim Muhammad faces the death penalty if convicted in the June 1, 2009, death of Pvt. William Andrew Long. The defense team says Muhammad is mentally ill, but prosecutors and Muhammad deny it.

Defense lawyer Patrick Benca said today that Muhammad was delusional when he went looking for someone to attack two years ago. He says Muhammad initially drove to a Kentucky recruiting center, but it was closed, so he drove to Nashville, Tenn., and then all night to Arkansas.

Benca says Muhammad was “fired up” after seeing the video.