Mark Becker (WHO)
The man charged with murdering Aplington-Parkersburg High School football coach Ed Thomas plans to use a defense of insanity and/or diminished responsibility. The paperwork for the defense was filed by the public defender for 24-year-old Mark Becker Monday.
Authorities say Becker is the man who entered the Aplington-Parkersburg High School weight room the morning of June 24th and shot Coach Thomas several times, while he was supervising a weight lifting session. About 20 student-athletes witnessed the shooting.
Thomas died from the gunshot wounds at a local hospital.
Becker was arrested at his parents home in rural Parkersburg shortly after the shooting.
On June 20th, Becker was involved in an incident with Cedar Falls Police after allegedly vandalizing a Cedar Falls home. A police chase followed and Becker was taken into custody by Butler County deputies in the early morning hours of June 21st. They determined he needed to be taken to a local hospital for a psychiatric evaluation.
There's controversy over the release of Becker from the hospital. Butler County's Sheriff Jason Johnson claims he contacted Central Point Coordinator of Mental Health and Developmental Disabilities and advised him of Becker's involvement with authorities and the incident on June 20th. He says he asked to be notified when Becker was released from the hospital. The coordinator later claimed that was not one of his duties.
Covenant Medical Center says a formal request by law enforcement to be notified of Becker's release was never made.
Becker was released to a third party June 23rd, just a day before the shooting.
Authorities say Becker is the man who entered the Aplington-Parkersburg High School weight room the morning of June 24th and shot Coach Thomas several times, while he was supervising a weight lifting session. About 20 student-athletes witnessed the shooting.
Thomas died from the gunshot wounds at a local hospital.
Becker was arrested at his parents home in rural Parkersburg shortly after the shooting.
On June 20th, Becker was involved in an incident with Cedar Falls Police after allegedly vandalizing a Cedar Falls home. A police chase followed and Becker was taken into custody by Butler County deputies in the early morning hours of June 21st. They determined he needed to be taken to a local hospital for a psychiatric evaluation.
There's controversy over the release of Becker from the hospital. Butler County's Sheriff Jason Johnson claims he contacted Central Point Coordinator of Mental Health and Developmental Disabilities and advised him of Becker's involvement with authorities and the incident on June 20th. He says he asked to be notified when Becker was released from the hospital. The coordinator later claimed that was not one of his duties.
Covenant Medical Center says a formal request by law enforcement to be notified of Becker's release was never made.
Becker was released to a third party June 23rd, just a day before the shooting.
