US: Lawyers for Washington sniper suspect Mr Lee Malvo (18) are to mount an insanity defence at his murder trial, arguing that the teenager was a victim of "indoctrination" by his older co-defendant, Mr John Muhammad.
"This case is so bizarre in its facts, and the degree of indoctrination is so severe, that we would be remiss if we failed" to put the sanity issue before a jury, said Mr Craig Cooley, a lawyer for Mr Malvo.
He is set to go on trial on November 10th for the murder of FBI analyst Linda Franklin outside a Home Depot store. She was among 13 people who were shot, 10 fatally, during a three-week spree in the Washington DC area last autumn.
Mr Muhammad goes on trial on Tuesday over the killing of a man who was pumping petrol at a service station near Manassas.
Both trials were moved 200 miles to south-eastern Virginia.
Mr Muhammad's lawyers have argued that Mr Malvo was the triggerman, while the teenager's defence team has contended that he was acting under the influence of the older man.
Both defendants could be sentenced to death if convicted.
Along with the 13 shootings in Maryland, Virginia and Washington DC, the two are suspected of or charged with shootings in Georgia, Alabama, Louisiana, Arizona and Washington state.
The prosecutor in Mr Malvo's case, Fairfax County Commonwealth's Attorney Mr Robert Horan, said he had reviewed the reports of a court-appointed mental health expert and that there was nothing to suggest mental illness on Mr Malvo's part. However, Mr Cooley said that indoctrination was a form of mental illness and that, ultimately, it would be up to a jury to decide if it amounted to insanity.
Meanwhile, the judge in the Muhammad case has ruled that the 42-year-old cannot present any mental health evidence at his trial because he refused to submit to an examination sought by prosecutors.