PLATTSBURGH -- Glen D. Race will come willingly to New York state.

The Halifax, Nova Scotia, man -- charged with the murder of Mooers man Darcy Manor and two other men in his home province -- appeared before Judge Arturo Cisneros Nelson in the 138th Court of Cameron County, Texas, on Friday morning.

Race waived extradition.

"The judge just asked him a few questions pertaining to his identity," said Kevin Saenz, who represents indigent defendants in Cameron County. "Just a routine hearing."

On Monday, Race, 26, had sat with eyes closed, failing to respond even by nodding his head when the judge asked if he was willing to go to New York state. His lack of answer put him back in a Brownsville jail. Here in Clinton County, District Attorney Andrew Wylie worked on the extradition process.

The new turn of events, he said on Friday, "is great news today.

"This basically puts over the hurdle of having the governor filing a petition for extradition."

Wylie said he hoped the U.S. Attorney's Office and federal court in Texas would decide immediately to drop or delay the federal charges and release Race so he could be brought back here.

"My understanding is it's going to be dropped (rather than held off) because he's going back to New York to face a more serious charge," said Halifax attorney Joel Pink, who represents Race's family.

Pink said he was told that the federal prosecutor in Brownsville has agreed to the dismissal but needs permission to do so from the regional office in Houston.

That won't come until after the Memorial Day weekend, he said.

Wylie said he hopes to know for sure by next Tuesday at what point Race will be brought back here.

"When that happens, we want to get down there right away before he can raise any further issues and withdraw his agreement to be extradited," the district attorney said.

At best, it could have been weeks before the governors of both New York and Texas would have OK'd extradition and Race would have been brought to Clinton County.