Race competent for trial

By SUZANNE MOORE
Staff Writer

July 20, 2007 04:00 am

— PLATTSBURGH "" Glen D. Race has been found competent to stand trial for the murder of Darcy Manor.
He didn't appear in Mooers Town Court Thursday evening, as scheduled, however.
That felony hearing, at Race's request through his attorney, Dan Gaudreau, has been adjourned until Aug. 2 at 7 p.m.
According to Clinton County District Attorney Andrew Wylie, the court-ordered psychological examinations of Race have been filed with the court, indicating his mental state is such that he can be prosecuted for the May 10 shooting death of Manor, a Mooers father of two and Northern Adirondack Central School bus driver.
"It's a step in the right direction," said Alan Cardin of Rouses Point, an uncle of Manor's. "It would be nice if (Race) would just own up to his actions and plead guilty.
"But it's a lot to hope for."
Manor was fixing a water system at a secluded camp on Drown Road in Mooers when he was killed. Race, also indicted for two homicides in the Halifax, Nova Scotia, area, was arrested in Texas on May 15.
He was found carrying the rifle believed to have fired the fatal shot and possessions of Manor, including a credit card. Manor's missing pickup truck was found abandoned in the Houston area.
Joel E. Pink, the Halifax attorney who represents Race's family, hadn't seen the reports on the defendant's mental status, but said the findings didn't surprise him.
"Quite often in cases like this we have a situation where the person is fit to stand trial, which is a very, very low test," he said.
"(But) there is a difference between fitness to stand trial and his mental state at the time the alleged crime was committed."
Race is diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia.
As far as Pink knew, Race had not yet been examined by experts in regard to creating an insanity defense.
"We're relying strictly at this stage on the defense counsel in Plattsburgh," he said.
Gaudreau did not return a call from the Press-Republican on Thursday morning.
Cardin expects Race's defense might be that of insanity. He couldn't speak for the rest of Manor's family but didn't think he, himself, would be opposed should a plea agreement of some kind be hammered out, thus eliminating the need for a trial.
"Then you don't have to go through it day by day, with all the publicity," Cardin said.
That happened just recently when David D. Couture pleaded guilty to second-degree murder in the October 2006 homicide of Alphegina "Gina" Snide, also of Mooers. Couture will be sentenced Sept. 5, likely to 32 years to life in prison.
He had been charged with first-degree murder and could have faced a life sentence.
Anticipating the possibility that Race might in the future be prosecuted in Nova Scotia for the slayings of Trevor Charles Brewster and Paul Michael Knott, who were killed a few days before Manor's death, Pink is still trying to arrange for a Canadian psychiatrist to interview Race at Clinton County Jail.
"It's a legal-aid situation," he said. "They have to approve everything.
"We're still waiting for those costs."
According to Wylie, the case against Race is being readied for grand jury "during the present term."
According to his office, the sitting grand jury will meet for the last time on Sept. 5.
Race is now charged with second-degree murder.
Wylie said previously that other charges were possible, including that of first-degree murder.
With that investigation continuing, he said he couldn't comment further on the case.
smoore@pressrepublican.com

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