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THREEMan charged in shooting asks to be freed on bondRobert lieroy Harding, who is charged with shooting his wife, asked yesterday to be released on bond, pending further court action.Judge William R Balph is expected to rule soon on the question. Attorney Carmen I^amancusa, appointed by the court to represent Harding, told Balph that Harding’s family has managed to raise 150,000, the amount originally set for bond at the arraignment hearingHarding, 35, of Savannah Road, is charged with criminal homicide and murder in the first degree in the Nov. 25,1980, death of his wife, Betty Ann Mrs. Harding, 31, was found dead at her home at 8 E. Rainey Ave. South New Castle Borough. She had been shot in the back by a shotgun.Lamancusa said he intends to prove that Harding was insane at the time of the shooting and “did not realize the nature or quality 'consequences) of his actions when he allegedly shot at his wife.Assistant District Attorney Paul W Johnson asked for more information surrounding the insanity defense proposed by lamancusa “I need to know how the defense concluded Harding was insane at the time of the shooting I also need to know the duration of his insanity, Johnson said. “Does ‘nature and quality of his acts’ mean that he didn’t know right from wrong or what he was doing as a result of his mental infirmity?”Experts at Farview, who agreed that Harding suffered fromdepression, personality disorders, and alcohol abuse, among other problems, had ruled him sane enough to stand trial for the shooting.Iamancusa said that this ruling meant only that Harding was sane enough now to communicate with him to assist with his defense. This doesn’t mean that he was not insane at the time of the shooting, he said.Harding, lamancusa said, has been depressed and has had psychiatric care locally and in Pittsburgh since 1973. He added that at the trial he intended to prove that Harding was insane from two months prior to the shooting and through the present day.I can’t say he didn't have lucid moments during that time but I plan to show a progression of his mental infirmity which culminated on Nov. 25, I960, in the death of his wife, I^amancusa said. He added that he planned to call lay witnesses, Harding s relatives with whom he lived, to testify that his actions prior to the shooting were not those of a man who was sane or knew what he was doingHe also plans to receive a new psychiatric evaluation of Harding from Dr. Shoukry Matta, a psychiatrist. This report will be made available to the district attorney’s office, he said.Other matters, originally scheduled to be decided at the hearing, which included suppression of statements and discovery matters, were settled prior to the hearing
Newspaper Details
New Castle News
New Castle, Pennsylvania, US
Wed, Jul 08, 1981
Page 3
Full Page
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Anonymous
FL, USA 28 Feb 2025
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