
5 Facts About Would-Be Assassin John Hinckley Jr.
In 1981 John Hinckley Jr. attempted to assassinate president Ronald Reagan. No one died in the attack but Reagan and three others were wounded.
Here are 5 Facts that you may not know about Hinckley.
1.) Hinckley Was Found Not Guilty by Reason of Insanity
Although you hear about Insanity Pleas frequently on TV and in the movies, in the real world the Insanity Defense is extremely rare.Actually, the ruling in Hinckley's trial caused so much outrage that 38 states rewrote laws to make it harder to plead insanity in future cases.
2.) Hinckley Thought He Would Impress an Actress
Hinckley was obsessed with the actress Jodie Foster and the movie Taxi Driver. Somehow, he thought shooting the president would impress her.
In 2007, Foster publically acknowledged that she was a lesbian. Talk about barking up the wrong tree. JH must have felt like a complete dope when he heard about that.
3.) Hinckley Has Been "Released" Since 1999
Starting in 1999, Hinckley was allowed to leave the asylum for extended periods with his family. That privilege was revoked (for smuggling in materials about Jodie Foster) and then re-granted.
4.) He Could Have Been Released Much Earlier but he Couldn't Stop Writing to Other Psychos
In 1987, Hinckley asked for periodic home visits to his parent. The judge actually considered this request but with the caveat that his room would have to be thoroughly searched. During the search it was discovered Hinckley had exchanged letter with serial killer Ted Bundy and tried to reach out to Charles Manson. Request: DENIED!
5.) He Has to Be Supervised...By His 90 Year Old Mother
There are dozens of conditions for his release including that he has to live with his 90 year old mother in her gated community and that he can't travel outside a 50 mile radius. If he complies, Hinckley could be allowed to live without supervised control within a year to 18 months.
What do you want to bet he takes another run at Jodie Foster, though?
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