Moscow Man Says Mental Health Problems Influenced Plea

MOSCOW, Idaho (AP) — A Moscow man serving a life sentence for a string of shootings in 2015 now says he suffered psychological torture while in jail that ultimately affected his decision to accept a plea deal.

The Moscow-Pullman Daily News reports that 30-year-old John Lee recently filed notice of appeal arguing that his plea should be invalidated because his untreated mental health conditions stopped him from making informed decisions.

Lee in May entered an Alford plea in connection to the deaths of his adoptive mother, 61-year-old Terri L. Grzebielski; his landlord, 76-year-old David M. Trail; and restaurant manager Belinda G. Niebuhr, 47.

The plea agreement eliminated the possibility of the death sentence and had Lee waive his rights to appeal. Lee told the court in March he was experiencing "paranoid thoughts" and "voices" at the time of the shootings.