As it turns out, Rageh Al-Murisi, the Yemeni ex-pat who attempted to bum rush the cockpit door of an SFO-bound flight last week, might be just a little bit unstable. In interviews with authorities prior to his appearance before a US District court late last week, Al-Murisi said he wanted to kill himself because, "It's natural."
According to the Examiner, pretrial reports also stated that Al-Murisi had been experiencing hallucinations and hearing voices in his head for at least two months before the incident, which might explain why he was traveling across the country with nothing but postdated checks and an Apple charger. Back in New York, where Al-Murisi previously held jobs as a taxi driver and convenience store clerk, former employers described him as "troubled." Although Federal Public Defenders argued to release Al-Murisi on bail so he could seek outside treatment, the judge ultimately ruled Al-Murisi must stay in custody. [SFEx]