Insanity defense expected in mosque arsons
A man accused of setting fires inside two Minneapolis mosques in April has indicated that he'll assert an insanity defense. A federal grand jury last month indicted Jackie Rahm Little, 36, of Plymouth on charges of arson and damage to religious property, a hate crime.
An ATF investigator alleges in an affidavit that Little lit a fire in the bathroom of Masjid Omar Islamic Center on April 23 and was recorded on surveillance video the next day entering Masjid Al-Rahma just before a fire broke out on its third floor.
In court filings this week, defense attorney Aaron Morrison wrote that Little will assert an insanity defense after an initial evaluation found him incompetent to stand trial. Morrison asked a judge to make an official determination.
Little pleaded not guilty to the charges at his arraignment in May and remains in the Sherburne County Jail, where most federal defendants from the Twin Cities are held when judges order pretrial detention. Little does not have the option to post bond.
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The arson count carries a five-year mandatory minimum, and Minnesota U.S. Attorney Andy Luger said at the time he announced the charges that the hate crime count could result in additional prison time through consecutive sentencing.
State court records show that Little has struggled with mental illness in recent years. A Hennepin County judge civilly committed him in 2021 following a diagnosis of bipolar disorder with psychotic features.
Little has been in and out of jail, group homes, and hospitals in recent years. Four days after Little allegedly set the first of two mosque fires, a supportive housing program discharged him because of “behavior issues.”
In January, Hennepin County Mental Health Division Referee George Borer found that Little's condition precluded his prosecution for a 2021 vehicle arson.
The attacks on the Minneapolis mosques were among a half dozen acts of vandalism that targeted Minnesota Muslim institutions this year.
In an unrelated case, a Ramsey County judge on Wednesday ruled that a man suspected of setting fire to property owned by a St. Paul mosque is competent to stand trial.
Said Murekezi, 42, is facing arson, burglary and drug charges in connection with a May 17 fire at the American Twhid Islamic Center.
After receiving the results of a mental examination, Judge Timothy Mulrooney ruled that Murekezi is competent to assist in his legal defense.
Murekezi, who has no permanent address, is alleged to have told police that he's Muslim and set the fire to protest Muslims having to sleep outside. He’s being held in the Ramsey County Jail.
The Islamic Center had been using the Dale Street facility as an office, but not a worship space. Investigators said they did not find evidence of a hate or bias motivation.