I heard an interview with a young man that had roomed with Murray during his training at the Missionary training facility.
This fellow recounted how Murray had not actually been kicked out as was reported, but instead, was found to not be suited for the program by he, his family and the staff jointly.
He related how this normally quite individual had hidden issues.
First he recounted how he awoke one morning at five AM to find Murray talking to himself and he asked him what he was doing. Murray had responded that he was talking to “his voices” but not to worry as his voices liked the room mate.
Second he recounted a gathering where all were sharing holiday celebration songs and songs of praise and worship. Murray had offered two songs totally inappropriate for the gathering causing consternation of all present.
The first instance, the regular and accepted presence of “voices” talking to a young person is a very typical sign of clinical schizophrenia. People having this are typically going to have to be heavily managed with medication and supervisory confinement in order to avoid total hospitalization. Often young people that develop this condition begin to show it in the teens and twenties for the first time.
I always hesitate to give a pass, or cut slack, for mental illness but this issue of having present and observed conversation with "his voices" is a chilling symptom of very know behavior by very ill people. This is the Berowitz, Son-of-Sam type behavior where he had a dog that talked to him and insisted he do things.
His note, resembling the Colombine notes, is an example of lack of original or specific motivation relating to real incidents in his interaction with the groups he was viewing negatively.
Superb posts. THank you.