Greg Alan Landen (alias Mousah Salim) is a college student who converted to Islam and became an extremist because he hated women.
Background[]
According to Greg himself, his father was an adulterous man who never really wanted to have a child. His mother Francine was a domineering woman who deemed her son to be a failure. As a consequence, Greg felt emasculated by her and began to fear and resent women in general. At Strickland Academy, he was socially awkward, his only friend being another troubled youth named Michael Sanchez, with whom he once set fire to a garbage can. They were caught by campus police, who filed a disciplinary report on Greg but left Michael alone since he wasn't a student at Strickland. Greg also met a student named Jennifer Taylor, became friends with her, and developed a crush on her. Jennifer introduced him to one of her professors, Louise Murdock, who was educating Jennifer about the mistreatment of women in certain Muslim countries.
Greg eventually asked Jennifer out, but Jennifer rejected his advances, thereby emasculating him. After this, Greg started identifying with Islamic extremism, specifically the part of their ideology that condemned women, and saw it as a means to regain his manhood. As a result, he converted to Islam and spent four months in Pakistan. Greg managed to get a job at a bookstore and started sending Louise Muslim readings about women being lesser than men in every way. When Louise started standing outside the bookstore with some of her friends in protest, his boss fired him, further angering Greg.
American Jihad[]
Greg recruited Michael to help him rob the house of Louise Murdock, telling Michael that the Murdocks were rich and assuring him that once they robbed them, they would flee to the mountains and go fishing and hunting. To this end, Greg stole two guns from his father's home office and gave one to Michael while keeping the other. When they stormed the house, Louise's husband Hugh led them into his office, where Greg ordered Michael to shoot him, and Michael did so, shooting Hugh twice in the head. When Louise came in, she screamed and tried to run away, but Greg shot her three times in the back. While Michael ran out the front door, Greg slipped out through the back to avoid detection.
The subsequent police investigation, initially focused on Michael, eventually identifies Greg as the second shooter when Michael gives him up. Detectives Briscoe and Green arrest Greg for the murders while he is praying at a mosque. At his arraignment, Greg refuses to submit to the authority of the judge and calls A.D.A. Southerlyn a liar and a derogatory term. Greg then accuses the judge of having a disdain towards Islam. Because of this, Greg is remanded without bail. During a meeting between Executive A.D.A. McCoy and Greg's attorney Derek Greer, Greg claims that the prosecution is the result of America's prejudice against Islam and then states that he wants another attorney who understands that, specifically a Muslim attorney. As a result, Greg fires Greer and hires Anwar Mohammed to represent him.
While Michael testifies against him, Greg prays quietly to himself while facing the jury. Unsatisfied with Mohammed's cross-examination of Michael, Greg tells him to introduce the U.S.'s aggression towards Islam. Mohammed tries to calm Greg down, but Greg gets up and starts ranting about how the U.S. government is trying to exterminate Islam and the prosecution is their way of silencing him. After ignoring Judge Deborah Bourke's orders to stop, Greg is removed from the courtroom while he angrily protests. After Greg is let into Bourke's chambers, Bourke explains to him that McCoy wants to remove him from the courtroom and have him monitor the proceedings from a closed circuit television. Greg says that he will not allow it unless Mohammed argues that the government is framing him for murder because he is a Muslim. After Southerlyn claims that no attorney would ever argue that, Greg decides to represent himself, which Bourke grants while ordering Mohammed to stay on as standby counsel.
Greg cross-examines CSU Technician Julian Beck after he testifies against him, and implies that Beck faked the recording because he is Jewish and hates all Muslims because of it. McCoy tries to stop Greg from using this bigoted attitude towards Beck, but Bourke allows Greg to continue his line of questioning after Mohammed says Greg is entitled to his opinion. When his father testifies against him, Greg attacks his credibility by revealing his father had an affair with another woman and implying that he didn't want Greg to begin with. Greg then claims his parents want him in prison because they are embarrassed by him. Later, he testifies about how America hates Islam, how America is evil, and how he is a victim. When McCoy cross-examines Greg, he puts the blame on Michael, adding that Louise should have known her place and that all women are inferior to men. When Greg insults Bourke, she adjourns for the day with court to resume tomorrow.
By the time court resumes, McCoy and Southerlyn have learned Greg's true motivations. During trial, Greg gets back on the stand, but Southerlyn questions him this time. She calls him a coward for not accepting the consequences of his actions in the eyes of the law and his religion. Greg then explodes in a fit of rage, calling both Southerlyn and Louise Murdock enemies of Islam. He rants about how Louise had an abortion and served alcohol in her home. When Southerlyn implies that is why he killed her, Greg stays silent. Later, Greg and Mohammad are called to the D.A.'s office, where Greg tells McCoy and Southerlyn that he still isn't interested in a deal. When Southerlyn tells him they are adding another witness that wasn't on their initial list, Greg says he doesn't care and doesn't even want to question the witness. However, he sees it is Jennifer, who is horrified and disgusted by his actions. In response, he confesses to the murders, loudly claims he is a man, and then breaks down. As a result of his true motives coming out, Greg pleads guilty to the murders accepting a plea for two counts of manslaughter in the first degree. At Greg's allocution, he apologizes to the Muslim community for everything he did in their name.