(Halifax, Nova Scotia) A man charged in the murder of an upstate New York man was also charged Wednesday with the killings of two gay Canadian men. Glen D. Race, 26, was arrested Tuesday near the Mexican border after New York State Police issued an arrest warrant for him in the killing of 35-year-old Darcy Manor. Manor's body was discovered Friday in a secluded campground where he worked as a caretaker.

When he was arrested Race was in possession of a .44-caliber rifle stolen from the camp. State police say he also had personal belongings of Manor. Authorities are now seeking extradition of Race to Clinton County, New York, to face a charge in Manor's killing.

Wednesday afternoon police in Halifax said they had issued a warrant for Race in the killings of two gay men earlier this month in Nova Scotia.

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Police have declined to say exactly what led them to suspect Race in the killings. Nor have they or police in New York said what connections there may be to the killing of Manor. Manor did not identify as gay and was married.

In the small Nova Scotia community of Three Mile Plains, where Race lived on-and-off with his parents for the past two years, family friend Ron Garland said Race's parents struggled to make sure treatment was available for their son, who ``they love deeply.''

``He was diagnosed with schizophrenia, but unfortunately the system let this boy down,'' said Garland, who said he has had several discussions with Donna and Mark Race since their son was arrested by the U.S. Border Patrol.

``As a parent, you don't have any control over whether or not he could be admitted for psychiatric assessment or treatment for schizophrenia. And this is where this young man had a problem,'' he said.

``Here's the law: you cannot force that person, if they're of adult stature, to go into an institution or doctor or medical clinic and take the drugs they should be taking.''

Race's parents have yet to comment publicly about their son and the allegations against him.

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Brad Kelln, a professor of forensic psychology at Dalhousie University in Halifax, said that aspects of Race's behaviour that people are now pointing to signify very little.

He said the outward signs of mental illness rarely result in violent behaviour.

``In the vast majority of cases, people who have mental illness do not act out in any kind of violent way,'' Kelln said in an interview Thursday. ``They can sometimes present in ways that are so unusual that they frighten people. But it is very rare for someone with a mental illness, particularly schizophrenia, to do anything.

The case may prompt some people to suggest that people with schizophrenia should be forced to receive medication, said Kelln.

``You could do that, but you would then be really overreacting and putting 99 per cent of the individuals with those kind of disorders on mandatory treatment, who would never be a problem in the community.''

Carol Tooton, director of the Nova Scotia branch of the Canadian Mental Health Association, said it isn't unusual for young people to refuse treatment for mental illness despite the best efforts of their family.

``If you talk to a good number of family members, they would express similar frustrations,'' she said.

A district attorney in New York State is requesting the federal attorney's office in Texas withdraw an assault charge against a Nova Scotia man so that he can be extradited to the northern state to face a murder charge.

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Andrew Wylie, the district attorney for Clinton County, says that once the extradition process starts in Texas, it could take several weeks before Race is brought to New York state for prosecution.

Experts in international law say Race will likely stand trial in the United States before he is returned to Canada under an extradition treaty.