The passenger accused of attacking Messianic rabbi and author Jonathan Cahn aboard an American Airlines flight says he cannot remember the alleged confrontation. Layne Arthur Lundeen, 67, told a court commissioner that he recalled having two alcoholic drinks and speaking with the man beside him. What happened afterward, he said, was a blank. Audio of his initial court appearance was obtained by The Baltimore Banner.
That account leaves a troubling question at the center of the case: how did a conversation between seatmates end with other passengers restraining Lundeen with duct tape and zip ties? The September 3 flight was traveling from Dallas to Newark when it diverted to Baltimore. Authorities allege Lundeen shouted profanities and racial slurs, became physically aggressive and struck an officer after the plane landed. He has been charged with second-degree assault and disorderly conduct; the allegations have yet to be resolved in court.
Cahn has described the first part of their conversation as friendly. He says the passenger's demeanor changed abruptly as they discussed faith and the supernatural. Cahn has publicly interpreted the encounter in spiritual terms, but that is his account of what he experienced. Lundeen's statement that he remembers nothing does not establish what caused his alleged behavior.
At his September 4 court appearance, Lundeen appeared startled as the accusations were read to him, according to The Baltimore Banner's report on the hearing audio. His professed lack of memory has drawn attention, but the court will still have to consider the accounts of witnesses and the evidence surrounding the flight. The question is no longer simply what Lundeen says he recalls. It is what can be established about what happened in the cabin and after the plane landed.
The incident has also brought consequences beyond the criminal charges. Lundeen's real estate employer ended its association with him following the flight, and he was released on his own recognizance with instructions to avoid alcohol and drugs, according to the reporting provided. His trial is scheduled for October 19. Until then, the stark contrast between his account and those of the people who say they witnessed the episode remains unresolved.
Cahn has said he is praying for Lundeen despite what he alleges happened between them. That response adds another dimension to a case already drawing attention from Christian audiences: what does it look like to seek the truth about a frightening encounter while hoping for the person accused? For now, Lundeen says he has no memory of the incident. The witnesses, the court record and the coming proceedings may determine how much more the public can know.
