I'm not picking up mental illness, either (though I am probably far less observant than you are - I know you pick up on people very well, very quickly).
To me, he falls into the group of someone with great potential - he's smart and sees himself as a leader - but doesn't quite live up to that potential. His "greatness" hasn't happened, and not enough people (especially women) are that impressed. He's not getting stroked enough, and he's getting to the age where he has to BE SOMETHING other than a blowhard with potential. He did well in the Marines, but quit after five years. He did well in college, but quit.
He joins groups but then says he wasn't part of the group. I think he disavowed associations because those groups didn't recognize his "greatness." He dumped them before they dumped him.
So, instead of persevering....the egomaniac burns out in a big, big way as an excuse for not achieving greatness. It's essentially suicide, whether he dies or not. A lifetime in prison for a heinous crime is, essentially, suicide of his "life that had potential."
Just my armchair opinion, worth what you paid for it.
