It wasn't speculation it was scripted what he did, revealed by Mudd and confirmed by himself. Later it was further brought up in the scene with Cornwell. And if it was Georgiou who killed her entire crew? I wouldn't give her the benefit of supposed doubt. There is no doubt of the action anyway. I'm not sure what people are hoping to have revealed that excuses him.
Maybe we'll find out the details of what happened to Loca's ship later this season or next. But one thing is certain, as unfortunate as destruction of the ship and deaths of his crew was, if it had been a criminal action, Lorca would be in prison.
He manipulated his psych tests. He manipulated Stamets by playing the recording of dying people, manipulated him to do all the jumps. Manipulating people and situations is at least something consistent about Lorca. He has one weakness apart from the eyes. He doesn't want to lose being Captain and in my opinion would do anything to protect that.
The manipulation of the psych tests was not a crime. In fact, it could be argued that the fact that he was able to manipulate the test meant that the test may have been inadequate, or that Lorca actually wa psychiatrically fit for duty.
With respect to playing the recording of the people dying, it was done to motivate the Discovery crew. Lorca knew that his crew, especially Burnham and Stamets, who were in charge of getting the spore drive to work, would have to perform extroidinarily, in order to complete the task of saving those people. That broadcast was crucial to getting that extra bit out of the crew.
The act of "motivating" people, getting them to want to perform at peak efficiency, is a form of manipulation. Manipulation is not necessarily morally wrong, depending on how it's done and for what purpose. Football, basketball, soccer coaches and others, do it all the time. So, just calling it "manipulation", as you are doing, doesn't automatically make it morally wrong.
With regard to the notion that Lorca manipulated Stamets into that last spore jump, as I have been saying since the episode aired, there is no on screen evidence of manipulation by Lorca. People who don't like Lorca or who think Stamets is weak minded, or something, interpret the exchange between the two as "manipulation". I didn't see any manipulation. I saw Stamets being what he has been throughout the first 9 episodes, a selfless officer who has served his ship and the Federation with extroidinary distinction, and wished to continue that service.
