EXPERTS PRAISE
THE MEASURE OF MADNESS
“Fascinating…A forensic psychologist reveals the dark and powerful motives that challenge our justice system and opens up the troubling workings of the human mind.”
—Robert K. Tanenbaum, author of Capture
“Compelling…Dr. Cheryl Paradis offers a window into the world of a clinical psychologist who has made many assessments for the courts.”
—Katherine Ramsland, author of The Criminal Mind
“Eloquent…Anyone concerned with the relationship between deviance and mental illness will find this excellent book to be of great value.”
—Simon Baatz, author of For the Thrill of It: Leopold, Loeb and the Murder That Shocked Chicago
“Clearly written and comprehensive…. Dr. Paradis skillfully leads the reader through the labyrinth of the psychotic criminal mind and the maze of the judicial system.”
—Barbara Kirwin, author of The Mad, the Bad, and the Innocent
“Insightful, remarkable…not to be missed if you want to understand the real-world dramas that underlie criminal justice.”
—Barbara Oakley, author of Evil Genes
“Informative, discussion-provoking…a much needed, intriguing collection of personal reflections as well as fascinating cases.”
—Thomas M. O’Rourke, director of forensic psychiatry, Kings County Hospital Center
“Riveting…Cheryl Paradis shows us a world rarely seen and one full of mystery.”
—John Coston, author of To Kill and Kill Again and Sleep My Child Forever
THE MEASURE OF MADNESS
Inside the Disturbed and Disturbing Criminal Mind
CHERYL PARADIS
CITADEL PRESS
Kensington Publishing Corp.
I DEDICATE THIS BOOK TO MY FATHER,
HAROLD PARADIS,
FOR ALWAYS BELIEVING IN ME.
CONTENTS
Foreword by Katherine Ramsland
Introduction
PART 1 EVALUATIONS OF MENTAL STATE AT THE TIME OF THE OFFENSE
Chapter 1 The Widower Walks Away
Chapter 2 A Botched Suicide
Chapter 3 The Butcher of Tompkins Square Park
Chapter 4 The Alien Invasion and Other Delusions
Chapter 5 The Women Who Wept
Chapter 6 The Man Who Knew Too Little
PART 2 EVALUATIONS OF COMPETENCY TO STAND TRIAL AND WAIVE MIRANDA RIGHTS
Chapter 7 The Brain Chip
Chapter 8 The Good Samaritan
Chapter 9 A Descendant of British Royalty
Chapter 10 The Arsonist
PART 3 EVALUATIONS OF JUVENILES AND ASSESSMENTS OF DANGEROUSNESS AND MALINGERING
Chapter 11 The Dutiful Son
Chapter 12 The Lost Boys
Chapter 13 Fakers?
Notes
Bibliography
Acknowledgments
FOREWORD
by Katherine Ramsland
Andrea Yates drowned her five children one morning before she called 911 and turned herself in. Despite a long and complex history of hallucinations, delusions, and suicidal depression, in the courtroom, months later, she seemed composed. A videotaped interview revealed that just after the quintuple homicide, she’d responded to questions without noticeable emotion, explaining why her children had to die. She looked exhausted and her words were forced, but she appeared oblivious to the enormity of what she had done. People around the world were stunned that anyone—even a killer—could be so seemingly blasé.
Serious mental illness can be camouflaged. Sufferers might dress well, respond to questions, and have a considered rationale for the murders, rapes, assaults, arsons, or thefts they have perpetrated. By the time they reach trial, they may seem even more normal because medication has restored their clarity. Thus, it can be difficult for ordinary people to accept psychological evaluations of offenders that “excuse” them. The media shows us that the psychotic are wild-eyed, slovenly, jabbering, and deranged—and sometimes they are. But not always. People with little background in psychology can be quite surprised by the diverse manifestations of serious mental illness. Therefore, an important task for a forensic psychologist offering expert testimony is to educate. But how do you persuade members of the TV-viewing public who sit on a jury that a composed, articulate person was too delusional during the commission of a crime to be criminally responsible?
This is one reason why the insanity defense is rarely used. Many jurors are suspicious of professionals who try to diminish the heinousness of an offender’s harm to others. In addition, some are so attuned to media stereotypes that their preconceptions deflect what a psychologist says. But there’s another factor as well, which is often ignored: mental health professionals must also deal with inaccurate stereotypes about their own role.
While a great deal of attention has been devoted to how the “CSI effect” has influenced the way laypeople understand forensic science, we’ve heard little mention of its impact on the perception of forensic psychology. Mental health professionals have shown up as characters on television shows such as Law and Order, CSI, Bones, and Criminal Minds. As a result, laypeople develop erroneous ideas. Whenever I say “forensic psychology” to nonprofessionals, I hear a range of impressions: Some people believe that forensic psychologists are investigators or that they deal primarily with serial killers. Others recall images of out-of-touch academics whom clever criminals can easily dupe, of greedy entrepreneurs promoting their own theories, or of “hired guns” saying whatever an attorney needs them to say to win a case. Only a few programs show how such professionals actually work. What, then, is a forensic psychologist? What does such a professional actually do?
Forensic psychology is the application of psychological concepts, practice, and research to the legal and investigative arena. While this covers
