49

Piper watched as Dr. Brown took a sip of water and cleared his throat. Lounger made notes at the lectern while everyone waited.

“Dr. Brown,” he finally said when he put his pen down, “you have been qualified as an expert in forensic psychiatry. You have examined the defendant in this case, correct?”

“I have, yes. I had a total of twenty hours of interviews and various psychometric tests on the defendant including an IQ test, the MMPI, and the RPM.”

“What conclusion did you come to after all these examinations?”

“I have come to the conclusion that Mr. Whittaker suffers from both schizoaffective disorder as well as delusional personality conduct disorder.”

“Could you please tell us what led you to these conclusions?”

“Certainly,” he said, crossing one leg over the other. He felt in control now and interlaced his fingers on his knee. “Mr. Whittaker presented as a twenty-nine-year-old unemployed male with a history of arrests dating back to the age of twelve, when he was arrested for severely injuring another child.”

“Injuring how?” Lounger said.

“He punctured the eye of another child with a nail.”

Piper briefly glanced at the defense table, curious about Whittaker’s reaction. He remained motionless, his gaze fixed on the table, showing no visible response.

“What other charges did you see?” Lounger said.

“Everything ranging from larceny to voyeurism. His history is quite varied. He was raised in a boys’ home after being abandoned by his parents, and from all accounts was routinely bullied to the point of hospitalization.”

“Why was he bullied so much?”

“Partly, it was administrative. Some of the private prison corporations in that region of the country also own the juvenile facilities and the boys’ homes. It’s cheaper to not hire enough people, so the facilities are constantly understaffed, which results in juveniles being left to their own devices, so to speak. Mistreatment, unfortunately, is a common occurrence.”

“Why else was he bullied?”

“When he was younger, his treating physician diagnosed him with a disorder that renders him to appear small and emaciated. In junior high school he would’ve resembled a third grader, so he was the target of abuse by larger boys throughout his life.”

Lounger scribbled some notes. In the quiet courtroom, where the only sound was the soft shuffling of papers by the clerk, Piper’s eyes found Owen Whittaker. The contrast between the man before her and the abused, vulnerable child he was made it hard for her to reconcile the two images.

“Did you find evidence of brain injuries stemming from this abuse?”

“I did. Causation for injuries that are decades old is difficult to determine, but there is one incident in particular that I think can explain a lot of the injuries I saw on the scans.”

“What incident is that?”

“The incident that caused Mr. Whittaker’s severe facial scarring. It involved falling from a height of about six feet onto a hot stove in the kitchen of the boys’ home. The blow to his head from the fall rendered him unconscious, and he burned the flesh on his face after the boys who had pushed him over a railing ran away.” He looked to the clerk. “If you could put up the images, please.”

A screen came down near the empty jury box, and Lounger went through the painful process of introducing all the MRI images with Russo objecting to every single one. When the judge allowed all of them in, Lounger glared at her in victory, and she rolled her eyes.

“You see bruising here, and here,” Dr. Brown said, pointing with a laser pen for the benefit of the judge. “This is at least a decade and a half old, maybe older. It’s a gray zone where the oxygen to this portion of his frontal cortex didn’t receive the blood it needed for that time and degenerated.”

“What effects would that have?”

“This region is integral in maintaining one’s personality and emotional control. Damage could result in significant alterations in personality, prompting mood swings, heightened anxiety, or changes in social and sexual behaviors.”

“Is this an uncommon injury?”

“Falling certainly is not, but falling that far onto a metal stove is. Anytime you fall from a height greater than a couple of feet or get struck in the head, the brain bounces inside the skull, which causes damage. I’ve seen this type of bruising in many of my patients with a history of severe physical abuse.”

“What other types of abuse did you find in the defendant’s history?”

“Physical, emotional, sexual ... as far as I can tell, that place was a torture chamber. It was shut down years ago by the state of Louisiana for allegations of abuse by the staff.”

“When did he leave the boys’ home?”

“He was let out at the age of sixteen to the custody of a foster family, who, after a few weeks, forced him out of their home. He became homeless thereafter.”

Piper mulled over how Lazarus would interpret Whittaker’s troubled past. She considered his early abandonment and homelessness as crucial, but not sole, factors in his spiral into violence, and was curious if Lazarus would feel the same.

“What did he do then?”

“He rode the trains once he discovered them. It’s a rather common phenomenon, particularly with homeless youth.”

“I’d like to talk about his specific diagnoses now if we could. Would you mind telling us about them?”

“Not at all. My first diagnosis is for schizoaffective disorder. It is a condition characterized by consistent detachment and lack of interest in social relationships. Individuals with this disorder often prefer solitude, and have little to no desire for intimacy. They usually seem cold or indifferent to others.”

“What causes it?”

“The exact cause is unknown, but it is believed to be a combination of genetic, biochemical, and environmental factors. And Mr. Whittaker certainly meets the criteria for that.”

“What do you mean?”

“He was a perfect combination of interior and exterior factors to create a psychopathology that is truly, for lack of a better word, terrifying.”

“Objection,” Russo said, shooting to her feet. “Choose a better word.”

“Violent,” he said with a glance toward her.

They held each other’s gaze a moment before Lounger continued.

“What about his second diagnosis?”

“The second diagnosis I believe is appropriate is delusional personality conduct disorder.”

“And what is that?”

Dr. Brown poured water from a pitcher into a paper cup and took a sip. The court waited.

Piper’s gaze drifted involuntarily to the defense table. She attempted to envision a young, frightened boy, isolated and mercilessly bullied, with nowhere to seek help. Imagining the immense pain he endured stirred her empathy, but only to a point: rather than using his suffering for something positive, he had turned to inflicting similar pain onto others, and enjoying it.

“It’s a rather new disorder. This term isn’t officially recognized in current diagnostic guidelines, but it encapsulates the distinct cluster of behaviors and thought patterns we’ve observed in Mr. Whittaker.”

“What is it exactly?”

“The disorder is characterized by delusional thinking, primarily of a persecutory or grandiose nature, that persistently influences the individual’s behavior. This is combined with recurrent violations of societal norms and laws, a hallmark of conduct disorder.”

“What type of behavior would this manifest as in a person?”

“Individuals with this condition may struggle with an unwavering belief that they possess extraordinary abilities or insights. This delusional thinking drives them to act in ways that are socially inappropriate, aggressive, or unlawful, as they believe their actions are justified or even necessary given their delusions.”

“Does it affect how they treat people?”

“Absolutely. A major part of this disorder is the inability to empathize with others and a lack of remorse for their actions. This results from their delusional beliefs, but also from an inherent lack of understanding or concern for societal expectations.”

“What caused it in this case, if you had to guess?”

“Objection, speculation.”

“Overruled,” the judge said with a quick glance to Russo. As far as Piper knew, that objection should have been sustained. Russo remained impassive and didn’t show a reaction.

“In Mr. Whittaker’s case, the severity of his childhood trauma, combined with his inherent predisposition to mental illness, may have resulted in the development of this condition. The chronic neglect, abuse, and subsequent brain injuries he suffered could have significantly disrupted his cognitive development and mental health, leading to the emergence of these distinct symptoms and behaviors.”

“You’ve seen this disorder before?”

“As far as whether I’ve had any patients, no, but I have studied those that are incarcerated and suspected to suffer from the disorder. However, he meets all the currently understood preconditions: the defendant’s childhood experiences combined with the existing schizoid personality disorder formed a breeding ground for the proposed DPCD. The ongoing physical and psychological torment, particularly the incident that left him with scarring and loss of vision in one eye, would’ve only amplified his preexisting condition, pushing him further into this syndrome. He’s a unique case,” he said, looking at Owen.

“How so?”

“In examining the details of the victims’ deaths, we see this intersection of delusional thinking and disregard for societal norms. He lived in the walls, cellars, crawl spaces—almost merging with the homes of his victims, watching their lives. The extraordinary belief that he could not only exist unnoticed in these tight spaces but could also control the lives of those living there showcases the depth of his delusional thinking. And the crimes themselves, the murders, show a shocking lack of remorse or empathy. I believe my diagnosis to be medically accurate.”

“Can you be medically certain?”

“No, certainty doesn’t exist. All I can do is point to the disorders that the defendant could be suffering from and make a judgment about whether they legally understand the nature of their actions.”

Lounger asked, “And with all that in mind, Dr. Brown, do you believe that Owen Whittaker is competent to stand trial?”

With a sip of water, Dr. Brown shifted his attention back to the prosecutor.

“Given my assessments and understanding of the disorders, yes, I believe he is,” Dr. Brown replied.

“But he has been diagnosed with severe mental disorders, how can he be deemed fit for trial?”

“Competency for trial is not about whether or not a defendant is mentally ill,” he said. “It is about whether or not the defendant understands the charges against him, the court proceedings, and whether he can assist in his defense. Owen Whittaker, despite his severe mental disorders, has consistently shown an understanding of these factors throughout our evaluations.”

“Can you clarify that, Doctor?” Lounger asked.

“Mr. Whittaker understands he is charged with multiple murders. He understands that if found guilty, he could spend the rest of his life in prison or be sentenced to death. He is able to discuss his case with his lawyer and participate in his defense. These are the legal standards of competency.”

“He has delusions, though. Doesn’t that impact his understanding?”

“His delusions are mostly centered around his living situations and his relationship with his victims,” Dr. Brown responded. “They do not affect his understanding of the trial proceedings or the consequences of a guilty verdict. While Owen Whittaker is severely mentally ill, he meets the legal standards of competency to stand trial.”

“Thank you, Dr. Brown. I have no further questions.”

Russo got up and smiled at him. He didn’t smile back.