Psychologist, family describe
Thorpe's delusions, paranoia
NEVADA CITY (5/14/03) -- Scott Thorpe's perceptions of reality were so twisted by delusionary paranoia that he was unable to tell right from wrong when he killed three people Jan. 10, 2001, a psychologist testified Tuesday.
In the opening day of Thorpe's sanity trial in Nevada County Superior Court, defense expert Dr. Donald A. Stembridge described Thorpe, 43, as a chronic paranoid schizophrenic with grandiose delusions and erotomania.
The main element of his elaborate "delusionary system" was that psychiatrist Dr. George Heitzman of the Nevada County Behavioral Health Department was colluding in an FBI plan to poison him or force him into a shoot-out, Stembridge said.
His erotomania had him convinced that he and Pam Chase, a department crisis worker, were "destined for each other," Stembridge said.
Thorpe has already admitted killing Laura Wilcox, 19, Pearlie Mae Feldman, 68, and Michael Markle, 24, to death. He has also admitted wounding Judith Edzards, 49, and Richard Senuty, 34.
Shortly before noon that day, Thorpe walked into the mental health department where he had been a client and opened fire, killing Wilcox, Feldman and wounding Edzards.
He then drove to the Lyons Restaurant where he believed the staff had been poisoning his food and manager Markle, and wounded Senuty.
Stembridge offered his professional opinion that Thorpe's gross "misperceptions of reality" had him utterly convinced he was acting in self defense because he sincerely believed the FBI was already poisoning his water and would soon ambush him.
On cross-examination, Nevada County District Attorney Michael retraced the events of the day as presented by Stembridge, challenging his interpretations of Thorpe's recollections of the crime.
Under intense questioning, Stembridge admitted overall Thorpe intellectually capable of forming a plan and carrying it out. Moreover, some things that Thorpe did during and after the shooting spree suggested he knew what he was doing was wrong.
Ferguson scoffed at the contention that Thorpe had acted in pre-emptive self-defense.
Thorpe made statements later that he had intentionally packed a 9mm handgun in a backpack with extra clips and ammo because he wanted "as much firepower as possible" when he got to the mental health department.
Thorpe had also admitted feelings of "rage" and "revenge" at Heitzman by not allowing him to see Chase as a crisis worker, and thereby coming between them.
Such feelings were not usually linked to self-defense, Ferguson said.
"Wasn't Mr. Thorpe the aggressor when he walked in?" Ferguson demanded.
Thorpe's motives and thinking could be seen in that light, but only if one viewed those actions entirely out of the context of his history of diagnosed mental illness, Stembridge countered.
On the issue of sanity, the burden of proof rests on the defense so the defense opened the trial Tuesday with Stembridge as its first witness.
Also called to testify were Thorpe's mother, Marilyn Thorpe, and his elder brother, Kent Thorpe who described getting a surprise call from Scott.
"He said, "I killed three people.' Could you come and get Snapper? (his dog), Kent Thorpe testified.
Kent Thorpe expanded on his brother's delusions about the FBI poisoning the water on his Smartsville property.
"Scott believed if he could just explain things to the authorities ... show them his water samples … they would understand he'd done the right thing," Kent Thorpe said.
"That's why he wanted to subpoena (an FBI agent) to testify in his behalf," said Kent Thorpe, a retired Sacramento Police department hostage negotiator who negotiated his own brother's surrender to Nevada County sheriff's deputies.
The trial was expected to resume Wednesday.
Sacramento Bee version
Thorpe's delusions, paranoia
NEVADA CITY (5/14/03) -- Scott Thorpe's perceptions of reality were so twisted by delusionary paranoia that he was unable to tell right from wrong when he killed three people Jan. 10, 2001, a psychologist testified Tuesday.
In the opening day of Thorpe's sanity trial in Nevada County Superior Court, defense expert Dr. Donald A. Stembridge described Thorpe, 43, as a chronic paranoid schizophrenic with grandiose delusions and erotomania.
The main element of his elaborate "delusionary system" was that psychiatrist Dr. George Heitzman of the Nevada County Behavioral Health Department was colluding in an FBI plan to poison him or force him into a shoot-out, Stembridge said.
His erotomania had him convinced that he and Pam Chase, a department crisis worker, were "destined for each other," Stembridge said.
Thorpe has already admitted killing Laura Wilcox, 19, Pearlie Mae Feldman, 68, and Michael Markle, 24, to death. He has also admitted wounding Judith Edzards, 49, and Richard Senuty, 34.
Shortly before noon that day, Thorpe walked into the mental health department where he had been a client and opened fire, killing Wilcox, Feldman and wounding Edzards.
He then drove to the Lyons Restaurant where he believed the staff had been poisoning his food and manager Markle, and wounded Senuty.
Stembridge offered his professional opinion that Thorpe's gross "misperceptions of reality" had him utterly convinced he was acting in self defense because he sincerely believed the FBI was already poisoning his water and would soon ambush him.
On cross-examination, Nevada County District Attorney Michael retraced the events of the day as presented by Stembridge, challenging his interpretations of Thorpe's recollections of the crime.
Under intense questioning, Stembridge admitted overall Thorpe intellectually capable of forming a plan and carrying it out. Moreover, some things that Thorpe did during and after the shooting spree suggested he knew what he was doing was wrong.
Ferguson scoffed at the contention that Thorpe had acted in pre-emptive self-defense.
Thorpe made statements later that he had intentionally packed a 9mm handgun in a backpack with extra clips and ammo because he wanted "as much firepower as possible" when he got to the mental health department.
Thorpe had also admitted feelings of "rage" and "revenge" at Heitzman by not allowing him to see Chase as a crisis worker, and thereby coming between them.
Such feelings were not usually linked to self-defense, Ferguson said.
"Wasn't Mr. Thorpe the aggressor when he walked in?" Ferguson demanded.
Thorpe's motives and thinking could be seen in that light, but only if one viewed those actions entirely out of the context of his history of diagnosed mental illness, Stembridge countered.
On the issue of sanity, the burden of proof rests on the defense so the defense opened the trial Tuesday with Stembridge as its first witness.
Also called to testify were Thorpe's mother, Marilyn Thorpe, and his elder brother, Kent Thorpe who described getting a surprise call from Scott.
"He said, "I killed three people.' Could you come and get Snapper? (his dog), Kent Thorpe testified.
Kent Thorpe expanded on his brother's delusions about the FBI poisoning the water on his Smartsville property.
"Scott believed if he could just explain things to the authorities ... show them his water samples … they would understand he'd done the right thing," Kent Thorpe said.
"That's why he wanted to subpoena (an FBI agent) to testify in his behalf," said Kent Thorpe, a retired Sacramento Police department hostage negotiator who negotiated his own brother's surrender to Nevada County sheriff's deputies.
The trial was expected to resume Wednesday.
Sacramento Bee version
<< Home