Joran van der Sloot

PD&A founder Park Dietz, M.D., Ph.D., was asked by AOL News to comment on the recent confession by Joran van der Sloot to killing a woman in Peru.  His comments spanned the dynamics of confession and the problem of entitlement among the offspring of the wealthy in this “riches to rags” story, available here.

Developmental Disability

Convicted killer, George Hatton Smithey is scheduled to be assessed for mental retardation, which would make it illegal to execute him. PD&A forensic neuropsychologist Dan Martell, Ph.D., will examine Smithey in July. Information regarding the case is available here.

University Mass Murder

The University of Alabama shooting was made all the more shocking by the fact that it was carried out by a woman. Park Dietz, M.D., M.P.H., Ph.D., president of PD&A’s sister company, TAG, a workplace violence prevention firm, was interviewed regarding the incident here.

Case Updates

A man has recanted his initial testimony regarding his and another man’s involvement in a murder. PD&A memory expert Elizabeth Loftus, Ph.D., who testified at the 2005 trial, reacts to this latest development in an article available here.

A man convicted of the murder of a prostitute nearly 20 years ago has been exonerated following a review of the case by the North Carolina Innocence Inquiry Commission. Crime scene analyst and former FBI agent Gregg McCrary testified that the initial investigators in the case appeared to have exhibited “tunnel vision.” Read more about the review here.

Murder

In what may be the first homicide ever committed as a result of voluntary intoxication with hallucinogenic mushrooms, Joseph Hotz was convicted of murder, attempted murder, and four other charges in a Nebraska trial. Park Dietz, M.D., M.P.H., Ph.D., served as a key expert for the prosecution, concluding that, despite suffering from a drug-induced psychosis, Hotz was capable of forming intent at the time of the crimes. Hotz was sentenced to 42-125 years. An article regarding the sentencing is available here.

PD&A forensic psychiatrist Sheila Wendler, M.D., recently testified for the defense in a homicide case, finding the accused to be “acting with paranoid behavior” and “under paranoid delusions” during the shooting. The case is covered here.

Attorneys for a twelve-year-old boy charged with killing his father’s pregnant fiancée are attempting to get the youth’s case decertified to juvenile court. PD&A forensic psychologist Kirk Heilbrun, Ph.D., interviewed the boy and found him to be “at low risk for future violent crimes.” The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette covers the story here.

The body of Virginia Tech student Morgan Harrington was recently discovered in a remote hayfield. PD&A criminal behavior analyst Gregg McCrary spoke with CBS 6 about what the crime scene can reveal about a suspect in an article available here.

Workplace Violence

The murder of Annie Le, a Yale graduate student whose strangled body was discovered in the lab building where she worked, is now being labeled as a workplace crime. Janet Warren, D.S.W., suggests the absence of a central method for reporting workplace problems could be a weakness in the school’s security policy. Yale Alumni reports on the story here.

Pedophilia

An admitted pedophile in Canada is requesting surgical castration. His lawyer has asked PD&A expert John Bradford, M.B., Ch.B., to examine him to determine whether he is competent to make this decision. An article regarding the situation can be found here.

Serial Killers

PD&A criminal behavior analyst Gregg McCrary was recently interviewed regarding the continuing investigation into the murder of four prostitutes in West Atlantic City three years ago. McCrary, who is not involved in the investigation, offers his insight in an article available here.

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder

The concept of erasing painful memories is a subject of controversy. PD&A memory expert Elizabeth Loftus discusses some of the potential pros and cons of altering memories in an article available here.

Serial Killers in the Media

In Lovely Bones, Stanley Tucci plays a serial killer whose devious actions are hidden from his neighbors. Former FBI agent and PD&A criminal behavior analyst John Douglas speaks with ABC News regarding common misconceptions about serial killers in an article available here.

Publications

PD&A forensic psychiatrist Stuart Kleinman, M.D., co-authored an article on PTSD for the most recent issue of the American Academy of Psychiatry and the Law Newsletter. To request a copy of the article, please email expert@parkdietzassociates.com.

PD&A forensic psychologists Ronald Roesch, Ph.D., and Stephen Hart, Ph.D., along with Patricia Zapf, have authored a textbook entitled Forensic Psychology and Law. More information regarding the text can be found here.
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