Casebook Of A Crime Psychiatrist

James A. Brussel, M.D., a New York City crime-solving psychiatrist discusses six cases.

Death Row Psychiatrist is a realaEUR"life account of realaEUR"life criminals and their crimes; some, but not all, were on death row, where the author was consultant. It includes a wide range of people and personalities from the nice to the narcissistic, a wide range of criminal activities from murder for hire to kidnapping and child molesting, and a wide range of ages from teenagers to octogenarians. They were all examined by the author prior to their trials. Those reported here are among the favorites of the hundreds the author has examined in his thirtyaEUR"five years as a forensic psychiatrist. The stories reveal little about the background of the perpetrators. There is no inaEUR"depth explanation of the psychodynamic motivation for the crime; they are simply a report of interesting criminals and interesting crimes taken from the author's casebook.

Each murder trial brings its own tangle of evidence, legal parameters, medical factors, social circumstances, and personalities. The tangle gets trickier when we must keep in mind that: "A person shall not be criminally responsible for an act or omission if they suffer from a mental disorder such that they were not able to appreciate the nature and quality of their act or to know that it was wrong." Forensic Psychiatrist Stanley Semrau takes us through some of the more terrible and fascinating tales from his career and from historical sources, including several cases that came to national attention: Clifford Olson and Terry Driver (The Abbotsford Killer) and the Daniel McNaughten case that marked the beginning of the insanity defense in Britain in 1843. These chilling and thought-provoking stories delve deep into the psychiatric aspects of homicide law and into the psychology of the muderous mind. Semrau’s examination of these thrilling cases also offers a critique of the existing laws in Canada as he argues for profound changes.

Dr. Lunde takes us behind the scenes in some of the most celebrated and controversial criminal and civil trials of the past fifty years. As one of the pioneers in the field now known as forensic psychiatry, he interviewed people like Patty Hearst and the Hillside Strangler and consulted with judges and attorneys in hundreds of cases in his illustrious career. After reviewing extensive evidence and interviewing witnesses, Dr. Lunde often served as a key witness in trials involving people like Howard Hughes, who were the subjects of much speculation but few actual factual investigations. As a well-known Stanford psychiatrist, he was able to uncover the reasons why people committed outrageous and sometimes unspeakable acts which shocked their communities and even the world. This book reveals previously unpublished details of the way in which doctors and other professionals go about trying to understand an event and then see that justice is served. One such event discussed is the mass murder/suicide of almost one thousand Americans in a remote South American jungle clearing called Jonestown. This memoir contains stories which are stranger than fiction but that actually happened. They are told by someone who was in a unique position to learn about them and who now shares the experience with the reader.

Documents the nearly two-decade manhunt for a serial bomber in mid-twentieth-century New York, citing the contributions of police captain Howard Finney and psychiatrist James Brussel in developing investigative techniques that would shape new approaches in American law enforcement.

This book tells the story of a three year crime with the most heinous act of the crime occurring in a Hospital in Palm Beach County. It is a true story and a page turner.

The role of story in criminal cases--and in the way we think about our own lives--is profound. In this latest book from Dr. Albert Drukteinis, the forensic psychiatrist tells stories about crimes and the resulting prosecutions, revealing how narratives shape the investigations and how our own stories are not as reliable as we think.Written in nontechnical language and using examples of psychiatric testimony drawn from Dr. Drukteinis' thirty-five-year career, UNRAVELING INSANITY AND OTHER STORIES: NARRATIVES OF A FORENSIC PSYCHIATRIST guides you through the thought process of a forensic psychiatrist at work, from the analysis of a crime scene to assessing criminal intent. Discover how forensic psychiatrists use scientific evidence and story models to draw conclusions, and along the way, learn how to evaluate your own stories.