Crim 153 Psychology of Crime
Exercise 10
You will recall the story of Kelsey Patterson from your notes.
He was sentenced to death in Texas in 1992 for a double homicide and was writing to the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals in an attempt to stop his execution. He was diagnosed as a Paranoid Schizophrenic, and suffered from delusions, hallucinations, and disordered/confused thinking. He had been in and out of mental hospitals many times since 1981. After committing the murders, he removed his clothes and walked up and down the street speaking incoherently. At his trial he said that electronic devices had been implanted in his brain. He also refused to cooperate with his attorneys and mental health professionals because they were part of a conspiracy against him. He disrupted the court proceeding many times with emotional outbursts. He was convicted of the murders and sentenced to death.
The following is the one page extract of his 12 page hand-written appeal (also from the notes). He was convicted of the murders and sentenced to death. A typed transcript of this page follows immediately afterward to make it easier to read.
Transcript Below
“I am myself Kelsey Patterson who ask that you the United States District Court Eastern District of Texas Honor Honor Honor my rights give me my rights is in amnesty give me my rights give me my rights stop the death warrants death warrants murders stop the execution stop and remove the execution execution date execution date told to me by Major Miller on January 15 who said the order came from Attorney General of Texas execution murder execution execution punishments body health destruction disfigurement imerse iert usage devil murder homo rape death machines death warrants death warrants murder execution execution date execution hell that is being did to me my bodies from my body my men from me Kelsey Patterson my eye my sight my vision my family my family see and apply in action in action for me my family the fact that the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals and Kuntz-TDCJ authority have told me stay and that I have been give a permanant stay from execution based on innocence (2004)….”
In Texas, defendants sentenced to death must be competent to be executed. The defendant is entitled to a competency hearing before a judge if there is a question about the defendant’s competency. Patterson had such a hearing and the following is an excerpt from Patterson’s competency hearing.
Q: Do you understand that you were convicted of the offence of capital murder?
A: I understand what it means, and I’m trying – I hope I’m not trying to lead you too much, but I don’t want to die. And I don’t want to lose my life on the sentence of death. It means I would die to get sentenced to death.
Q: Do you know who you are convicted of killing?
A: I was convicted of killing.
Q: Who is that?
A: The alleged victims was Dorothy Harris and Louis Oates.
Patterson was executed on May 18, 2004. This was his last statement:
“Statement to what? State what? I am not guilty of the charge of capital murder. Steal me and my family’s money. My truth will always be my truth. There is no kin and no friend; no fear what you do to me. No kin to you undertaker. Murderer. [Portion of statement omitted due to profanity] Get my money. Give me my rights. Give me my rights. Give me my rights. Give me my life back.”
EXERCISE QUESTION
As you have read, Patterson was put on trial. If you were on the jury, select one of the possible verdicts below and explain why you chose it.
I would vote to convict, and sentence him to death.
I would vote to convict, and sentence him to life in prison without the possibility of parole.
I would find him not guilty by reason of insanity and commit him indefinitely to a mental hospital.
