Does Stacey Ian Humphreys Have Asperger Syndrome?
September 27, 2007 by Kristina Chew, PhD
Filed under Health
An earlier post today asked whether or not celebrity autism mother Jenny McCarthy might herself have Asperger Syndrome; this became a bit of a virtual parlor game. This same question—-”does this person have Asperger Syndrome?”—is being considered in a Brunswick, Georgia, courtroom, and the answer has much more serious ramifications.
34-year-old Stacey Ian Humphreys was convicted of malice murder on Tuesday, September 25th. As reported by WTLV.com today,
The [jury of] 10 women and two men must now decide if Humphreys will be sentenced to life in prison or death by lethal injection.
Prosecutors say Humphreys staked out the women at their sales office in a Powder Springs subdivison north of Atlanta [on November 3, 2003]. Humphreys used a handgun to force them to strip naked and give him the access codes to their bank cards before he shot them both in the back of the head.
Prosecutors said Humphreys needed money to make a $565 payment on his Dodge Durango truck.
“It’s going to be an easy decision for you to make that this case is eligible for the death penalty,” prosecutor Marc Cella told jurors as the sentencing phase of Humphreys’ trial began Wednesday.
Defense attorney Jimmy Berry told jurors that experts who have studied Humphreys’ family, school and medical histories will testify they believe Humphreys suffers from Asperger’s syndrome — a form of autism.
“This is not an excuse for what he did,” Berry said. “We ask you to hear both sides before you render a decision.”
The Atlanta-Journal Consitution highlighted that Humphreys “is likely autistic.” Families of the victims gave testimony today, and testimony is expected to continue until tomorrow, at least.
MyATLtv.com quotes Berry as saying that, in regard to Humphreys, an Asperger Syndrome diagnosis might be a “‘mitigating factor, a disorder that a person has that sometimes causes them to react differently than, maybe, you and I.’” News sources did not comment further if and how Berry might refer to his client’s having Asperger Syndrome as a part of the defense.
Honestly? I think it’s irrelevant. If he’s Aspergers he’s Aspergers but that doesn’t explain why he murdered those women. I am Aspergers and it absolutely would not occur to me to ever deliberately hurt anyone else. This is one of those situations where a person’s individual character needs to be taken into account.
I’m not comfortable with how the lawyer has referred to Asperger Syndrome, as if that might exonerate him.
Oh, git a rope! Seriously, I’m pretty sure I’m an aspie, and if there’s no doubt he did that heinous crime, then away with him. Of course the standard in court is reasonable doubt, not no doubt, which is why I’m against the State doing the death penalty. The State can be counted upon to get that wrong from time to time. Oh, had those women been armed themselves, and solved the problem on the spot!
That’s not an option in New Jersey and other police states.
Oh dear. This sort of publicity dosnt help the general public view of Aspergers.
I don’t know, but I know one thing. They are certainly not appalled by the suggestion over at EOHarm.
…that experts who have studied Humphreys’ family, school and medical histories will testify they believe…
This doesn’t state that a clinical psychologist or other qualified clinician/team has evaluated Him and rendered a diagnosis. How do we know these ‘Experts’ are even qualified to render a diagnosis? Hopefully the Judge in this case has been following the Cedillo vs HHS case and isn’t about to be led down the merry path by more pay for play witnesses.
This is completely off-topic, but I had to laugh at the (probably accidental) “Him” in Patrick’s comment.
Cliff
Humphreys was sentenced to death today.
I can’t read that Chicago Tribune link, which requires registration. I think quoting the whole thing here is fair use, you being an edumacator, and perfesser, and all.
As I wrote above, my standard in judging things for which one ought to hang, is not “beyond a reasonable doubt”, but
“Absolutely no doubt whatsoever.”
Hanging somebody is not something one can un-do.
Dang, Prof K, you live in New Jersey, you know about criminal government!
I am the mother of Lori Brown, the 21 year old that Humphreys murdered. Let me tell you that my daughter was tortured before she died. Humphreys knew exactly what he was doing. He planned the whole thing out. What about the victims and their families. How do we cope, how do we go on. We had to wait 4 years before a trial happened. Then it was moved over 300 miles from Cobb County, Ga.
I don’t know what to say to you, Mrs. Brown, except that as a somewhat-autistic person, I entreat you to believe that I feel very strongly about justice, and do believe that justice must be done, and must be seen to be done.
At times, when arguing on the Internet, I think I may have used words like, “The State is wrong! I’m right! I’ll do that, though I hang for it”
Well, maybe not words exactly like that, but if I entertained the idea, even a little bit, of myself being hanged for doing right, you betcha I have no problem whatsoever with myself or another being hanged for PROVEN capital crime.
Regardless of the neural configuration of the perpetrator.
If you intend horrible murder, and do it, you should suffer the loss of your own life.
If you do not intend murder, but somebody dies by your deed, explain or have someone else explain why you killed.
In court. With Cross-Examination.
Killin’ is serious business, even when not murder.
Dammit!
I was Lori Brown’s best friend for almost 10 years – that is, until this sorry excuse for a man decided to torture and murder her in cold blood.
I sat behind him for a week and a half in court. I heard him speak, watched him look at the pictures and videos of the gruesome murder scene, and listened to the testimony of Lori and Cindy’s familes and friends. THERE IS ABSOLUTELY NO WAY THAT HE HAS AUSBERGERS. That is just a sorry excuse for the fact that he had a choice (just like we all do) and that was to become a murderer.
I train horses and have worked at a farm where we were accompanied by a therapeutic program that tailored to kids that have Ausbergers – let’s just say that the kids I met were nothing like Humphreys.
Jim Berry was (and is) just looking for some poor excuse to try and “save” this man’s life……I WISH SOMEONE WAS THERE TO TRY AND SAVE LORI AND CYNDI before he tortured and murdered them.!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
How can Berry sleep at night knowing he defends criminals that have tortured and murdered innocent people??? Wow, and he specializes in these cases??
I can’t wait until both Berry and Humphreys stand in front of God and get what they deserve.
Oh, I don’t approve of the painless lethal injection, in a walled-off prison, where only government people and government-approved people get to watch.
It used to be done better, in the square in front of the courthouse. The condemned man mounted the thirteen steps, was made to stand over the trap door, and got to make a (short) speech. Sheriff’s deputies were among the spectators, to discourage riotous rowdiness.
After that, the lever was pulled, the condemned man suffered a short, sharp, pain, and it was over.
The way it’s done these days, the condemned man doesn’t even suffer the short nasty pain of the hanging, he just falls asleep, unlike his victim.
IMHO, if you’re being executed for an heinous revolting murder, it should hurt. A little bit, maybe
P.s. Oh, Jonna? I don’t want to write anything which might get me in trouble with the Law (if I haven’t done so already),
but, yeah, “Git a Rope” is my sentiment here. We should let the State do it, to avoid rowdiness and disorder, but I do believe it’s best for all concerned to do it the old-fashioned way.