You are to compare popular media information regarding this case with the knowledge you have obtained from academic sources regarding the issue of mental health and crime. Your task is to summarize the selected case first, then provide media, court, and public1 accounts and perceptions of the individual and crime committed. Your summary should be structured in the format of an essay and include details about the subject’s life and history prior to and leading up to the criminal event, the event itself, details related to their involvement in the criminal justice system related to this incident and prior interactions with the justice system if available (police contact, trial, correctional institutionalization), and the mental disorder(s) they were diagnosed with and that contributed to this crime.
Next, you will analyze this incident, explaining why and how this individual’s compromised psychological state, disorder(s), and the contributing factors that promoted this behavior. This will be done in comparison to the media and public portrayals and concerns about this specific individual (as detailed above) and generally regarding other potential incidents by those with these diagnoses.
Lastly, explain whether you agree with the diagnosis(es) and the criminal court’s decision (finding and sentencing). Grounding your opinion in empirical evidence, why?
1 Public accounts include those of witnesses, relatives, or other members of society that are not directly associated with court proceedings, such as testimony.