Are some people just nutcases?
Yes.
Now some of them are that way because of mental illness and some are that way because of drugs, physical injury or some sort of disease but some just enjoy being kook-koo.
These people have always existed and sometimes even passed for normal (Goodwin Wharton being an example) but we did not write news stories about them and pretend they were ok. We knew they weren't. And felt sorry for their families so while we talking about them, (who could sit on a story that good?) we did so politely behind their backs.