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I’m a clinical psychologist, and frankly, I don’t know if most of the conduct and behavioral history I’ve read would meet an admission standard. Most of what we are reading is not supporting involuntary treatment in a locked facility.

In retrospect, he merited referral at several points. But would he have disclosed symptoms of a qualifying serious mental illness and would there have been significant functional impairement? At what point would the evaluators have found evidence that he met the criteria of dangerousness?

It’s interesting to read what people think might be going on with him. In some photos he does look like an FLK (funny looking kid), but I would have a hard time defending that as part of my diagnostic reasoning.

How he looks, sounds, smells, engages and responds in interviews, testing and evaluation actually matter more. Without seeing his medical and educational records, it is hard to see support most of the diagnoses. We use he said/she said to investigate, but we have to find evidence to support our conclusions, even when they are often provisional. By the way, there are usually several diagnoses over 5 areas.

The planning, logistics, and actions (to the extent I’ve read) seem very, if not exceptionally well organized. Too much so for much of what has been speculated. Autism and auspergers seem to be replacing ADD and ADHD as the disorder de jour. Not long ago in Sacramento, there was a near epidemic of childhood Bipolar disorder diagnoses (and concurrently there was a ongoimg university research project on that very subject.)

Many jail inmates report auditory hallucinations, some of those have reported hearing voices prior to arrest, but unfortunately not all practioners explore that issue adequately (it’s pretty easy to fake.)

I no longer believe a person needs to be mentally ill to commit crimes, including multiple murders.