Grains of Truth

Early on the bitterly cold Minnesota morning of January 19, 1986, a wealthy Alexandria businessman shot and killed his girlfriend in the midst of psychosis combined with his depression. Jolted back to reality by the discharged revolver, he raced downstairs and frantically drove himself to the nearby law enforcement center for help. So began a 23 year nightmare, now, within the labyrinth of a state hospital system. His release blocked because he declined programs unsupported by research as reducing risk, or anything else; milieu therapy, from which no one gets better; evaluations worded to support an intended outcome, and unclear motives of others, some suggesting financial advantages for keeping him confined. As a forensic psychologist court ordered to review his case in 2006, I supported his release. This story may leave you with more questions than answers related to psychiatric care, but it begged to be told, and begs more to be read.