On July 24, 2014, in Orange, Connecticut, 24-year-old Tim Granata murdered his mother Claudia. She was home with him and hadn't gone shopping with her daughter because she feared he would kill himself.
Before that, Tim had been involuntarily committed to a psychiatric hospital after suicide threats. Members of the Granata family voiced concerns that they feared he could harm them or the mother. He had already attacked a brother.
Both his parents were medical doctors. They had the best available knowledge, the best network of psychiatric contacts, and the funds to pay for the best therapeutic interventions. All that didn't prevent the murder.
Obviously, mental illness remains a mystery. It also isn't easily treated.
Obviously, too, the law as it was in Connecticut didn't prevent the mother from being killed by a son diagnosed with schizophrenia. Yes, we are quite aware of human rights and the mentally ill. And in-for-life mental asylums essentially are an achronism in America.
However, at least in CT, the legal system did render justice, after the crime had been committed.
Tim eventually wound up in a psychiatric facility for "restoration competency" so that he could stand trial. When he regained enough of his mental faculties to assist with his trial his defense was not guilty by reason of mental disease or defect. The trial took place not before a jury but a panel of three judges. After less than a hour he was acquitted.
In the 2021 book "Everything Is Fine," Tim's older brother Vince tells that story. Depending on one's view of justice, it seems to have as inspirational as possible ending in terms of law. At least, after a horrific tragedy. And given the law that tragedy didn't seem preventable, not as Vice presents the details.
Vince reports the sort of positive outcome:
"With the acquittal, the judges committed Tim to the jurisdiction of the Connecticut Psychiatric Review Board. This board would determine the length of his incarcerated treatement that could span decades, but could not exceed sixty years."
At that facility Tim is allowed to go off his medications. However, since his demons take such hold of him again he can be coxed to get back on them.
In terms of what mental illness does to a family, according to Vince, Tim's two brothers, sister, and father will probably never be whole. However, Tim is part of their lives. They can separate out the disease from the person. They manage to still find and love pieces of Tim which are still there.
An interesting part of this story from a genetics point of view is that Tim is a triplet. His brother Chris and sister Lizzie show no signs of mental illness. The older brother Vince did run into problem drinking after the murder but, alerted by his father, he exited out of that.
For lawyers, healthcare workers, and families in which there is serious mental illness "Everything Is Fine" is a useful read. The tone is realistic about the limitations of the legal system and psychiatric community and the powerlessness of loved ones. The information is up-to-date. And there is hope that even in the worst-case-scenarios acceptance of what-is is possible.
Disclosure: In my extended Eastern European family there have been both schizophrenia and suicide. I struggle to separate the disease from the human beings.
Place your sponsored content here on this syndicated site. Affordable rates. Please contact janegenova374@gmail.com.
Comments