Monster by Steve Jackson

Brown with the hammer or that he actually pushed the handle into her or masturbated during the attack. “He further denied any loss of consciousness, although he remembered noting blood, ‘and then came to my senses. I must be sick.’ ”
    During the interview, Pelc noted that Luther’s behavior ranged from calm, quiet responses to “more vocal expressions of anger.”
    “His emotional state was capable of rapid change. He accepted some responsibility for his actions ... although he feels that the exact details have been exaggerated and that others are attempting to persecute him.”
    Pelc found that Luther’s cognitive functioning—that is, his perception, memory, and judgment—was normal and that he had above average intelligence. “Clinically, he presents signs of some psychological dysfunction ... although nothing to suggest the presence of psychotic behavior.
    “Instead, it is more likely that Mr. Luther at times feels isolated, alienated and misunderstood by others. He may harbor strong feelings of inferiority and insecurity. These feelings could become manifest in various long-standing physical complaints. However, they could also become evident in impulsive acts of resentment and hostility.”
    At one point during the examination, Pelc gave Luther a test in which he was supposed to fill in the blanks. One’s temper is
    ... “UNPREDICTABLE,” Luther wrote. Aggression is ... “AN ACT OF BEING TENCE (sic).” Pelc surmised that Luther’s addiction to drugs and alcohol was a means of “self-medicating” the tension he felt.
    “Under certain conditions—high distress and some provocation—” Pelc reported, “he might be expected to respond with an inappropriate, intense anger which lacks control.
    “The frustration of searching for the victim’s destination could have served as a trigger for explosive and violent behavior.”
    Pelc determined that there was “an absence of a planned, specific intent to commit these acts.” However, it was also his opinion that Luther was aware of his activities and that he acted knowingly.
    Luther, the psychologist reported, was in need of long-term intensive psychotherapy. “From this process, he might be able to reconcile earlier events of his life, establish a firmer sense of personal identity, and make a better adjustment in the future.”
    Pelc’s evaluation was followed in December by an examination by Dr. Jeffrey Metzner, a psychiatrist with the Colorado State Hospital in Pueblo on behalf of the prosecution. Again, the examination began with Luther’s recounting of his troubled childhood before moving on to the assault for which he was arrested.
    “Mr. Luther states that his mother,” Metzner wrote in his report, “is now putting on a show for everybody ‘that she cares ... but she’s not capable of loving or caring about anybody else.’ ”
    This time, Luther’s account of the attack was more heated, especially after he described getting hit in the head with the hammer and pummeling Mary Brown with his fists. “I was hollering ‘bitch,’ ‘slut’ ... I dared her to hit me again with the hammer. I said I would make her drive the hammer up her ass.
    “I remember saying something about her wanting to get raped. I can’t remember clearly ... it was like a blackout state for a few minutes.”
    Luther said he began to “snap out of it” while straddling Brown with his hands around her throat. “She was crying and there was blood on the window. She was begging me not to kill her. I remember thinking that I was getting sick and demented.
    “I don’t remember telling her to take her clothes off, but I do remember telling her to put her pants on.
    “She wanted to know where I was going to take her and whether I was going to kill her. I kept reassuring her. I wondered what I should do. I hoped that maybe I would not get into trouble, but I had given her my name and address. I just told her to get out and drove back home.”
    Luther told Metzner