Purpose:

Explain how criminal responsibility determination was relevant in the case of Edward Gein.

Learning outcomes:

• Summarize the forensic psychological evaluation processes that were relevant in the case of Edward Gein:
  • Evaluation for competency to stand trial
  • Verdict related to criminal responsibility in light of mental disorder
  • Sentencing considerations due to mental disorder
  • Appeals based on mental capacity
  • Associated legal arguments
• Appraise issues regarding responsibility for criminal behavior in persons with mental illness.

Guidelines:

• Search media articles and case studies for Edward Gein for information related to the forensic psychological evaluation processes (and cite appropriately). These will most likely not be peer-reviewed journal articles (however, in some cases, actual perpetrators have been used as exemplars in scholarly work).
• Find and read at least one peer-reviewed, original research journal article on the association between your subject's diagnosis and some part of the legal process (e.g., how common is it for persons with your subject's mental disorder to be declared incompetent to stand trial and/or receive a "not guilty by reason of insanity" verdict?).
  • Appraise how your subject's case is/is not consistent with findings in this article.
  • Discuss potential issues such as: was "synthetic competency" an issue for your subject? Was the diminished capacity an issue? Be as specific as possible given available information.
• Cite at least one peer-reviewed, original research journal article to support whether the legal outcomes were appropriate given the perpetrator's mental disorder diagnosis. For example, if the perpetrator had untreated schizophrenia at the time of the crime and was considered incompetent to stand trial, support this by citing evidence that persons with untreated schizophrenia cannot participate in a trial.