http://katu.com/news/story.asp?ID=56475
| KATU 2 News - Portland, Oregon www.katu.com |
|
Penalty phase continues in Longo trial
April 14, 2003 NEWPORT - Convicted family killer Christian Longo sufferered physical abuse by his biological father that left him with a narcissistic personality disorder, a psychologist for the defense testified Monday. As the penalty phase of Longo's capital murder trial resumed, psychologist Steven Scherr testified that Longo's biological father beat Longo's mother, Joy, while she was pregnant with him. Further, Scherr said, the biological father gave Christian Longo a black eye when Longo was 3 years old. Those incidents don't excuse Longo's actions in the slayings of his wife and three childen, but they do offer some explanation for how Longo developed a "narcissistic personality disorder," the psychologist told the jury. "Mr. Longo appears on the surface to be intellectual and calm, but there is a lot emotion underneath that he has to keep the lid on," Scherr said, adding that Longo may suffer from depression, anger and anxiety. Longo was convicted last week of killing his 4-year-old son Zachery and 3-year-old daughter Sadie. Earlier, he pleaded guilty to strangling his wife, 34-year-old MaryJane, and youngest daughter, 2-year-old Madison. The same jury that found him guilty will decide whether Longo, 29, will be sentenced to death, life in prison or life in prison with the possibility of parole. The penalty phase of the trial is expected to go to the jury this week. In Monday's testimony, Scherr said Longo has a deep-seated need to appear as though he has everything under his control - which is why being shunned by fellow Jehovah's Witnesses in Michigan after an earlier conviction for passing bad checks was especially damaging for him. Scheer also testified that Longo was more likely to commit suicide than to harm others if spared the death penalty. In earlier testimony, Longo's adoptive father Joe Longo told the jury that Longo was a bright but sometimes lazy teenager who was home-schooled and dedicated himself to the door-to-door work of the Jehovah Witnesses. "We lived a clean, moral life," Joe Longo, a retired office supply store manager, told the jury Thursday. "We visited parks and zoos, and all kinds of places you can go with little or no money." Defense attorney Ken Hadley has argued that Longo does not pose a future danger to society, saying the murders were an exception to a life otherwise unclouded by violence. Longo had been convicted of fraud in 2000. Prosecutors have painted Longo as a cold-hearted killer who got rid of his family and within three weeks was cavorting with a woman at a beach resort in Mexico. They say he never repented for his crimes, even flirting with female inmates while in jail awaiting trial. The prosecution wrapped up its case in the penalty phase Thursday. (Copyright 2003 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.) |