Mind and Body - Page 63

November 27, 2015

Drew Peterson and Empathy

When Drew Peterson was brought into court on charges that he murdered his third wife Kathleen Savio, he was in a good mood. He yelled jokes to reporters about how "spiffy" his red prison jumpsuit was and called his shackles "bling."

November 27, 2015

A Missing Daughter

Dawn Drexel, the mother of missing teen Brittanee Drexel, told WHEC News 10 in Rochester, N.Y. that she believes her daughter may have been kidnapped or may not be alive.

November 27, 2015

Controlling the Panic

Cases of swine flu, or H1N1, are climbing and spreading to more states. At least 141 people in the U.S. have been infected, and one Mexican boy visiting Texas has died. Many more cases will be diagnosed-likely many thousands-before the spread of the illness ebbs. Public health officials and journalists warn of a pandemic, an epidemic of infectious disease that sweeps across a large geographic area, such as a continent, or around the whole world.

November 27, 2015

The Craigslist Killer

Philip Markoff, the 22-year-old accused Craigslist killer of model Julissa Brisman, may seem like the least likely of killers. But when all the facts are known, Markoff's story (if he is convicted) will start to make sense. Granted, he's a reasonably affable medical student without a criminal record a• but Scott Peterson was a friendly fellow and seemingly good neighbor before murdering his wife Laci and their unborn son, Conner. Dr. Richard Sharpe, the Harvard dermatologist (and cross-dresser, it turns out) was a respected physician prior to shooting his wife to death in front of their children. Dr. Jonathan Kappler, a California anesthesiologist who murdered my friend and colleague Paul Mendelson back in 1990, had worked for decades as an anesthesiologist prior to accelerating to 60 mph in his car and intentionally mowing Paul down as he jogged.

November 27, 2015

Meltdown: Inside the Minds of Mass Murderers

The tragedies are coming one after another. In Binghamton, NY, Jiverly Voong kills13 at the American Civic Association. In Pittsburgh, Richard Poplawski guns down three police officers. In Graham, Washington, James Harrison kills his five children and then shoots himself. All told, 57 people have died in multiple killings in the last month alone.

November 27, 2015

Bullied to Death

According to William and Janis Mohat, their son Eric, a 17-year-old, was bullied to death at Mentor High School in Mentor, Ohio. On March 29, 2007 Mohat shot himself after relentless harassment and intimidation that included being pushed, shoved and hit a• not to mention being humiliated by being called a fag, a queer and a homo. Eric had never shown any interest in homosexuality at all.

November 27, 2015

Kindling Real Hope: NOW

During my sixteen years of practice, I have never before seen so many people with high levels of anxiety and depression, fueled (at least in part) by the economy. Our society is gripped by one of the symptoms of panic disorder, a sense of impending doom - that the next shoe is about to fall, that calamity lurks around the corner.

November 27, 2015

18-Year-Old Virgin for Sale

An 18-year-old Romanian woman named Alina Percea has decided to auction off her virginity to the highest bidder to pay for college. She follows in the footsteps of other young women who have also put themselves up for sale, including England's Rosie Reid in 2004 and Carys Copesake in 2007. Meanwhile, here in America, Natalie Dylan, 22, is offering her virginity through Dennis Hof's Las Vegas Bunny Ranch.

November 27, 2015

Inside the Mind of Josef Fritzl

During August, 1984, Josef Fritzl, then 48, imprisoned his 18-year-old daughter Elisabeth in a damp and moldy secret room he had constructed beneath his home. Over the ensuing years he raped her numerous times, "fathering" seven children with her. One of those children died shortly after birth due to breathing complications Fritzl allegedly neglected to address - an act for which he was on trial for murder. He had already pled guilty to incest and to threatening to gas or electrocute Elisabeth and her children if they attempted to escape. Now, he has admitted to all the charges against him.

November 27, 2015

Dr. Keith: Letter to Chris Brown

Dear Mr. Brown_ We have never met. I don't presume to know your life story. If the allegations against you are true, however, and you did brutalize your girlfriend, I do know something very important about you.