Michigan Psychologist Charged with First Degree Murder in Bludgeoning Death of Daughter

Robert Brian Kelly, the Oxford, Mich., psychologist accused of bludgeoning his daughter with a baseball bat in May has been found competent to stand trial. Charges were upgraded to premeditated first degree murder after the girl died Wednesday.

On May 9, Kelly is accused of beating his 20-year-old daughter Megan Roberts in the head as she lay sleeping. The girl has been hospitalized since and passed away on July 27. The autopsy revealed death from brain trauma from blunt force. Kelly claims to have no memory of the incident. The 52-year-old told his attorney that he hadn't been sleeping and that he was having headaches and hallucinations. He's been put on suicide watch. Nevertheless, the judge in Rochester Hills found Kelly competent to stand trial.

There is some confusion about the terms "insane" and "competent to stand trial." Anders Breivik, the alleged Norway shooter, has been called "insane" by his lawyer. "Insane" is not a medical or psychological term; it's a legal distinction. The terms "mentally unstable," "insane" and "incompetent" refer to a defendant's mental state at any given time. To be declared "insane" does not always negate culpability; it usually refers to the defendant's ability to understand that he committed a crime.

A judge may find a person mentally incompetent to stand trial, as in the case of alleged Tucson, Ariz., shooter Jared Loughner. This does not mean that the defendant will never stand trial, only that at that point, he is unable to do so. This does not mean that the person will be found to have been incompetent at the time of the crime.

In Kelly's case, motive has not been determined. Kelly claims to have no consciousness at the time of the crime and only remembers coming to standing with the bloodied baseball bat. Judge Asadoorian declared Kelly competent to stand trial, based on the clinical evaluation of Michigan's Center for Forensic Psychology. It does not automatically translate that he will be deemed mentally stable at the time of the incident in which he is accused.

Are there physical conditions under which a person might do violence and have no memory of it? TIA (Transient Ischemic Attack or mini-strokes) and Alzheimer's are just two of the diseases that can cause violent behavior in an altered mental state. Drug use, alcohol, even prescription drug use can cause hallucination and fugue (confusion, loss of memory).

Self-medicating or mix medications without a doctor's authorization, can do harm the mental state. Steroids, even prescribed, are known to cause aggression and "roid rage." Mood-altering drugs, antidepressants, antipsychotics, SSRI (Sustained Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors) and MAOIs (Monoamine Oxidase Inhibitor) all alter hormone balance. If taken with other prescriptions (heart medications, blood thinners, pain relievers) without adequate blood work to determine if they are counter-indicated, they can have disastrous effects.

Kelly is being held without bail, in the Oakland County jail. He will appear in court on August 4. If convicted, Kelly faces life in prison without parole. The family of Megan Roberts has requested no contact from the media.

A life-long resident of "Pure Michigan", Marilisa Kinney Sachteleben writes about people, places, events and issues in the Great Lakes State.