Nah. No friction after he did that...Originally Posted by Nancy Drew
yall've said old hippie one too many times...
Nah. No friction after he did that...
yall've said old hippie one too many times...
You're all over the place.Personally, I do find it interesting. It was pointed out in the first article that it was an area of contention with his father. He takes dad out and grows a ponytail over the next 46 years. The Greatful Dead sticker alludes to hippiedom + ponytail. A lot of the comments on the articles is about how he is 'cured of schizo' and many people aren't buying it. Maybe he is smart enough to play nuts, which I think still makes you crazy.' What if he did kill the family because he was that enraged about the ponytail. What do investigators always say? Something about the smallest details might be what breaks the case? No matter how insignificant we might think it is?
I'm still taking it all with a grain of salt. I just see why other people would mention it, because of the original story.
I also am not sure what my opinion is. I'm still reading the comments and articles linked to absorb as much info as possible. Something doesn't sit well with me, but I think the dude has done his time and should be able to move on. At the same time, I still don't have a strong opinion.I don't know if any of this makes sense. I'm just unsure.
Provided that this guy doesn't have a basement full of bodies, I'm pretty comfortable in saying that he should be left alone.
Prodding an old man about how he killed his whole family can't bring good things. He's supposedly been fine for over 40 years. Let a sleeping dog lie.
this is basically how i feel. he was 15 at the time, there are reasons why we don't charge 15 year olds as adults. because they aren't and their brains aren't fully developed yet so they don't necessarily understand their actions. from the way it looks he's done well in life and has probably helped many people out along the way through furthering their education and who knows what else.You're all over the place.
Provided that this guy doesn't have a basement full of bodies, I'm pretty comfortable in saying that he should be left alone.
Prodding an old man about how he killed his whole family can't bring good things. He's supposedly been fine for over 40 years. Let a sleeping dog lie.
http://wilcoonline.com/what-happened...des-p820-1.htm
That link goes to the entire article written Ann Marie Gardner on July 25, 2013, the Georgetown Advocate. It's pretty long and there's an ad taking up the bottom quarter of the page.
Wolcott is 61, the adults at the time of the killings are in their 80's now. The interest of the Georgetown residents of today, is kind of second hand, not from people who actually knew the family. I think it's an important point, because at the trial an uncle said he never saw any indications of violence from James Wolcott. The author has a totally different view of how that uncle felt.
Then there's the matter, that because James was found not guilty by reason of insanity, He inherited the family holdings.
Even though he said he had long since given up hope of ever being hip, the 60-something man across from me was every bit the picture of a classic hippie; casual air, long pony tail, and a Grateful Dead sticker on his aging pickup truck. I had come a long way through the cornfields of Illinois to meet this doctor of Psychology whom I hoped would lead, maybe not to the end, but at least to the truth of this story. I had spent months doing extensive research, following leads, making phone calls to people in a half dozen states, role-playing and brushing up on the basics of clinical psychology to prepare for this conversation.
Why? Because the murder of an entire family is a ghastly thing. In 1967 it was beyond belief, and for Georgetown, Texas, then a small town with fewer than 5,000 people, it changed things forever. This horrific crime and subsequent trial received a great deal of media coverage for that era, making national headlines. Newspapers all over Texas and as far as New Jersey focused on the case for months. When it was all over, things were just not the same for a lot of folks in our community who described this event as the line of demarcation between before and after in Georgetown. Surprisingly, after the initial shock faded and life returned to a new normal, the lone survivor of that dreadful night seemed to disappear into obscurity, leaving many wondering in hushed tones at high school reunions, ?What ever happened to Jim Wolcott??
The man with the answer to that question now sat in front of me - not in a concrete room across a metal table - but in a crowded bar, talking between bites of chicken pot pie.
The Murders
In 1967, fifteen-year old James Wolcott lived with his family near Southwestern University in Georgetown, Texas. By all accounts, he was brilliant; he was an accomplished musician and had a voracious appetite for reading. His father, Dr. Gordon Wolcott came from a prominent New Jersey family and was the respected head of the Biology department at Southwestern. His mother Elizabeth was a vivacious woman from South Carolina, known for her participation in church circles around town. The fourth member of the Wolcott family was seventeen-year old Libby, a Georgetown High School class officer with a bright mind and a love of music. They were exceptional people living what seemed to be a typical suburban life.
On the evening of Thursday, August 4, 1967, James joined Libby and some friends on a trip to Austin to see a show. They returned home about 10 pm and life in the Wolcott house appeared to be normal. By midnight Libby and Elizabeth had retired to their respective bedrooms, while Gordon read in the living room. Inexplicably, just after midnight, James, by his own account, sniffed some airplane glue ?to give him a boost,? loaded a .22 long-barrel rifle, walked to the living room and shot his father twice in the chest. He then walked to Libby?s bedroom and shot her once in the chest, and when she fell he shot her in the face.
Awakened by the blasts from the rifle, his mother Elizabeth called out from her bedroom. James then shot her twice in the head and once in the chest. He later admitted that he had decided to kill them a week prior and had made a plan the night before. Next, he hid the rifle in the attic crawlspace above the closet in his bedroom and ran out of the house toward University Avenue. Three college students traveling from Houston to Eden, Texas saw him there at about 1 am. James flagged down their car, crying that he needed help because someone had just shot and killed his entire family. Reluctantly, the three returned with James to the house to assess the situation. While James waited outside, the college students entered the grisly scene to find Gordon and Libby dead where they lay and Elizabeth barely breathing on her bed. According to police interviews, the students repositioned Elizabeth on the bed to make her more comfortable, called for an ambulance and the police, then waited outside with James. Later, in court, one of the students described James? demeanor as ?hysterical, pounding on the porch and wondering how this could happen.? None of the college students were entirely comfortable with the situation and they were hesitant to commit to any kind of empathy or reaction. Oddly enough, when they realized there might still be someone in the house with a weapon, they ?high-tailed it out of there.? James, however, did not hesitate to go into the house with them.
At approximately 3 am, Williamson County Sheriff Henry Matysak arrived on the scene, and was joined shortly thereafter by Texas Ranger Jim Riddles from Austin, and Williamson County Attorney Timothy Maresh. A family friend took a very distraught James to the hospital where his mother was fighting for her life. They were soon joined by another family friend, Reverend Wallace Chappell, pastor of First Methodist Church of Georgetown. Witness reports indicate that James was very anxious at the hospital and the Reverend asked the doctor to provide him with a tranquilizer, believing him to have been traumatized by the event. Upon receiving the news that his mother had died from her wounds, James simply said, ?Thank you.? Reverend Chappell, a neighbor of the Wolcott family, took James back to the parsonage while the authorities processed the crime scene. Ranger Riddles and Reverend Chappell began reviewing the evening?s events with James who still maintained that ?someone? had shot his family. According to his report, Ranger Riddles idly chatted with James about his activities with his father. Then he asked James directly, ?Did you kill your parents, son?? With only a brief hesitation and a sigh, James replied ?Yes, sir,? and went on to describe each of the shootings in detail. Although there are variations of the subsequent exchange, court and police reports agree that James indicated that he hated his parents, giving motive to his actions. After he was informed of his Miranda Rights, James stated he did not want a lawyer and was willing to show the investigators where he hid the rifle.
James Wolcott was held in the Williamson County Jail in Georgetown until his trial.
His relatives from South Carolina arrived fairly quickly and remained in town for a few days. During that time they made seemingly opposing statements to the court. His aunt Dorothy, Elizabeth?s sister, said that despite everything, the family wanted what was best for Jim and if he were to be hospitalized they wanted him to be located close to family so they could visit. Her husband simply said, ?Jim has always been on the brilliant side, and he has gone berserk.?
You're all over the place.
Provided that this guy doesn't have a basement full of bodies, I'm pretty comfortable in saying that he should be left alone.
Prodding an old man about how he killed his whole family can't bring good things. He's supposedly been fine for over 40 years. Let a sleeping dog lie.
I know, right?
Part 2
The Trial
The hearings and trial of James Wolcott for the murder of his father, Gordon Wolcott, began in October 1967. After reviewing the facts of the case, the court determined that now sixteen-year old James was competent to stand trial as an adult. The adult certification statute was brand new and Wolcott was the first-ever case in Williamson County. He was represented by prominent Georgetown attorney Will Kelly McClain. According to McClain’s son, Dr. Martin McClain, his father came to the case reluctantly, after the wife of close friend who was also a colleague of Gordon’s at Southwestern University, encouraged him to consider it. Now well into her nineties, this friend recalls W.K. McClain as “an exceptional and honorable lawyer.” Still, 46 years later, people still question why McClain agreed to defend a seemingly indefensible client.
Martin recalls his father “felt like folks wanted to lynch the kid” and he needed a good defense. One of McClain’s law partners remembers that he once commented, “It was what Gordon would have wanted me to do.” Still, it is said that the trial took an enormous toll on McClain, who, according to friends, seemed to age ten years in the six months he spent on the defense in hearings and the trial.
James’ own defense was that he had known for some time he was mentally ill. During pre-trial medical evaluations, he claimed to have considered suicide the previous winter, stating that he was “just bored with it all.” According to court transcripts, James began sniffing airplane glue several months prior to the crime, contributing to a condition his doctors diagnosed as paranoid schizophrenia. Other depositions and reports indicate James said he believed his father, mother and sister were trying to drive him insane, or destroy him. He “did it” in self-defense before they got him first, although his reasons were as unseemly as they were shocking. During his assessment with Dr. H.R. Gaddy, Jr. James stated that, among other things, his mother chewed her food so loudly that he would have to leave the room, and his sister had a really bad accent. He did not mention his father in Gaddy’s interview, but a classmate indicated in a deposition that his father wouldn’t allow him to go to a peace rally, insisted that he cut his hair, and wouldn’t let him wear his anti-Vietnam buttons. Martin says Will Kelly knew an insanity defense was risky, but after a fairly short and relatively unremarkable trial, an all-male jury found James not guilty by reason of insanity. He was sentenced February 2, 1968 to Rusk State Hospital in Nacogdoches, Texas for an unspecified length of time; until he “became sane.”
After The Trial
Martin McClain said his father told him at the time that James did not actually live at Rusk full time during his detention. Purportedly, one of James’ psychiatrists felt he didn’t deserve to be incarcerated and invited James to live in his own home. According to Martin McClain’s account, the doctor and his wife became “sort of surrogate parents,” apparently trusting James around their family. Medical records have since been destroyed, but in 1974, the hospital administrator sent a letter to the Williamson County District Attorney stating that James was no longer suffering from paranoid schizophrenia and requested a competency hearing. Just six years after shooting his entire family, a jury declared James Wolcott sane after only ten minutes of deliberation, making him a free man.
The district attorney at the time subsequently filed a motion to dismiss the indictments for Elizabeth and Libby’s murders, conceding if James had been insane when he killed his father, a new jury would certainly find him insane for the other two.
Because he had been found not-guilty of the murders, James, the only surviving heir, was entitled to his parents’ estate. He also received a monthly stipend from his father’s pension fund, and was ultimately awarded the balance of the estate, minus his attorney’s fees and those paid to Mrs. Wolcott’s sister, the estate executor. As unbelievable as it may seem in today’s “Google society,” what happened to James Wolcott after that was mostly unknown. As far as anyone knew, he left Georgetown and never contacted his family or anyone who knew him. He took nothing from his family home and left no forwarding information outside of court records. But he and his story remain a part of the city and those who lived here in the 1960s. Like many small towns that suffer a similar event, people tend to think of their home in terms of before-and-after the crime. It changes things because people just never imagine someone could do such a thing.
Life After Rusk
Rusk State Hospital began a student practicum program with Stephen F. Austin University in 1970. Previous testing showed James to have an IQ of at least 134, and he received a Bachelor’s Degree from the university in 1976, just two years after his release from Rusk. It is conceivable that while in detention at the Rusk Hospital, James received the equivalent of a GED and likely completed some college coursework. James applied to the Nacogdoches Municipal Court to affect a legal name change. His filing did not include a lawyer’s name, but it stated “it would be in his best interest” to change his name from James Gordon Wolcott to James David St. James, and the judge agreed. After receiving his Masters’ Degree in Psychology in 1980, James St. James began his doctoral work at the University of Illinois, and received his Ph.D. in 1988. Dr. St. James began teaching at Millikin University in Decatur, Illinois in the Behavioral Sciences Department and received a leadership award in 1997. He is currently an Associate Professor of Psychology and the department chair.
Part 3
You may be interested in the comments at the end of the article.Professor St. James Today
Millikin University has arguably benefitted greatly from Dr. St. James’ understanding of and devotion to psychology. He says, “There is no job title in the world containing the word psychologist that does not require a Master’s degree.” And he believes research is essential to success in any case. His mission at Millikin, therefore, is to vet, educate, and prepare his students for graduate school.
Although he is a tenured professor, Dr. St. James continues to do his own research. He doesn’t like computers but he has been designing and writing his own programs since the 1980s “simply because no one else writes effective programs” he can use to analyze his data. As a scientist, Dr. St. James seems to have an objective approach to religion as well and is very artful in his delivery. He is an atheist but he has been practicing his delivery for many years, on hundreds of students—with varying belief systems—without offending them. To paraphrase: Although some religious revelations may indeed be the word of God, they still contradict each other and therefore none of them can be true, so just get over it.
A source close to him says he enjoys (or used to) reading Freud in the original German, he is an excellent guitar player, and never seemed to be a fan of driving. He watches golf occasionally on television but really doesn’t have much use for TV. He prefers to read and continue learning all the time. As a youth, his room was full of books by Ian Fleming, anti-establishment poets, and a lot of science fiction and fantasy. He says now he prefers to read mysteries, and he never wants to retire. People who know him today greet him fondly. His students call him “cool” and his courses get high marks in social media and in reviews. He can entertain and talk expertly about almost any topic, except perhaps pop culture, which he seems to find odious. I had the distinct impression he would weep if you even mentioned the words “American Idol” or Lady Gaga.
His carefully crafted universe enables him to do the one thing he has been primarily committed to for all of his adult life, his academics. In conversation, he is extremely private about himself, although it’s not immediately noticeable because he is well-read and he dodges questions. But if you mention “attention response time” or other psychology terms, his voice goes up, as does his posture, and he shows you again how smart he is.
Afterword
It is difficult to say if fifteen-year old James Wolcott is still in there somewhere, or if he truly picked up where he left off and continued his life’s path, as outward appearances indicate. Having studied his photos dozens of times, I could see the face of the young boy with bloody hands mingled with that of the older man across the table. I had to remind myself about the tragic events of 1967 and picture sweet Libby in her blood-stained Adam & Eve pajamas those times when I wondered if it was wrong to potentially throw a wrench into this man’s life. He may never share the real “why” with anyone and really doesn’t care if we are curious. Although many have wondered what happened to him, he stated emphatically that he is “profoundly uninterested in what people in Georgetown think of him.” Rest assured, it is not likely James Wolcott (or St. James) will ever attend a reunion.
Dr. St. James has spent decades sharing his vast knowledge of and affection for his studies and hasn’t had so much as a parking ticket as far as anyone knows. While there are students who may be better off that he went to Rusk instead of prison, the world would also have been a better place if his father’s wisdom and mother’s generosity had not died with them, and if his sister’s brilliance hadn’t been snuffed out before it had a chance to blossom. In the end, there remain things that continue to confound. One is the irony of a person who hated his father enough to pull the trigger, yet his adult life and occupation are an uncanny mirror of his father’s. Second, although the murders of Gordon, Elizabeth and Libby Wolcott had a profound and lasting effect on the people of Georgetown, they don’t appear to have altered James’ path, and it doesn’t seem to bother him any more now than it did in 1967 -- which is the most unsettling part of all. I think most people want to believe that the man responsible, or at least the son left behind, would be the most affected – maybe there’s a good psychologist out there who can help.
http://wilcoonline.com/what-happened...des-p820-1.htm
We charged Rachel Shoaf as an adult. idk how much difference a year makes.
Which is off-topic about how I feel about this because I wouldn't object to him teaching or anything.
(forgive me, i shouldn't post with a headache hangover because i make myself sound like an idiot, i know ). she'll still be out one day, and hopefully will make something of herself. a lot of psychologists would argue that girls brains develop faster than boys brains (the frontal lobe anyway, which is the part of the brain we use in critical thinking), but at 16 i still think you should be tried as a child. however, wasn't that part of her plea or something along those lines?
i guess i'm confused, so you think it's okay that he's a free man who is able to work and educate himself and others, but you don't think he should be able to hide his identity due to his crimes?
Im with mT on this one. I don't know how I feel about this guy. I think it's great he has made such a big change and that he has positively contributed to society. I cannot ignore the fact he killed his family. It's not like he got high and robbed a convenience store, he murdered 3 people. I was an impulsive teenager, but I didn't kill anyone. That is not normal teenage behavior. There was some suggestion the murders were also premeditated. So while I say he should be left alone, I will also side eye him.
"The love for all living creatures is the most noble attribute of man" -Charles Darwin
You'll side-eye him now, sure. Would you have side eyed him prior to this being released is the question.
I guess I think that info shouldn't have been revealed, but since it was, I don't feel too much outrage about it. Since I feel that he should be able to do those things, it doesn't really matter that that info is out there, if that makes sense. I mean, we all know Marky Mark went to prison for attempted murder, and I don't think a lot of people are boycotting his movies or his underwear, you know?
No if I had no idea if this happened I wouldn't side eye him, I would have no reason to.
Ok shins, I get your point. It took me a minute but I got it
Last edited by Angiebla; 08-05-2013 at 12:09 PM.
"The love for all living creatures is the most noble attribute of man" -Charles Darwin
Yes, this ^ ^ Thank you, mT!
You know, I found it amusing, so I commented on it. That...Is...All...It...Was. OK??
Yeah, I get you found it amusing, since you mentioned it more than once. My question was why it was so amusing, which was covered.
I'm not the only one who found your interest redundant and unusual, so you can stop taking everything so personal.
*ahem* And now back to our regularly scheduled (redundant and unusual) programming...
Prof. St. James has authored two textbooks, it seems...in addition to the textbooks that accompany the psychology research software (of which he is also a coauthor.) All are on the subject of psychological research, which is his specialty.
Textbook #1:
Psychology Software Tools, Inc: Exploring Research Methods in Psychology Using PsychMate
www.pstnet.com, 3 April 2010 [cached]
James St. James (author of the student textbooks accompanying the MEL Lab and PsychMate software) has authored this textbook to serve as the main resource for your research methods class.
...
James D. St. James is Chair of the Department of Behavioral Sciences at Millikin University in Decatur, Illinois, where he has taught since 1986. He received his PhD in Experimental Psychology from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign in 1988. He is coauthor of PsychMate and its predecessor, MEL Lab. His current area of research involves detection of validity of effort in human motor performance testing. He teaches introductory psychology and advanced courses in statistics and research methods at Milikin University.
...
Textbook #2:
Exploring Research Methods
www.pstnet.com, 24 April 2008 [cached]
James St. James (author of the student textbooks accompanying the MEL Lab and PsychMate software) has authored a textbook to serve as the main resource for your research methods class.
Here is his Milliken University bio:
Dr. James D. St. James,* B.A. Stephen F. Austin State University, M.A. Texas Women?s University, and Ph.D. University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, is an Associate Professor of Psychology in the Behavioral Sciences Department. He currently serves the the Department Chair.* He is is an Experimental Psychologist and teaches a variety of courses including Advanced Experimental Psychology, Advanced Statistical Methods, Introduction to Psychology,*Memory & Cognition, and Principles of Psychology with Lab. Dr. St. James' research interests include motor control and motor learning, attention, and memory.
a link to his PsychMate software:
http://www.pstnet.com/downloads/productsheets/PM.pdf
Last edited by *crickets*; 08-06-2013 at 09:34 PM.
It's Grateful Dead, not "Greatful Dead"
Fascinating story indeed.
I feel he should be able to continue on with his life & career. He did his time and managed to overcome his demons. (I hope my words don't cause me to open mouth, insert feet). JMO.
What is tickling my brain is the opening of a huge can-o-worms and whether or not he will be able to handle the tidal wave that is now upon him.
Betty Smithey and her story had me crying like a baby just a couple nights ago. Betty did a 360* turn around and decided enough was enough. I BeLIEve people can change....if they want to. I don't want to go any deeper into the mental health aspects of this, it's 5 in the am and time for me to try and sleep.
But... I do smell a lifetime movie.
Well that goes without saying. I thought that when I clicked on this. And I thought it again when Shins said our correctional system is about rehabilitation. haha
This happened in the 60s. There's probably a black dude currently serving time for the professor's family's murder.
Hmmm. A real memory with an incorrectly recalled term? Or complete & utter shite? You would think an academic, even if they recalled the general tone rather than exact words, would at least have the sense to use slang contemporary to the era to fill in the blanks. Maybe this is a loyal current student who thinks "bubblebutt" IS an old word?? I'm tempted to point it out in the comments & see if it gets a bite (probably not tempted enough to create a profile so I can post though - guess I'm past the Trixie Belden stage).
ETA as far as I can tell, all of the http://wilcoonline.com/what-happened...des-p820-1.htm etc links on the articles posted aren't working. The articles that were posted with links on the previous page, & the links I posted to them with the b&w photos on pg 2 are all giving "page not found". Is it a glitch that's only affecting me? Or have they been taken down? I've seen the journalist defending her decision somewhere, she came in for pretty heavy criticism - could they have been removed? Surely not ? it's a bit late - it was picked up by every news service & then some.
Damn, I love this forum...where else can you find a member who will research and document the origin of the word 'bubblebutt'?
And blighted star, you ARE a star and a supersleuth as well!
BTW, I have not seen any mention or allegation of abuse by the parents anywhere. And it was his biological father he killed, not a stepdad.
ETA: He IS an old hippie...he has a Grateful Dead sticker on his pickup truck! (thanks to blighted star for the link to the original story in the 'Georgetown Advocate'!)
Awww thanx but lol. I'm not such a supersleuth. I tried & failed to find early bubblebutts
However! Re - "He IS an old hippie...he has a Grateful Dead sticker on his pickup truck,"
I did find this Community Service Announcement -
No offence intended to any old hippies - we never would've had hippie punks or Crass without you
It's supposed to be. And they claim it is on paper.Well that goes without saying. I thought that when I clicked on this. And I thought it again when Shins said our correctional system is about rehabilitation. haha
This happened in the 60s. There's probably a black dude currently serving time for the professor's family's murder.
Is there much of that in reality? Fuck no. That's part of what makes this case so interesting.
I know it's off topic & I shouldn't be posting like it's a music thread because this isn't as closely on-topic as puzzld's (sorry to everyone it annoys - I can always replace it with something relevant later), but after I listened I had to share the Aus Vietnam Vet anthem. This is the song most often sung when pubs are emptying. There's far better versions on youtube - search Cold Chisel or Jimmy Barnes & you'll see how popular it still is almost 40 years later, but just in case people have trouble with a half Glasgow/half Australian accent, this has English subtitles=puzzld;3478220]Nah. No friction after he did that...
yall've said old hippie one too many times...
Written as a protest song, now the unofficial army anthem
This is entirely original Australian Army footage from the Vietnam War
Last edited by blighted star; 08-07-2013 at 07:36 AM.
Oh, gee, I guess it's good that I copied/pasted the article here then.
This link still works: http://www.suntimes.com/news/metro/2...-st-james.html
New link for original article
http://wilcoonline.com/GeorgetownAdvocate-158.htm
Last edited by I doubt it; 08-07-2013 at 08:21 AM.
back on topic - this article compar?s him to John Liszt because he also appeared to have been absolutely law-abiding after annihalating his family. Regardless of the comparisons, I still think the journalist is displaying far more worrying personality traits. She's hunted down someone known for prior homicidal acts & is disturbing almost 50 years of reportedly "normal" behaviour by poking him with a giant psychological stick & of course now other people are poking him too. A normal person would be worried about where this might lead.
This article was too long for one post so I've snipped the stuff that already had multiple posts & links -
http://www.americanthinker.com/2013/...y_defense.html
Also - can anyone find the articles with the busted links? I can't get them on google search either now?August 7, 2013 A Psychology Professor's Dark Past Raises Questions about the Insanity Defense By David Paulin
As St. James ate a chicken pot pie, Gardner eased into what she really wanted, relating: "I talked about doing research on atypical psychology and said 'I came across some information in, um, Central Texas...' His fork stopped - for a geologic age. He never denied who he was, and I never said any words like Wolcott, killing, or glue, and the conversation went on pretty much as it had before. We talked about 90 minutes and although he gave me absolutely nothing new about the crime, I knew more about him when we were done, including when he was truthful, avoiding the
She didn't elaborate, though she added: "I told him I was considering writing a book and he said he didn't care. When I asked if he'd just help me get to the truth he gave me an immediate 'No.' I then said it would be hard to write a truthful book about him without his input. He said I should 'walk away and do something else...' I found it interesting that he cleaned his plate completely, while I only ate three bites of mine." And in parting comments, the Advocate noted that St. James "may never share the real 'why' with anyone and really doesn't care if we are curious. Although many have wondered what happened to him, he stated emphatically that he is 'profoundly uninterested in what people in Georgetown think of him.' Rest assured, it is not likely James Wolcott (or St. James) will ever attend a reunion." They expected to see a monster, yet Gardner and Payne seemed in the end to be unsure of what they saw; whether Wolcott, in other words, is a redeemed man or a clever sociopath who fooled everybody -- his psychiatrists, two juries, and everybody who knows him as James St. James.
Anatomy of a Murder
What role did James Wolcott's evident narcissism, reflected in his self-absorption and embrace of the peace movement (and vanities of that era) have on his mind? Lots of kids sniff glue and do drugs. Very few of them murder their families in cold blood while they're high. If the psychiatric diagnosis was wrong, that opens up the possibility of St. James being a likeable sociopath, a man comparable to John List, the New Jersey accountant who murdered his family. List established a new identify, remarried, and lived a new life that was remarkably ordinary and law-abiding. The insanity defense figured prominently into the 1958 novel (and 1959 movie) "Anatomy of a Murder" -- a veritable guidebook on how to get away with murder by gaming the criminal-justice system. Author John D. Voelker, writing under the pen name Robert Traver, was a Michigan Supreme Court Justice who was troubled by the insanity defense and assorted legal trickery; and his novel (and subsequent movie of the same name) contains some memorable scenes reflecting his unease.
Defense lawyer Paul Biegler, the novel's protagonist, gamely suggests to a quick-tempered Army officer (who shot a bartender in front of many witnesses) that temporary insanity might be a possible defense. He explains, "Well, insanity, where proven, is a complete defense to murder. It does not legally justify the killing, like say self-defense, say, but rather excuses it." Lt. Frederick Manion is intrigued and asks how long he might be in a mental hospital. "Months, maybe a year," Biegler replies. "It really takes a bit of doing. Being D.A. so long I've never really had to study that phase of it. I got them in there; it was somebody else's problem to spring them. And it didn't dawn this defense might come up in your case." St. James' former students are shocked by the revelations, yet most are standing behind their professor, and so is Millikin; it issued a statement saying: "Millikin University has only recently been made aware of Dr. St. James' past. Given the traumatic experiences of his childhood, Dr. St. James' efforts to rebuild his life and obtain a successful professional career have been remarkable. The University expects Dr. St. James to teach at Millikin this fall.
Of course, the murders were far more traumatic for St. James' father, mother, and sister. In defending James Wolcott, prominent Georgetown lawyer Will Kelly McClaind is said to have aged ten years during the six months that he handled the case. He took it reluctantly, in part because he was troubled that "folks wanted to lynch the kid," his son, Martin, told the Advocate.
Similarly, the fictional Paul Biegler had his own misgivings, even while doing his job and advising the guilty-as-hell Lt. Manion of his legal options. "I had told my man the law," he related, "and now he had told me things that might possibly invoke the defense of insanity. It had all been done with mirrors. Or rather with padded hammers.
St. James may find that openly discussing his past, in the spirit of truth-seeking expected from a professor, may help him regain some of the credibility he lost now that his dark past has finally caught up with him.
Whoops, yes they can & yes it's probably a very good thing they were copied though I suspect it's my tablet/connection that's screwing things up.
Last edited by blighted star; 08-07-2013 at 08:30 AM.
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