Capital Gazette Shooter Trial: Prosecutors Try To Prove Jarrod Ramos Plotted His Attack
ANNAPOLIS, Md. (WJZ) -- On day six of testimony in the insanity trial for the Capital Gazette shooter, the prosecution revealed that there were more cases where the defendant retaliated against people he believed wronged him.
During cross-examination of clinical psychologist Dr. Catherine Yeager, Anne Arundel County State's Attorney Anne Colt Leitess revealed that the defendant had an online relationship with a woman named Cathy.
According to Leitess, the defendant contacted the woman's husband to expose her when things took a turn.
Yeager previously revealed she determined the defendant has autism spectrum disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder and delusional disorder.
According to Yeager, people with the disorder are able to "...operate normally as long as the delusion is not stimulated."
However, in the case of Jarrod Ramos, Dr. Yeager said the Capital Gazette article about his previous harassment case was the "tipping point" and "...he was consumed with taking legal recourse and trying to make this right."
After several failed lawsuits, the mass shooting at the newspaper was carried out killing Gerald Fischman, Rob Hiaasen, John McNamara, Rebecca Smith and Wendi Winters.
The prosecution tried to chip away at the argument that the defendant has mental illnesses such as obsessive-compulsive disorder.
There was a narrative that the defendant is a germophobe but the prosecution showed pictures of his dirty apartment along with the image of him lying on the floor in the Capital Gazette newsroom.
"Apparently he didn't have a problem with dirt on that day," said State's Attorney Leitess.
It was also revealed that the defendant smeared feces in the vent of his jail cell to force the staff to move him.
Law professor and defense attorney, Jose Anderson said the prosecution's goal is to poke holes in the defense's storyline.
"You challenge the credentials of the expert to offer the kind of testimony that they are giving so that the jury has less confidence in that part of the defense's case," said Professor Anderson. "That's the way a prosecutor should be challenging an expert testimony by undermining the experience of the expert in the given circumstance."
The defense called their final witness Wednesday afternoon Dr. Dorothy Otnow Lewis. She is a renowned psychiatrist with Ivy League degrees, about a half-century of experience in her field and numerous publications.
Dr. Lewis also concluded that the defendant has delusional disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder and autism spectrum disorder.
The defense will continue presenting their case with Dr. Lewis as an expert witness on Thursday.
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