Prosecution doctor says Blake knew right from wrong

Erica D. Johnson

Friday, March 26, 2004 | 11:14 a.m.

Prosecutors called their own doctor to the stand this morning to rebut the findings of an expert witness for the defense of Alfonso "Slinkey" Blake, who claimed the aspiring R&B singer was temporarily insane when he shot three women, killing two.

Dr. Tom Bittker, a forensic psychiatrist, disagreed with the findings of Louis Mortillaro, a licensed psychologist, who appeared for the defense on Thursday.

Bittker found that while Blake appears to have post traumatic stress disorder, he didn't develop the condition until after the murders.

"The defendant reports having intrusive images and nightmares," said Bittker, a member of the National Judicial College in Reno. "These images are a result of the homicides and were not playing on his mind during the homicides."

Mortillaro, who testified Thursday, said Blake was likely delusional when he killed Sophear Choy, 19, and Priscilla Van Dine, 22, and attempted to kill Kim Choy, 23 in a desert area in southwest Las Vegas on March 5, 2003.

"He appeared to have a compromised mental state at the time of the offense," Mortillaro said. "In layman's terms, it's like someone snaps."

Mortillaro based his conclusion on the results of a battery of psychological tests he performed on Blake, as well as interviews with several of Blake's family members.

He said Blake's borderline personality disorder, paired with the stress of being stabbed during a confrontation with one of the victims, could have resulted in psychosis.

"He would have difficulty knowing right from wrong and thinking logically," Mortillaro said.

Bittker disagreed with the diagnosis saying that it didn't correspond to known standards or his own clinical experience.

"He (Blake) had full awareness of the wrongfulness of this act and took measures to make sure he wasn't found out," Bittker said. "He sought to escape the scene, lied to hospital staff and tried to assume a new identity.

"It's all consistent with someone who committed a crime and is seeking to avoid detection."

Closing arguments in the three-day capital murder trial before District Judge Sally Loehrer were expected to begin later today. Blake faces the death penalty if convicted.

Prosecutors say Blake became angry when the victims reneged on an agreement to rent out rooms in his house and shot them "execution-style" in a desert area near Lone Grove Road and Decatur Boulevard.

Kim Choy survived the shooting and in testimony earlier this week identified Blake as the triggerman.

Jinah Chung, Blake's former girlfriend, said Wednesday that she saw Blake lead the women into the desert the night of the slayings. She said she fled with Blake to California, where he confessed the killings to her.

On Thursday Mortillaro said Blake told him he did not remember much about the slayings other than "fearing for his own safety."

Blake also said that at on the night of the killings, he was afraid that "friends of the victims would've arrived at the scene and killed him and his loved ones," Mortillaro said.

During cross-examination of Mortllaro, Chief Deputy District Attorney Robert Daskas presented Mortillaro with information the doctor said he was not aware of when he diagnosed Blake.

One such detail was Blake's extensive criminal history, which includes a slew of batteries and other crimes. Blake's penchant for violence dates back to 1988, Daskas said, when he hit a man with a baseball bat and broke his nose.

In 1988 Blake was driving down Eastern Avenue when he got into a confrontation with female driver. "He got out of his car and punched her twice in the face," Daskas said.

And in 1989, Daskas said, Blake had an altercation with a man and stabbed him twice. In 1992 Blake punched his ex-girlfriend in the face and threatened to kill her, Daskas said.

Jurors also heard from Blake's sister, Arlene Oliver, a defense witness. Blake went to Oliver's home directly following the shootings.

"He appeared to be a little upset, off-balance," Oliver said. "He appeared afraid, like someone was after him."