State hospital’s chief contradicts defense doctors

By Matt Pordum (contact)

Thursday, March 10, 2005 | 8:55 a.m.

The chief psychiatrist at the state's mental facility testified Wednesday that he had monitored Dante Pattison for 20 months and had seen no signs that Pattison suffered from schizophrenia.

Dr. Howard Henson said the most likely cause for the psychosis that led Pattison to shoot his pregnant sister and their grandparents to death was chronic methamphetamine use.

Pattison, 21, is charged with murder in connection to the Feb. 24, 2001 deaths of his sister, 32-year-old Carrie Adric-Pattison, who was seven months' pregnant, and their grandparents, Yoshio Kato, 82, and Sally Kato, 75.

His defense attorneys argue Pattison is suffering from schizophrenia and is not guilty by reason of insanity. Prosecutors, however, have implied that Pattison's strange behavior was a result of his abuse of methamphetamine.

Henson's testimony directly contradicted doctors who testified on behalf of Pattison's defense. Dr. Gregory Brown, a forensic psychiatrist, and Dr. Thomas Kinsora, a clinical neuropsychologist, had both testified earlier this week that Pattison suffered from schizophrenia and should be found not guilty by reason of inanity.

Henson, who was called as a rebuttal witness by the prosecution, said at the very worst Pattison had an adjustment disorder from dealing with being charged with multiple murders, being incarcerated and knowing his family members were dead.

The doctor said Pattison was not placed on anti-psychotic medication to treat schizophrenia, but instead to treat the combative nature he displayed at the facility and his inability to follow rules.

Henson, who has been chief psychiatrist at Lake's Crossing in Sparks for roughly 18 years, said although Pattison often engaged in unusual behavior such as running around the facility naked and eating apple cores from the garbage, Pattison failed to show any symptoms he would associate with someone suffering from schizophrenia.

The doctor said most individuals who suffer from schizophrenia are "very guarded and withdrawn and try to avoid doing anything that would bring attention to themselves."

Henson said Pattison also showed strong abstract reasoning skills in his answers to proverbs, skills that aren't consistent with those who suffer from schizophrenia.

The doctor cited four examples to demonstrate Pattison's abstract reasoning abilities.

When asked what "don't cry over spilt milk" means, Pattison answered "You can't change the past."

When asked what "people who live in glass houses shouldn't throw stones" means, Pattison said, "Don't judge people."

And, Henson said, when he asked Pattison what "even monkeys fall from trees" means, Pattison answered, "Everyone makes mistakes."

The one proverb Pattison seemed to have difficulty with was "still water runs deep," Henson said. Pattison told him that it meant "deep water is still and runs slow."

Henson said a schizophrenic would have struggled to make much out of one of the proverbs, let alone three.

Henson said after reviewing Pattison's social history and his countless interviews and observations of Pattison it was his conclusion methamphetamine use was the reason for his psychosis.

Pattison allegedly told doctors that he used the drug once a week during the year of the killings and almost every day the prior year, when he was 17.

Earlier on Wednesday, Lake's Crossing forensic specialist Michael Mason testified about his 630 days of observing Pattison.

Mason, who was responsible for explaining the legal process to Pattison and monitoring his socialization skills, said he never witnessed Pattison engage in schizophrenic behavior.

Mason said he never saw Pattison display signs that he was having delusions or hallucinations.

Pattison told other doctors immediately after the slayings that he believed he was both on a mission from God and was the Emperor of Japan. He said he believed his sister and grandparents were assassins trying to kill him. He said he shot them with a Russian assault rifle in self-defense. Neither Mason nor Henson said there was any report of such delusion during his 20 months at Lake's Crossing.

On the contrary, Mason said, Pattison could often be found playing chess with staff members at the facility, many of whom he said were challenged by Pattison's skill.

When it came to answering questions about whether or not Pattison understood the charges against him or how the legal system worked, Mason said Pattison would look down and say "I don't know."