Man’s claims lead to sentencing delay

By Matt Pordum (contact)

Thursday, May 26, 2005 | 9:34 a.m.

A 21-year-old man sentenced to life in prison for killing his pregnant sister and their grandparents, despite claims of mental incompetence, now thinks he is being recruited to play soccer for the U.S. national team, according to his attorneys.

Prosecutors think Dante Pattison's latest problems are a ploy to avoid sentencing in the killing of his sister's unborn child.

On Wednesday, District Judge Lee Gates delayed the sentencing to give a doctor a chance to determine if Pattison is competent. Attorneys said his mental health was deteriorating and he was having delusions.

A jury convicted Pattison of using a Russian assault rifle in February 2001 to kill his sister, 32-year-old Carrie Adric-Pattison, and their grandparents, Yoshio Kato, 82, and Sally Kato, 75.

Deputy Public Defender Charles Cano said Pattison believes "he's being recruited to play soccer for the United States national team, and he's never even played soccer before."

"We had conversations in the days leading up to today's hearing and so has his mother, and it's pretty obvious he's mentally disturbed," Cano said.

"We have to make sure that when he goes to sentencing he is competent," said Deputy Public Defender Will Ewing, who also represents Pattison.

Chief Deputy District Attorney Marc DiGiacomo, however, insinuated the request for another doctor to evaluate Pattison was simply another ploy to escape justice.

"This is a defendant that manufactured a psychological disorder defense to try and avoid being prosecuted, and my inclination is to believe he's attempting to manufacture psychological evidence to avoid sentencing," DiGiacomo said.

Pattison's defense attorneys argued Pattison was not guilty by reason of insanity, that Pattison's behavior and symptoms are consistent with rapid onset schizophrenia.

At trial his attorneys said Pattison committed the killings because in his delusional state, family members were assassins attempting to kill him. His attorneys also said Pattison believed we was on a mission from God and was receiving signals from God during the weeks leading up to the killings.

Gates scheduled a hearing for June 22 to review the findings of the doctor who examines Pattison to determine if a competency hearing should be scheduled.

If a hearing is set, Gates would then have to determine if Pattison is competent for sentencing or should be sent to Lake's Crossing, the state's mental facility in Sparks.