Last month I was in a law firm. Not because of a legal issue—I was there to discuss writing the content for their new websites. Two lawyers, who had been part of one firm, were setting up independent practices. One lawyer hired me. The other wasn’t sure, so he wanted to meet me. A week later I learned that the second lawyer decided he would write his website himself.
On Saturday, I was shocked to see a story in the local newspaper: The second lawyer, Seth A. Fuscellaro, who was also a public defender in Lower Township, New Jersey, was charged in a $15 million mortgage fraud scheme. The FBI actually arrested him in municipal court and escorted him out in handcuffs.
The lawyer was one of 11 people charged in the scheme. One man was also charged with attempted murder—he allegedly shot a witness multiple times. (The witness survived.)
As I read the article for the second time, I still couldn’t believe my eyes. When I met Fuscellaro, I saw absolutely nothing that might indicate any inappropriate behavior, let alone fraud on the scale reported in the newspaper. I had no reason to think the man might be anything but a busy lawyer.
Colorado movie massacre
People are having the same reaction, on a much larger scale, to the news that James Holmes, a shy neurosciences student who was working on his Ph.D., was arrested in the shooting massacre in the Aurora, Colorado movie theater.
People who knew Holmes, and knew his family, are stunned. Neighbors and teachers described him as “smart” but “quiet.” According to an article on CBSNews.com, “In high school, Holmes won a competitive position at a rigorous science boot camp and an internship in neurobiology at the prestigious Salk Institute.”
A video has emerged showing Holmes as an 18-year-old making a presentation to fellow students at a science camp, explaining “subjective experience—what takes place inside the mind, as opposed to the external world.”
Watch: James Holmes: First video of alleged killer released, on ABCNews.go.com.
Obviously, people want to know, “Is Holmes delusional? Does he have a mental illness?” It’s certainly too soon to know. But reporters are already asking the question:
Was this killer mentally ill?
“It says a lot about the type of prejudice we have when we automatically go to the presumption that a clinical mental illness was the cause,” says Praveen Kamban, a professor of psychiatry at the University of California-Los Angeles. “Even the surgeon general of the United States has said there’s very little risk of violence or harm from a stranger who has a mental disorder.
“Not all bad behavior comes from mental illness. Sometimes it can simply be bad behavior.”
Read Probe of shooting suspect James Holmes intensifies, on USAToday.com.
Syndrome of sociopathy (psychopathy)
Here is the point of today’s post: Just because someone behaves badly, even murderously, it does not prove that the person is a sociopath (psychopath).
Sociopathy is a pattern of behavior in which individuals manipulate and exploit others. It is a syndrome, which means the disorder is associated with several recognizable features, symptoms or behaviors.
As I explain on the Key Symptoms page of Lovefraud.com, Dr. Robert Hare identified the traits of a psychopath as:
- Glib and superficial
- Egocentric and grandiose
- Lack of remorse or guilt
- Lack of empathy
- Deceitful and manipulative
- Shallow emotions
- Impulsive
- Poor behavior controls
- Need for excitement
- Lack of responsibility
- Early behavior problems
- Adult antisocial behavior
Although James Holmes has yet to be charged in the Colorado shootings, let alone tried and convicted, he was caught at the scene and his apartment was booby-trapped with explosives. I think it’s fair to anticipate that he will go to prison.
Obviously, his actions were massively evil. Holmes planned his assault in a cold, calculated way. But is he glib, egocentric, grandiose or impulsive? Does he have a need for excitement? Did he have early behavior problems? Look at the video—does this guy at all resemble the human predators that we were involved with? No.
In my opinion, as heinous as this man’s actions were, he probably is not a sociopath (psychopath).
Joe Paterno
Here on Lovefraud, there was also a raging debate a few days ago about Joe Paterno. This case is a bit muddier, because we have learned, through the Freeh Report, that Paterno did lie, at least in reference to his knowledge of Sandusky’s behavior with young boys. We’ve also learned that he wielded incredible power at Penn State, used his power to protect his turf, and was willing to throw innocent children under the bus in order to avoid negative publicity and a stain on the shining image of Penn State football.
This is reprehensible. It is a betrayal of everything that the coach supposedly stood for. Still, based on what has been published about this affair, I doubt that any competent clinician would diagnose Paterno as a sociopath.
Keep in mind that not only is sociopathy a syndrome, it’s also a continuum. That means that a disordered person can have any of the traits listed above to a greater or lesser degree. To qualify as a sociopath, an individual needs high enough scores on enough of the traits to meet the threshold.
So perhaps Paterno would have scored high on “egocentric and grandiose.” But would he have scored high on all, or even many, of those other traits?
Quite honestly, I don’t know for sure. I never went to Penn State, never met Joe Paterno. I only have access to media reports, and they may be incorrect or biased. Many, many sportswriters have been coming out with articles saying, “I believed Joe Paterno and I was wrong.”
Bad behavior
Here at Lovefraud we’re learning about sociopaths, which is important not only for us as individuals, but for all of society. Millions of these predators live among us; they are incredibly destructive; and we need to watch out for them. The more people who are aware that they exist, the better.
Still, we need to guard against seeing a sociopath behind every bush. Not everyone who is power-centered, lies and steals, or even commits mass murder is a sociopath. As the psychiatrist quoted above says, sometimes bad behavior is just bad behavior.
I will second in concurrence, thedoorisclosed:
“I don’t even want to play the game of semantics,
in the end they are all evil bastards.”
More than enough said.
I still stand true to that resolution.
Just evilness because it can and no other reason required.
Dupey
Shootin’ from the hip a little bit, and from personal experience, I’d say Paterno probably is a sociopath. In my experience, sociopaths seem entertained by and even defend and supply sexual predators, particularly pedophiles (which is also a disorder on a continuum.)
In Columbus Ohio, we have a sociopath that runs all the major gay bars. He markets/targets the kids at Ohio state. He brings them in and supplies them to his business partners/friends. They’ll do anything for him. As long as the young flesh keeps flowing. It’s a sick situation. But it’s right out there in public for all who can understand what they’re seeing.
Have only commented on here once and don’t know most people’s stories. Stargazer, we must be neighbors of sorts. This thread touches close to home because I grew up in Aurora and my two oldest sons attend CCA and knew one of the victims, A.J., who was only 18 years old.
When we went to the vigil on Sunday, Governor Hickenlooper refused to even say the shooter’s name. He was referred to as ‘suspect A’. He also said that if someone is determined to carry out a horrific act that they will find a way to do it, whether guns were legal or not. I think that we should learn as much as we can about any red flags or warnings that were possibly missed. Not so that we can blame someone or point fingers but so that we learn and try to prevent something this horrific from happening again.
As far as guns go, the laws in Colorado are pretty loose but this particular movie theater did not allow guns inside. Something the shooter probably knew about, plus he had body armor so even if people had been armed it would not have mattered in this case.
We are trying to concentrate on the victims and their families. Stargazer you are right about this community being full of good compassionate people. I saw one of the doctors being interviewed and she almost broke down. The toll this must have taken on the emergency personnel is unimaginable.
As far as the shooter, when he was in court he looked like he was trying to ‘act crazy’ or like he was not all there. He would bug his eyes out or pretend he was dozing off or have a ‘confused’ look on his face. It was so fake. We are sure he will be trying an insanity defense which will be difficult considering the six months he stockpiled weapons and ammo.
Was he a ppath? who knows. Call him a psychopath, deranged or just crazy. In the end it really doesn’t matter. It can’t change what has happened to our community and the devastation left behind. We would prefer to concentrate our thoughts and efforts on the victims, survivors and their families.
AnnieO, I couldn’t have said it better myself. Sounds like this story has touched a little closer to home for you too.
Today there was tightened security where I work (which is on the same campus where the killer took classes). They were checking our badges at the entrance. I continued to hear stories of people who jumped in and helped out. My officemate, a former flight nurse, just showed up on her day off to offer support for staff over the weekend. This was all people talked about today. Tomorrow there is an open forum for the entire hospital, which I will attend.
I agree – shooter obviously a dangerous person, whatever flavor you call it. And the only attention I want to give him is to learn what we can from his behaviors so we can prevent this in the future. It does seem that in his twisted mind, he wanted reality to imitate art somehow as if he thought that would be amusing somehow. The anger I feel is over how easy it was for him to amass all those weapons. I thought perhaps we would have learned our lesson after Columbine and tightened the reins a little on that.
I can’t imagine the pain and guilt the survivors must feel who lost loved ones. I especially keep thinking about the mother who lost her young daughter. Naturally, you want to question why a mother would bring a young child to a midnight showing of a violent film. Probably not the best judgment. But who would ever imagine she’d have to pay that kind of price? She will have to live with that for the rest of her life. So senseless.
My friend and I drove to town today to do some shopping and on the way home we were talking about the drouth here and the fact that her husband is having to sell his cows because he can no longer afford to feed them, there is no hay anywhere locally at affordable prices, and a few years ago her house burned….and she lost a daughter in a horse back riding accident two years ago this month…alll “acts of God” so to speak. All bad things, horrible things, but NOT something that someone decided to DO that was evil. No one deliberately burned her house, no one shot her daughter, it isn’t anyone’s fault because it hasn’t rained. So we can “understand” and accept these bad things that happen….but when someone does something like this to deliberetely bring on pain to others, to deliberately hurt others “for the fun” of it, out of just plain meanness, it staggers the imagination.
Welcome AnnieO, and I am so sorry that you have experienced up close and personal the tragedy in Colorado. God bless.
Thank you Star and Ox~ It was deliberate and callous and unthinkable.
I was talking to my nineteen year old shortly after it happened and I asked him why someone supposedly so brilliant would pull this off at a theater just across from the Aurora Police Dept. He said to me that it looks like he booby trapped his apartment, which is across town in North Aurora, so that the police and first responders would be at that scene when he shot up the theater. He had planned it so that his stereo would start blaring music which would prompt someone to enter the apartment and set off the booby traps.
This was all supposed to happen before the movie started. We just heard on the news today that the bombs he set up were so powerful they would have likely blown the building and the one next to it to bits. That explains why he told the police about the bombs, because that part of his plan didn’t work. Plus I think he wanted to show off his ‘brilliant’ work. Highly narcissistic and very methodical.
The college my sons go to in Aurora is also having a meeting tomorrow and they are offering support to students. Glad to hear that your work is allowing an outlet as well. We need to process what has happened. This was in the middle of the city in a place where everyone should feel safe.
I have noticed that people seem a bit more patient, more humble and polite. We want to honor the victims and live better lives with an understanding that life is just too damn short to waste. A reminder to tell those you hold dear that you love them. A reminder to live free and live well.
I’ve noticed at work today people being kind to one another, having heart-to-hearts, and mending fences. Tragedies like this can bring out the best in human nature.
Yes it does Star, when it’s close to home like that, but it doesn’t last long. I remember the okc bombing was like that, now it’s just another tourist attraction.. Sorry if I sound jaded.
Hens,
after 9-11, my trojan horse spath BIL would say, “All day long I find myself breaking out in spontaneous crying. I can’t help myself.” He was trying to feed off my emotions to see if he could get me to express the same.
His brother killed himself. Tried twice before and finally succeeded after he called BIL and BIL wouldn’t answer because, as my sister said, “He’s tired of listening to him whine.” So he called my spath sister and tried talking to her. I was in the room and heard her telling him that “nothing you do matters to anyone. You can do anything you want.”
The funeral was amazing. Spath BIL planned every last detail. He chose the coffin, the music, the slideshow, the speeches. I cried and cried and cried, it was so emotionally overwhelming. Yet I’d only met the deceased ONCE.
Spaths never let an opportunity to suck on emotions pass them by.
Yeah, I’m jaded too, but at least now I think I can tell real emotions from the crocodile tears.
I hate it when the first thing people say after a murder is mental illness…millions of people worldwide manage to cope with mental illness without killing or harming anyone. It’s just an excuse quite often.
And even if someone is mentally ill that does not excuse an atrocity: they have a responsibility to manage their problems just like anyone else.
Isn’t that the boundary between mental illness and personality disorder: the sociopath or psychopath is unable or unwilling to empathise with victims and to take appropriate action to avert suffering or harm?
This happens on a scale I think with the low-level personality disordered willing to permit or enjoy cruelty for their own gratification, for example with Paterno to protect his little empire, or on a larger scale with the lawyers who would tolerate and enact violence to commit fraud.
The society we have become encourages low frustration tolerance and acting out fantasies and being irresponsible: sex and greed are subject to less and less social controls. The whims of a few middle-aged male egos mean anyone can get access to weaponry. Huge industries build up around promoting irresponsibility because it makes vast profits and political power.
People are applauded as celebrities just for being out of control…and some people would rather get attention for unspeakable actions if they can’t succeed in more positive ways.
It’s not a popular position in psychology any more but yes- some people are literally evil, they enjoy and willingly do harm: some on a small scale, some much worse.
But anyone who enjoys cruelty is going to wreak havoc and ruin lives somewhere…