Mary, Mary, Shut the Door

by Benjamin M. Schutz

  Brief attempts were made to place Adam in residential schools where he could receive multi-modal therapy for his disabilities. Because of his history, age and appearance it was determined that family placement was entirely out of the question. No matter where he was placed Adam was not welcome. He was tormented by other students, no matter what their disabilities. Ultimately he was returned to the Helms Center’s Adolescent and Youth Services.

  While a resident there he became aware of the connection between his birth and Dr. Frankenstein. Another resident showed him the People Magazine article about Dr. Frankenstein’s work that made reference to his early discoveries, and his original ground-breaking work on Mary Shelley and the birth of her son, Adam.

  Adam showed little overt interest in Dr. Frankenstein or his birth. Pediatric records show that he entered puberty rather late, around thirteen. Shortly thereafter, violent outbursts against staff and other residents increased. Adam was placed in solitary confinement, and was so secluded when he made his escape from the Helms Center and went on his rampage.

  Physical/Medical Examination

  Adam Shelley is a well-nourished fourteen-year-old white male. He stands 6’7” and weighs 274 pounds. Whether his unusual size is part of his condition or a separate distinguishing feature is impossible to say.

  Adam presents a mixed picture of various congenital Dysostoses, including Cleidocranial, Craniofacial (Crouzon’s Disease) and Mandibulofacial (Treacher-Collins Disease or Franchescetti’s Syndrome). Such a combination raises the possibility of exposure by the mother to mutagenic agents such as toxic waste or radiation. Mother’s medical record, however, does not show similar symptoms.

  EEG and CAT-scan were conducted while sedated, so the results are not definitive. Adam refused to cooperate with the medical examination and so had to be tranquilized by use of a dart gun and then placed in restraints. No idiopathic or otherwise unusual brain activity was noted, nor were there lesions or tumors. The history for epileptiform seizures is negative.

  Visually Adam presents with acrocephaly or tower skull, enlarged parietal and frontal areas of the skull and extremely exophthalmic eyes, actually sitting on soft stalk-like protrusions. Stereoscopic vision is very poor and may well contribute to his general clumsiness and problems with gross motor articulation.

  External ears are malformed; the growth of and enfolding of extraneous tissue interferes with proper reception of sound. The tissue should be considered tumor-like and surgical procedures are tantamount to pruning with rapid reappearance of the tissues.

  Nostrils and sinus cavities are incomplete and not fully separated. Sense of smell is rudimentary. Highly arched cleft palate and defective dentition makes articulation extremely poor.

  Early medical records show 27 separate surgeries to repair defects or halt worsening conditions. Present appearance represents maximal improvement. Rapid growth as an adolescent threatens to create further difficulties. In light of the current situation, it should be pointed out that it is unusual for such an individual to live to his current age, and maximum expected lifespan would surely not be past early twenties.

  Although Adam’s size is very unusual, he does not seem to suffer from Giantism. Testosterone levels are normal and genital size and structure are normal and proportionate. Neither is he abnormally hirsute. Endocrine explanations for his behavior do not seem warranted, nor would hormonal treatments, such as chemical castration, be effective.

  Development, other than the massive, congenital and irreversible craniofacial deformities, seems within normal limits.

  Psychological Functioning

  Attempts at formal psychological testing with Adam were unsuccessful. He was presented with the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children—Revised (WISC-R), the Rorschach using the Exner Method and the Millon Adolescent Personality Inventory (MAPI), and destroyed the materials. Menacing gestures towards the staff psychologist led to a termination of the testing.

  Structured interviews were attempted with Adam on one side of a shatterproof plexiglass barrier. Due to the constant mucosal drip from the incomplete sinuses into the throat and other dental and palate deformities, articulation of words is extremely poor and verbal communication quite limited. A review of early school records showed at least average academic performance. In fact an early administration of the WISC-R, adapted for written responses, at age 7, just prior to the placement with the DeLacey family showed a verbal IQ of 107, Performance IQ 111, Full Scale 109, well within normal limits. There is no evidence available to us that Adam did not possess the requisite cognitive abilities to understand the consequences of his actions.

  Adam was monitored by video cameras during his entire stay at Goldstadt Medical Center. Detailed analysis of vocalizations and movements showed no pattern of responses to internally generated stimuli, either as visual hallucinations or auditory command hallucinations. Instead he roamed his cell in repetitive movements much like any other higher-order zoological specimen is apt to do. Attempts to dislodge window bars or to bend the bars of his door have been unsuccessful and have decreased during his incarceration. Most of the time he sits on the floor in the far distant corner of his cell. He either cries or raps his head against the wall. Recently he has begun to pluck obsessively at his garments. No suicidal behavior has been noted but because of his early history it cannot be discounted. Constant video surveillance and the spartan nature of his quarters mean that a successful attempt is highly unlikely.

  There has never been any observed history of the use of drugs or alcohol. Blood work taken when he was apprehended showed not even trace elements of any psychoactive drugs either prescribed or illegal. A claim of diminished capacity is not supported by any evidence.

  We are not privy to much of Adam Shelley’s psychological make-up. This has always been the case and it is even more so now that he actively refuses to cooperate with our evaluation. No content analysis of his fantasies is possible.

  His appearance has set him apart from others since birth. The lack of a stable, consistent and nurturing maternal relationship has probably impaired his capacity for all subsequent object relations. His history shows greater and greater isolation, dating from the failure of the DeLacey placement. His possible involvement in the death of the neighbor girl raises the question of early impulsivity and poor self-control even within a familial setting. That loss may have been the cause of the suicide attempts he later made. This would point to the inner experience of guilt, loss, depression and some rudimentary capacity to empathize and identify with other people. He has seriously limited ability and almost no experience in developing required social skills.

  He probably experienced some degree of object hunger and experienced the end of those relationships as a loss and some depression and guilt as an expression of personal responsibility. Unfortunately his behavior since then does not point to the continued existence of such internal structures or capacities. The death of Fritz Harmann may be explained as retribution for the abuse he inflicted; however, the records at The Helms Center show no remorse, guilt or affect of any kind at the event. Indeed Adam has steadfastly refused to ever discuss anything about his stay at the Sweet Love of Jesus Youth Home.

  I think it would be appropriate to consider Adam as at least an antisocial personality disorder (DSM III-R 301.70) with very limited capacity to connect or empathize with others. Previous therapy attempts with Adam have been uniformly unsuccessful. Initial attempts foundered on his sensitivity to the reactions of the therapist to his appearance. He would test these therapists by getting very close to them, opening his mouth, and exposing his rhinolaryngeal cavity to them. Eventually, he gave up on therapy and refused to participate. His condition at this time should be considered permanent and not subject to remediation. The prognosis of coerced psychotherapy is notoriously poor.

  Violence Assessment

  This assessment will utilize a combined clinical and actuarial prediction model. Current data sources cannot be used, as Adam Shelley ha
s refused to co-operate with the evaluation. We must rely upon interpretation of the evidence compiled by the police during their investigation.

  Actuarial Variables

  Age: Currently Adam is fourteen. While at one time this would have been considered early onset of a history of violence, this is no longer the case. What is of more importance is whether to date the first violent episode to the death of Marian Ludwigsdottir at age 7 or the death of Fritz Harmann at age 12. The evidence in these matters is highly equivocal. A cautious interpretation, attempting to minimize the probability of a false negative, would use the age of onset as 7. This is still statistically rare and an ominous prognostic sign.

  Sex: Male. Unremarkable. The finding that at least 90% of all violent episodes are male activities has been a durable one.

  Race: Caucasian. This factor weighs against a prediction of risk. Statistically, in the United States, more violence is committed by minority group members. What is consistent with previous race studies is that both offender and victim (s) were of the same racial group.

  Socio-economic Status: As an adolescent it is premature to definitely assign Adam Shelley to a particular social class. However, based on other highly correlated factors, a reasonable prediction can be made. 1. Family of Origin—Adam has been raised, with brief interludes, as a ward of the state and in institutional settings. Ultimate social class attainment for adults with this background correlates very highly with the distribution for children of single-parent unskilled labor families. 2. Educational/Occupational Level—Adam has never attended public schools. He has been educated as part of his treatment in residential hospital settings. Converting his current education achievements to public school equivalents, we believe him to be at least two years behind, possibly four. Likely occupational status is low. His lack of schooling, poor socialization and appearance would make it hard for him to work even on an assembly line. Due to his size and prodigious strength a case might be made for a higher standard of living in an isolated high-risk job such as a Game Warden in a sector with a high incidence of poaching and food hoarding.

  Clinical Variables

  History of Violence: Our approach relies upon a modified Kleinholz-Wessel Model. Case assumptions are that probability increases with each event, becoming a certainty at N5, and that the most important features of the pattern of events are: 1. Recency, 2. Severity, 3. Frequency, and an escalation in those features.

  Most Recent Episode: The roots of the most recent episode of violence lay in a series of letters written by Adam Shelley to Dr. Henry Frankenstein. These letters were in the possession of Henry Clerval, Dr. Frankenstein’s personal attorney. He informed the police that it was his advice to Dr. Frankenstein that he not reply to the letters because he felt that they were a precursor to a malpractice suit.

  The essence of the letters (there were three) was Adam’s belief that Dr. Frankenstein had an obligation to him to “locate and provide others of my kind” to ease the loneliness he felt due to repeated rejections by other people. The second letter contained vague threats against people in general but without any named victims. The last letter concluded with a vow to “ruin your life as you have ruined mine.”

  It was only three weeks after sending that letter that Adam Shelley escaped from the Helms Center. Dr. Frankenstein’s home address was in the telephone book. It must be concluded that Adam made his way there on foot that evening. There were no reports of anyone sighting him en route.

  Dr. Frankenstein had just recently been married, for the first time, to Elizabeth Lavenza. His wife had been an intensive-care nurse at the hospital where Dr. Frankenstein was Chief of Neonatology.

  In the home that evening were Dr. Frankenstein’s younger brother, William, a close personal friend, Victor Moritz, who had been best man at the wedding, and his father, Alphonse Frankenstein.

  What follows is the official recreation of the crime scene by the police forensics experts. It is believed that Adam Shelley hid by the large bushes alongside the garage. When Victor Moritz opened the garage door to park the car he had borrowed, Adam Shelley slipped into the garage and hid in the shadows. Victor Moritz left the car and went into the house through the inside door. It was at that time that Adam Shelley gripped Victor Moritz from behind and strangled him with his bare hands.

  Entering the house, it appears that Adam Shelley was seen by William Frankenstein, who screamed and attempted to flee the house. He was caught by Adam Shelley, who seized him by the neck with such force that while shaking him the spinal cord was severed and the spine itself broken at the topmost cervix. The boy’s body was flung into the fireplace.

  William’s father, Alphonse, apparently awakened by the sounds of the struggle, came upon the scene of his son being murdered and suffered a sudden, massive and fatal heart attack.

  Dr. Frankenstein and his wife were last seen leaving a party at 10:30 p.m. They probably arrived home around 10:50 p.m. Adam Shelley made no effort to hide the bodies and apparently waited for them in the darkened living room.

  When Dr. Frankenstein entered the house, he was struck a blow on the side of the head and knocked unconscious. What follows is from the final statements by Dr. Frankenstein before his death en route to the hospital.

  Dr. Frankenstein and his wife, who had passed out, were carried upstairs to their bedroom. Mrs. Frankenstein was placed on the bed and the Doctor bound to his desk chair with his neckties.

  When he came to, he found Adam Shelley stroking the breast of his still unconscious wife. He demanded that he stop, and the boy laughed at him. He reminded the Doctor of his request that he provide him with others like himself and that he hadn’t even bothered to respond. He said that he had originally planned to come to the house and kill Dr. Frankenstein for “forcing life upon me, a life beyond the reach of love,” but now he had fashioned a more fitting revenge. He would let Dr. Frankenstein live but would take his wife and make her his own. He intended to make her pregnant and thereby create a family for himself in his own image, children to love and be loved by in return. Obviously Adam’s plan was doomed. He had no appreciation of how hard it would be to create another like him even if he were the father.

  Adam Shelley then proceeded to rape Elizabeth Lavenza Frankenstein in front of her husband. While this was going on Dr. Frankenstein managed to work free from his bonds and threw himself at Adam Shelley. They struggled and Adam hoisted the Doctor overhead and threw him down the flight of stairs, where he suffered major cranial trauma.

  Elizabeth Frankenstein attempted to flee out an upstairs window, but was caught by Adam Shelley. Leaving the house, with Mrs. Frankenstein over his shoulder, he stopped and dipped his fingers in Henry Frankenstein’s blood and left a message on the mirror by the front door: “If not love, then fear me.”

  He then fled into the rapidly falling December snow. Henry Frankenstein managed to drag himself out of the front door of the house, where he was seen by a neighbor across the street who called the police.

  Adam Shelley became the immediate object of an intensive statewide manhunt. The next day he was cornered in a nearby barn and captured. Before he surrendered, he held the body of Elizabeth Frankenstein overhead and broke her neck.

  Prediction of Future Violence

  Drawing on the psychological and medical findings, the social history and the recreation of the most recent violent episode, we offer the following predictions.

  Violence exists as a potential within us all. There is a constant dynamic flux between those forces that inhibit its expression and those motives that it expresses. Violence occurs when a particular external situation or set of relationships destabilizes the balance of forces within an individual. A prediction of future violence must attempt to describe those forces, the stability of their balance, and what the likelihood is of a provocative situation occurring.

  Adam Shelley is a permanently disfigured young man who interprets the reactions of others to his appearance as rejection. Although at one point in time that rejec
tion may have resulted in hurt and sadness, it now sparks anger and rage. Adam’s appearance is not alterable. Frankly, it is unlikely that the response to him by others can be altered either. Therefore social interactions pose a constant risk of provocation. Therapy to alter his responses to others is unlikely to be successful.

  None of the emotions of “conscience” seem to operate within Adam Shelley at this time. He has shown no remorse or guilt over any of his actions. Whatever rudimentary capacity for empathy he may have had now seems gone. He views himself as something other than a human being, reducing his capacity to identify with them. Fear of retribution does not seem to motivate him. Indeed, it may be argued that he would seek out and welcome retaliation as an indirect form of suicide.

  Adam’s history of violence shows an increase in recency, severity and frequency. One may characterize the early episodes as accidental or retributive, but the deaths of William Frankenstein and Victor Moritz were merely expedient as means to his end, and that of Elizabeth Lavenza Frankenstein lapsed into the sadistic.

  Conclusions

  In sum, Adam Shelley seems a boy lacking in internalized inhibitors to violence, likely to run into many provocative situations, and now with a history that makes it almost certain that he will resort to violence again. Technically, the crimes that Adam Shelley is charged with constitute a mass murder, although his transportation of Elizabeth Lavenza Frankenstein argues for a classification as a spree killer. It is the opinion of this team that if allowed to return to society Adam Shelley would pose a constant high risk to kill again.