Couple Found Slain by Mikita Brottman

 

In 1992, Brian Bechtold shot and killed both his parents.  He was twenty-two years old and told the police he was taken over by devils.  Brian was found schizophrenic and not guilty by reason of insanity.  Since his trial, he has spent twenty-seven years in a mental hospital in Maryland.

Brian grew up in a dysfunctional family.  His parents had a loveless marriage and there were five children.  His father ignored the children and his mother was overwhelmed.  Both were physically and mentally abusive to the children.  

This book was written about Brian's time in the hospital.  Although he feels that he has not been ill for many years, he is caught in a cycle of misdiagnosis where if he talks about his feelings, he is considered paranoid and if he doesn't talk about them he is considered secretive.  Both options can lead to more restrictive medicine regimens and even being moved to more restrictive wards.  But Brian has not done himself any favors either.  Over the years, he has escaped in an attempt to be either shot and killed or transferred to prison.  He has attacked a staff member with a knife he constructed.  He has refused treatment for serious illnesses including cancer.  It leaves the reader sad for his life but able to understand the thoughts of the doctors who have kept him in the hospital all these years.

This book is written by Mikita Brottman.  She is a British American author who specializes in true crime fiction.  This book is different from many in the genre as it focuses not on the crime but its' aftermath.  The horrors of Brian's life in a mental hospital are portrayed although it feels like not enough weight is given to the views of the doctors.  I listened to this book and the narrators were good.  This book is recommended for true crime readers interested in causes of crime and what happens afterward.