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"Cleaver Killer" To Stand Trial
By
Jen Chung
Published Aug 5, 2010
Modified Aug 5, 2010
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By
Jen Chung
Published Aug 5, 2010
Modified Aug 5, 2010
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David Tarloff, a paranoid schizophrenic who killed an Upper East Side psychiatrist in February 2008, was found fit to stand trial. According to the Post, "Tarloff, 41 -- a Messianic madman who believes he is the younger brother of Jesus Christ -- will argue he is not guilty by reason of insanity when he is tried this Fall for the gruesome slashing murder of Dr. Kathryn Faughey, 56, in her East 79th Street offices."
Tarloff was waiting for his old psychiatrist, Dr. Kent Shinbach, who shared office spaces with Faughey. Tarloff had slashed Faughey 15 times with a meat cleaver and then attacked Shinbach, when the other doctor came into Faughey's office to intervene. Shinbach had last treated Tarloff in 1991. Tarloff allegedly wanted to steal money, take his mother out of her nursing home and run away to Hawaii.
He "sat bug-eyed and blinking, staring around the room and pursing his lips repeatedly, as Manhattan Supreme Court Justice Charles Solomon today set October 12 for jury selection." A few weeks ago, Tarloff had wanted to dismiss his lawyer, Bryan Konoski, saying, "The first time I saw him I thought he was a liar" (and admitting he only agreed on Konoski because of the lawyer's "clean white teeth") but now Tarloff believes "he is a good man."
Previously, psychiatrists said Tarloff was unfit to stand trial. Konoski said, "I have a Medicaid witness who will testify that David has visited psychiatric hospitals -- either day visits or overnight -- for a total of more than 1,000 times."
Tagged
cleaver killer
david tarloff
guilty by reason of insanity
Kathleen Faughey
Kent Shinbach
murder
upper east side
Jen Chung
Jen Chung is a former WNYC and Gothamist editor.
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Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
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