Saturday, September 22, 2012

"MacDonald is Psychopath" says Author


The author of the best-selling book "Fatal Vision" testified Friday at a hearing for Jeffrey MacDonald, who was convicted of killing his pregnant wife and two daughters at their Fort Bragg home in 1970 and is asking a judge for a new trial.
Joe McGinniss, who was embedded with MacDonald's defense team during the 1979 trial, read excerpts from his book about the case and called MacDonald a "psychopath."
The author testified that he was present for the entire defense interview with Helena Stoeckley, a known drug addict who claimed off and on that she was in the MacDonald home the night of the murders.
McGinniss says he watched defense attorneys try for three hours to coax Stoeckley into saying that she was involved in the murders. Instead, she told them no, "I can't help you," McGinniss recalled.
That contradicts what MacDonald's then-attorney, Bernie Segal, told the judge during a bench conference at the 1979 trial – that Stoeckley had confessed to being inside the house.
McGinniss appeared shocked by that revelation Friday and said if he had known that Segal "stood there before the judge and lied," that he would have included that in his book.
"I don't mean to speak ill of the dead, but to stand before the judge and make up stuff, this is ridiculous," he said.
McGinniss was given special access to MacDonald and his defense team in order to write the book, which MacDonald had hoped would show his innocence. McGinniss, who originally thought MacDonald was innocent, changed his mind and wrote that he thought MacDonald had committed the crimes.
"Psychopaths are very charming people, but it was a tough fight between my head and my heart," McGinniss said Friday.
MacDonald eventually sued him for breach of contract, and the two reached a $325,000 settlement.
On cross-examination, defense lawyers questioned McGinniss about why he wrote letters to MacDonald and said "total strangers could see that you did not get a fair trial."
"I knew he would break off contact if he knew what the book was really for," McGinniss testified. "My commitment was to the book and the truth."
The defense hammered on how much money McGinniss made writing about the MacDonald case and asked if anyone else has profited more. No, McGinniss said, because no one has done as much work as he has covering the case.
McGinniss also testified Friday about a letter he received from MacDonald, which he included in his book, saying that MacDonald had been taking a drug called Eskatrol to lose weight, as required by his boxing coach.
The author said he researched the drug and found that it was an "upper and a downer" that had dangerous side effects, including "uncontrollable bursts of anger," that could lead to psychosis if large amounts were taken.
In his letter to the author, MacDonald said he had possibly taken the drug the night of the murders. Defense attorneys pointed out that McGinniss omitted MacDonald's words, "I do not think I had one," in the book and instead put ellipsis in its place.
The author's testimony came on the fifth day of the hearing, which could last up to 10 days, and hinges on DNA evidence that wasn't available in 1979 and witness testimony that MacDonald's defense team says proves his innocence.
U.S. District Judge James Fox will determine if he gets a new trial.
MacDonald – now 68, remarried and still in prison – has never wavered from his claim that he didn't kill his wife, Colette, and their two daughters, 5-year-old Kimberley and 2-year-old Kristen.
He has maintained that he awoke on the sofa in their home as they were being attacked by four hippies – three men and a woman, who was wearing a blond wig and floppy hat, chanting "acid is groovy, kill the pigs."

19 comments:

Anonymous said...

McGinniss must be a heavy drinker and megalomaniac as he has far reached his usefulness as an author and strayed into the field of psychiatry. 'Pychopath' indeed! Wonder what scripts were shooting off in his mind as he was writing the book. He only wants the truth-that s, what is in his head to become reality.

'tking a drug called Eskatrol as to lose weight,as required by his boxing coach..."

Did the boxing coach really require him lose weight? He didn't look too heavy in the photos.
Was McDonald a contender?

The author "reseached" Eskatrol and found the side effects to be both an upper and a downer and COULD LEAD TO PSYCHOSIS. (He hopes to profit in ways other than the publishing of the book).

Did the author "reseach" that the call to go to Russia was in the capacity of a team physician and not to be in the ring as an opponent? Or, did it conviently slip his well heeled mind?

Anonymous said...

Mcginniss is a major part of the reason we are still hearing about this case. When the goal becomes profit, the waters always get muddy. Mcginniss did some very shady things while writing this book.

Anonymous said...

Can't you just imagine being a customer in a nearby store to have one of these crime chasing 'authors' or PIs rush in and blurt out, "Some doctor just murdered his wife!" prior to any news being revealed about the crime?

mommaklee said...

Jeffrey MacDonald was taking drugs to lose weight and he did say the boxing coach wanted him to in a handwritten statement.

http://www.thejeffreymacdonaldcase.com/html/1970_mac-on-murder.html

Jeffrey MacDonald does fit the profile for sociopath. He is charming, a pathological liar, has an inflated sense of self, no sense of remorse or guilt about the murders, no sense of empathy for what his family suffered, was promiscuous, etc. I could go on, but you get the picture. Here are some youtube videos that show a lot about the nature of James MacDonald.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mWrLpng7xsM&feature=relmfu

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FVmlW3fNt3w

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zlt4p2hGXzE

OldPsychNurse said...

Eskatrol spansules were an ADHD medication COMBINED with an antipsychotic medication which INHIBITS violent bizarre behavior. This medication was very UNlikely to be a factor in MacDonald’s homicidal behavior. (Three to five percent of children and teens in the USA are prescribed ADHD medications and their families are still alive.)

Anonymous said...

I've read some about this case and find Gunderson's insertion of himself, his theology, and contempt for other people's offspring to be more than fascinating.

I also read on one site that the pseudo-informant had claimed to, along with drugged out friends,tried to force to good doctor to get them a shipment of Dexadrine.

Recalling that drug from high school and knowing it was sold over the counter and wasn't really a controlled substance, I wondered what they were really trying to do with the informants.

Dexadrine was hawked to many women during the '70s Barbie/Farrah Facett look alike phenomenon as all were considered fat and atrosious.

Two types of women:1)Barbie who is a toy, 2)Frumpy mommy-type

Anonymous said...

Atrocious not atrosios

Anonymous said...

Watched a video of an interview and he says he wife was yelling "Jeff, Jeff, why are they doing this to me?" and his daugher was yelling "Daddy, Daddy, Daddy" Sounds like what he may remember as he killed his family but who ask "why" instead of yelling for help when being murdered? And kids tend to call for mom first so how would his daughter know to yell for Daddy alone.

Anonymous said...

I have read Joe McG's book many times. I have read interviews with MacDonald from the time Collette, Kim and Kristy were killed until now. All you have to do is listen to his OWN words and body language, and you will have little doubt he killed them. Listen to his words using Statement Analysis and you will KNOW he killed them. Do not give this narcisist any more attention or credence.

Unknown said...

Guilty as the day is long dureing artic summer 24 hr daylight..

Anonymous said...

I imagine the man is guilty of many things, however, murdering his family in the fashion described may not be one of them.

Who would go to such lengths as to use three different weapons to prove three people attacked?
Why describe a "girl" holding a candle, wearing a floppy hat and boots below the knee? A woman was seen nearby when the MP's were enroute to the crime scene fitting that description. In 1969 many women would have fit that descrition as that style was all the rage. He couldn't identify the druggie Stockly who, due to years of drug and alcohol exposure, would confess to anything as she was a minion of the FBY.

And, as in most other high profile cases in which the FBY might be included, homosexuality enters the picture. Not only that, but the serology report came back detailing all family members each had a different blood type. That is an immediate accusation of infidelty of the wife he chose to marry. (Sounds a little Jerry Springer-ish).Not to mention another FBI bigwig-pardon the pun-was a hair specialists. Seems odd that many hairs were found that needed expert opinions on and about. In a crime photo next to the deceased wife's body there appears to be either a hair brush or lint brush. Coincidence?

He receives a call about going to Russia with the boxing team for 30 days. Coach says no such plans were ever on the table. Stockly admits to being in the home during the murders and the phone rang and she answered it. After he was taken to the hospital, no prints were found on either phone.Then, his commanding officer's wife states she received a call about the time the murders occurred. A man's voice. No details. The "club"-weathered from being left outside after painting a bed- had a phone number written on it.The paint samples matched dripped paint on the sidewalk. The grain of the club matched wood on the bed inside.

He mentions to a shrink that he thought a neighbor lady had posioned his collie.

He hires a military pschobabblist as a lawyer and is in Russia for 30 years-NOT 30 DAYS!

He was not only duked, but also duped. He would do as much to anyone else, too.

Anonymous said...

So for those that think he is guilty, what do y'all make of Helena saying she was there even to her own mother and that her boyfriend killed Collete. He too later admitted to the murders.

Blood Banker said...

Anonymous 9/23 @ 9:51 said: "Not only that, but the serology report came back detailing all family members each had a different blood type. That is an immediate accusation of infidelty of the wife he chose to marry."

This is incorrect. If one parent is an O and the other is an AB, they would have children who were A or B. (Type O is recessive.)

Blood Banker said...

Also if one parent is A and the other is B (and they both carried the recessive O), they can have children who are A, B, AB, or O. Okay, I'm done nitpicking.

Anonymous said...

Still curious what everyone thinks about Helena saying she was there, that her boyfriend Greg killed them.... And Greg himself said he killed the family.
If he's guilty, why are these 2 saying this? I don't know what to believe

Anonymous said...

Still curious what everyone thinks about Helena saying she was there, that her boyfriend Greg killed them.... And Greg himself said he killed the family.
If he's guilty, why are these 2 saying this? I don't know what to believe

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Anonymous said...

Watch JM wiggle when 60 minutes interviews him about his eskatrol use and he admits it. He's caught in a lie about his weight loss taking 3-5 pill per day to lose that kind of weight. It's in his own handwriting and he try's to explain it away. This guy is where he needs to be and btw, the author of Fatal Vision only discovered the likely motive After the trial. I personally think its the smoking gun. Go to the point in the clip where Wallace corners inmate about his drug use:
http://www.cbsnews.com/video/watch/?id=7419216n

Anonymous said...

She hated vacuuming and dishes so I got up and did the dishes for "her". Like that was her place in mr self all important dr. Didn't even know or feigned not knowing which classes she was taking. Had some alcohol and amphetamine up all hours days at a time working, snapped from the side effects of eskatrol spansels which release the drug slowly continuously. The drug crazed intruders were in the apt that nite but only one. Namely Jeff Macdonald. He probably saw the woman with a floppy hat outside earlier when he couldn't sleep. It was pouring rain so she must've had one of those magic candles that you can't blow out.