Expendable For A Cause.

Jane Wells was a clinical psychologist that specialized in forensic psychology. She was retained by post-conviction counsel for Richard Ramirez to evaluate his psychological status, the effects of the trauma he experienced, his social history, and cognitive functioning and to form an opinion regarding the significance of these factors on his overall functioning. To accomplish this task, she reviewed all available records about Ramirez’s educational and medical background, the 1976 El Paso Guidance report, juvenile court records, Texas Youth Council Commitment, and the declarations of Dr Robert Schneider, Dr William Vicary, Dr Dietrich Blumer, Dr Dale Watson, and Marilyn Cornell. She also spent time with and interviewed Ramirez on multiple occasions in 1999 and 2000. When Wells evaluated Ramirez, he was 38 years old and had been incarcerated for 13 years.

Jane Wells’ findings were basically in agreeance with every other professional that evaluated Ramirez throughout his life, so I will not repeat everything she said, but refer the reader to previous posts. I will reiterate that she determined he suffered from brain damage that impacted his cognitive functioning, causing attention and concentration difficulties, and that he suffered from multiple mental health illnesses.

Wells determined that this traumatic event triggered symptoms of psychosis in Ramirez. Wells last saw him on June 23, 2000, and she stated he continued to exhibit signs of psychosis, and was suspicious and guarded. He repeatedly attempted to deflect attention from himself.

“At the time of my last session with petitioner on June 23, 2000, he exhibited disorganized speech, loose associations and notable difficulties in concentration and attention. For example, he rambled about a wide variety of unrelated subjects and persistently refused to answer questions in a direct manner. He was unable to express his thoughts in a logical and coherent manner. He reported olfactory hallucinations in that he described smelling a copper odor from time to time that he believed was a result of a misfire in his head.” He further stated that he believes he has ‘ESP’ [extra sensory perception – a sixth sense]. All these symptoms are consistent with psychotic symptomatology.”

– Declaration of Jane Wells, Document 7-22.

Wells further described how the multiple systems Ramirez had contact with during his formative years failed to provide necessary, appropriate treatment or rehabilitation. The following is a summary of her findings:

Ramirez was treated for epilepsy with the medication Phenobarbital even though it caused him to be agitated, sleepy, and unable to concentrate in school. At the onset of the seizure disorder, Ramirez began to struggle and fall behind in school. Nothing in his medical or school records indicates any academic interventions or plans were put in place to assist Ramirez with his schoolwork or overall functioning. Instead of being provided with assistance to get on track with school, Ramirez was expelled multiple times for truancy.

According to neurological records, as a child petitioner suffered from temporal lobe epilepsy and was prescribed Phenobarbital is an anticonvulsant that suppresses the central nervous system. Dr. Schneider’s notes reveal that petitioner experienced behavior problems while taking prescribed medication; he was agitated, sleepy, and unable to concentrate in school. (Despite petitioner’s complaints, he was prescribed and continued to take phenobarbital). According to the literature, phenobarbital should not be prescribed for patients who are depressed because the drug can worsen depression“

– Declaration of Jane Wells, Document 7-22.

In 1975, he witnessed cousin Miguel shoot his wife and received no treatment or counseling. Wells said:

“As if the damage and traumas thus far were not enough, petitioner was exposed to an extremely traumatic incident involving a shooting by his cousin, Miguel Valles. At the age of 15, petitioner was severely traumatized after witnessing the aftermath of the shooting by his cousin of his wife, Josephina. For petitioner, the trauma also triggered symptoms and behaviors consistent with psychosis.”

– Declaration of Jane Wells, Document 7-22

In 1977, Ramirez was confined to a state youth facility, Texas Youth Council. He received no guidance or treatment while at this facility. See this post about the failings of the TYC.

Ramirez was arrested for the Night Stalker crimes on August 31, 1985, and he spent four years awaiting his trial. In the Los Angeles County Jail, he was subjected to a volatile, overcrowded, understaffed environment that provided no necessary medical or mental health treatment. Wells stated this environment fueled his already disordered thinking leaving him unable to function properly or participate in a meaningful way in the Los Angeles criminal proceedings.

“Given the chronic course of these serious mental disorders, it would be very unlikely for Mr. Ramirez to have developed these symptoms recently. It is probable that at the time of trial, Mr. Ramirez exhibited these same symptoms, which should have been readily apparent to a competent mental health professional or expert who had adequate and accurate background and life history information concerning petitioner. Mr. Ramirez’s multiple disorders were readily apparent from the details of his psychosocial history, and available through the TYC records, the statements of experts who had earlier evaluated him, in the evidence of his childhood and exposure to violence, and other
information that could have been presented on petitioner’s behalf to explain and mitigate the evidence presented against him at trial.”

– Declaration of Jane Wells, Document 7-22

So again, we have another professional that testified to Ramirez’s inability to rationally and reasonably be involved in the case against him. At this point, the findings of every expert that evaluated Ramirez have become entirely redundant.

“Not only is the evidence of petitioner’s mental disorders and dysfunction clear, but it was known that he suffered from these disorders at the time of trial. He was mentally incompetent at the time of trial, as indicated by Dr. Blumer in his declaration. His dysfunction and impairment implicated the full panoply of his constitutional rights including but not limited to, his capacity to form the requisite mental state, his mental competence to waive rights, including the right to conflict-free, competent counsel, to stand trial and to a penalty trial, or to aid and assist counsel.”

– Declaration of Jane Wells, Document 7-22

Just how many psychiatrist needed to testify that Richard Ramirez suffered from a myriad of physical and mental health issues, before the legal system would accept the findings of the multiple experts that Richard was unable to participate and rationally assist with his case?

Some individuals presume to know more about Ramirez, his physical and mental health and functioning than the multiple experts that spent hundreds of hours with him and poured over volumes of information regarding his physical and psychological state as far back as 1970. They continue to perpetuate lies about Ramirez’s alleged confession and his superb criminal mind. They profit from this narrative, so why change it?

KayCee