Blakeslee Defense: Mental condition led to shooting

By BILL RICHMOND

City editor

The murder trial of a woman accused of shooting the father of two of her children at a government office continued Wednesday in Circuit Court with the defense maintaining the killing was a reaction to Janet Blakeslee's belief that her children were in danger.

Defense witness Joy Woolf, a family case manager at the Randolph County Office of Family and Children, said she first came into contact with Blakeslee in March of 2002. At that time she was called to the Winchester Police Department where she met with the defendant to conduct an investigation regarding allegations of abuse.

Woolf said one of Blakeslee's children told their mother he was physically abused by Donald Saunders, Blakeslee's former companion and the shooting victim. The boy allegedly said was paddled often by Saunders, leaving marks and bruises. Woolf said she recommended family counseling. She said one son also said he was molested by Saunders and it was the department's belief this had occurred.

Woolf said her focus was on providing help for the children, not the legal investigation of the incidents. She said she recommended Blakeslee go to a shelter for battered women.

She said that during the course of her investigation she was unable to contact Saunders.

Defense witness Wayne Snowden, a former investigator for the Winchester Police Department, said he led the police investigation into the incidents of alleged child abuse.

Snowden said he interviewed both Blakeslee and Saunders as part of his investigation.

Snowden said he recommended that Saunders take a voice stress test. He said that during the course of the test Saunders refused to make statements and thus did not pass the examination.

Under cross examination by Prosecutor David Daly, Snowden said Saunders vehemently denied the abuse allegations in a statement videotaped by police. He also said Saunders did not complete the voice stress test because he wanted to consult an attorney on the matter.

Defense witness Christine Snowden, a licensed social worker, formerly employed by Dunn Center, now operating her own counseling service said she met Blakeslee through a referral by the Randolph County Office of Family and Children. Christine Snowden said in March of 2002 she was employed by Dunn Center, providing home-based services by referral. She said between June 2002 and June 2003 she met with the defendant 1-2 hours each week.

Christine Snowden said she noted Blakeslee to be very protective of her children and very concerned for their safety. She said she suggested sometime around July of 2002 that Blakeslee seek refuge at either the Muncie or Richmond shelter for battered women.

Snowden said she suggested that Blakeslee let the legal system handle matters and not flee the state with her children. She said if Blakeslee was caught, as she likely would be, she would be found and jailed and would not be able to protect her children.

Snowden said in her opinion Blakeslee suffers from post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), precipitated by the report of sexual abuse by the defendant's son. She said she recommended Blakeslee seek professional help to deal with the condition but she did not continue her recommended therapy.

Wednesday's final defense witness was Pamela Porter, a licensed clinical social worker who operates an outpatient clinic for people with panic disorders. Porter, regarded by the court to be an expert on the assessment and treatment of PTSD, did an assessment of Blakeslee on behalf of the defense. She said she met with the defendant four times at the Randolph County Jail between February and June of this year for a total of about 16 hours. Porter said she also reviewed documents and spoke with members of Blakeslee's family.

Porter said she finds that the defendant meets the criteria for PTSD according to the Diagnostic Statistical Manual, Fourth Edition (DSM-IV)

She said the disorder was caused by alleged physical abuse by the victim which has not, so far, been established by evidence or testimony.

"Janet said she was extremely fearful for her own safety and the safety of her children," Porter said. "I believe the shooting was a result of her fear for her children."

Porter said Blakeslee's decision making was impaired and her ability to tell right from wrong was "flavored" by the disorder.

"She was like a mother bear defending her cubs," Porter said. "She thought her kids were in immediate danger."

Porter said when Blakeslee was informed that her children's visitation with Saunders would be partially supervised, instead of the fully-supervised visit she was promised by the court, she immediately felt her children would be abused again. She said Blakeslee went into a disassociative state, blanking out the shooting only to recall moments later being on the floor at the CFO.

"She 'knew' that if her kids went down the hallway to that interview room, they would be molested again," Porter said. "It was unacceptable to her that she would break her promise to her kids that she would not allow them to be harmed again."

Blakeslee allegedly maintained her mother was molested as a child and was later diagnosed with schizophrenia. Porter said this led her to believe her children would become mentally ill if she didn't do something to stop the molestation.

Under cross examination by Chief Deputy Prosecutor Keith Dillworth, Porter said the jail environment where she interviewed Blakeslee limited her ability to see the subject in her natural surroundings and to gauge her typical reactions to stimuli. She said her findings relied partly on Blakeslee's memory of events and reports based on things the defendant told other people.

The day began with state witness, Ball Memorial Hospital forensic pathologist Dr. Paul Mellen. Mellen performed the autopsy on Donald Saunders, Feb. 10- the day after he was shot. The autopsy was performed at the request of the Randolph County Coroner.

Dr. Mellen said his autopsy investigation revealed five gunshot wounds and abrasions consistent with a fall on Saunders head and forearm. He said Saunders had one gunshot wound at the base of the neck and four others to left side of his head. He said all of the wounds were fatal or potentially fatal, any one of them could have immediately incapacitated the subject.

He said the cause of death was multiple gunshot wounds and the manner of death was homicide.

The trial, which all parties agreed is well ahead of schedule, resumes at 9 a.m. today in Randolph Circuit Court. Special Judge Brian Hutchison of Jay County Circuit Court said he anticipates the case will be presented to the jury by noon Friday.