By: Fern Sidman
According to a psychiatric evaluation obtained Wednesday by the Associated Press, Levi Aron, the alleged murderer of 8-year-old Leiby Kletzky has an “adjustment disorder and a personality disorder with schizoid features.” This diagnosis was rendered by a a psychiatrist and psychologist at Kings County Hospital, who also said that Aron is confused, apathetic and has a “practically blank” personality.
While giving authorities conflicting accounts of his life and his mental and physical history, he did say that his younger sister died while institutionalized with schizophrenia. Of the 35-year-old Aron, the psychologist wrote, “His mood is neutral, practically blank. The only time he seems to show any emotional response is when he is asked difficult questions about the reason for his incarceration.” The evaluation offers little details on a possible motive and does not delve much into the crime. Aron admitted knowing the charges against him are serious, and acknowledged that people are angry with him. The psychologist added that, “He states he did not wish the boy harm but that he ‘panicked.'”
During the evaluation, Aron, dressed in regulation pajamas and “well-groomed,” gave obfuscated accounts of how many siblings he has and said he suffered a head injury as a child, though it wasn’t clear exactly when. “Mr. Aron is unable (unwilling?) to state categorically whether or not he was in prior psychiatric treatment,” the psychologist also wrote. Aron also was unclear about the voices he says he heard during and after Leiby’s death. He said he doesn’t remember anything stressful happening when he began to hear the voice. “He admitted to us that he began to hear a voice talking to him approximately one year ago, but cannot make out what it says,” according to the psychiatrist.
Currently being held without bail at a medical wing at Riker’s Island in solitary confinement, Aron has pleaded not guilty to the heinous murder and kidnapping of Leiby Kletzky, who got lost walking home from the Boyaner day camp in Boro Park on July 11. His severed feet were found in Aron’s refrigerator and the rest of his body was discovered in pieces in a suitcase elsewhere in Brooklyn.
Aron told the psychologist the voice does not command him to do anything, but he told doctors after his arrest that the voice commanded him to hurt himself and others, according to the records. The psychiatric evaluation was ordered specifically to determine whether Aron would be fit for trial. The Brooklyn District Attorney’s office had no comment.
Pierre Bazile, Aron’s attorney, said the records obtained by the AP were accurate. “The evaluators agreed with us that Mr. Aron suffers from some psychiatric disorders and right now we are investigating whether or not his disorders are sufficient to meet the not guilty by reason of mental disease or mental defect threshold,” he said.
The records filled in a few blanks about Aron’s life, which was lived mostly alone except for a few impulsive decisions, such as moving to Memphis to get married to a woman he met online and had met in person only twice. They divorced after a few years. Aron was employed as a hardware clerk and earlier as a supermarket worker and a caterer. Aron spent much of his time online and made a lot of audio and video recordings of himself doing karaoke. He lived alone in a home owned by his father and step mother, his brother lived in a separate apartment. His mother died about seven years ago. Both the psychiatrist and psychologist described Aron as reserved, apathetic, sad and cooperative.
A pre-trial hearing is set for October 14th.
