When it comes to the topic of Psychopaths, most of us will readily agree that they are broken somehow. Where this agreement usually ends, however, is on the question of why they are the way they are. Whereas some are convinced that it has to do with biology, others maintain that it is because of environment. On example of a young psychopath is Justina Morley. In an article by Katherine Ramsland, she explains the events of the 2003 murder trial of Jason Sweeney ending in the conviction of Justina Morley and 3 other boys. As the story goes, Morley, fifteen at the time, was the ring leader and posed as Sweeney’s girlfriend while also having sexual relations with two of the three boys involved. The intent was to rob Sweeney, sixteen years old, of the $500 he had earned working with his father. Morley persuaded Sweeney to follow her to an isolated area where the other boys would be waiting. Not only did they rob him, the boys delivered fatal blows with a hammer, hatchet, and rock. Edward Batzig, Nicolas Coia, and Domenic Coia were all convicted of first-degree murder and will serve life in prison. However, Morley, the mastermind, was allowed to plead to third-degree murder in exchange for her testimony; she will be out of prison before she is thirty-five. In her statements, she described herself as “a cold-hearted, death worshiping bitch, who survives by feeding off the weak and lonely,” she wrote “I lure them and then I crush them.” (Ramsland, 1) Morley was the only one who knew about the paycheck and controlled the boys with sexual favors, money, and drugs. She also wrote “it’s funny, how easy it is to persuade them into lies” (Ramsland, 2), admitting manipulation is something she does often and well. I can’t help but wonder why she...
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...ut two together, that’s when you get the toxic mix” (Nichols, 5). ("Death of Jason Sweeney.”, 1)
In Raines view, it’s “Broken families and broken Brains. It’s not just biology versus environment; it’s biology plus environment that give rise to crime.” (Nichols, 5) Ramsland’s ideas of self-gain and no remorse in Justina Morley’s art of persuasion are very square with Raines ideas in Nichols’ Body of Evidence. It is quite possible that environmental factor such as drugs, biology, or both were to blame in the murder of innocent Jason Sweeney. In my opinion, the facts seem to point to Morley being a psychopath from a biology point of view. Unfortunately, this is a very controversial topic that will likely never be decided upon in order for success against crime.
Works Cited
"Death of Jason Sweeney." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 21 Apr. 2014. Web. 28 Apr. 2014.
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The responsibility of psychopaths is a highly debated topic in the legal, philosophical, and neuroscientific fields. In the US, a person is responsible if they “have sufficient rational capacity” and “they are not acting under coercion” (Glenn & Raine 2014). The majority of the academic community believes that psychopaths’ responsibility is mitigated because of the profound cognitive and emotional deficits that lead to a reduced rational capacity. However, the public’s instinct is to hold psychopaths responsible for their crimes. What is it that gives us this instinctive reaction?
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