Dr. I. Kathleen Hagen
Encyclopedia
Dr. I. Kathleen Hagen is a former medical doctor who gained notoriety for being accused of murder
by asphyxia
of her parents, Idella Hagen, aged 92, and James Hagen, aged 86, with a plastic bag and a pillow as they slept in their home in Monmouth Beach, New Jersey
, in August 2000. A month earlier, she had returned to her parents' house from her home in the Virgin Islands
because of their age and deteriorating health. Dr. Hagen, a woman of considerable means , had previously cut short a medical career in urology
in 1987 to move to the Virgin Islands to operate an inn with her second husband.
A 1973 graduate of the Harvard Medical School
, she became the first woman appointed a resident in urology
at the Massachusetts General Hospital
in Boston. She was appointed chief of urology at the Rutgers Medical School in New Jersey in 1982.
. A defense psychiatrist
, Robert L. Sadoff, stated that soon after Dr. Hagen returned to New Jersey, her chronic depression deepened because of the two failed marriages, the loss of her medical career, her fears about her parents' health, and her own fears that her depression would lead to institutionalization.
Both Dr. Sadoff and Dr. Steven Simring, who testified for the prosecution, said Dr. Hagen's depression deepened significantly in August 2000, to the point where she thought she was receiving messages from televisions ads, traffic lights and playing cards. They both also said she also heard a male voice she took to be her father's commanding her to commit the murders, because once they occurred, she and her parents would go to what Dr. Simring called a childlike, magical sphere where they'd regain their happiness.
Deborah Factor, an assistant Morris County
prosecutor, asked the psychiatrists if they considered the patricide
-matricide
acts of vindictiveness or mercy killings
, and they both answered no.
at the time.
After the psychiatrists agreed that Dr. Hagen had been depressed for years, was delusional during the murders and was now suicidal, Judge B. Theodore Bozonelis found her not guilty on grounds of insanity and committed her to a state mental health institution.
Judge Bozonelis did not order a specific term of confinement, but said he believed that she required long-term treatment in an institution because she is prone to unpredictable bouts of psychosis and is a danger to herself and society. Under the law, he said, Dr. Hagen is entitled to periodic hearings and reviews about her recovery and continued confinement.
Murder
Murder is the unlawful killing, with malice aforethought, of another human being, and generally this state of mind distinguishes murder from other forms of unlawful homicide...
by asphyxia
Asphyxia
Asphyxia or asphyxiation is a condition of severely deficient supply of oxygen to the body that arises from being unable to breathe normally. An example of asphyxia is choking. Asphyxia causes generalized hypoxia, which primarily affects the tissues and organs...
of her parents, Idella Hagen, aged 92, and James Hagen, aged 86, with a plastic bag and a pillow as they slept in their home in Monmouth Beach, New Jersey
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
, in August 2000. A month earlier, she had returned to her parents' house from her home in the Virgin Islands
Virgin Islands
The Virgin Islands are the western island group of the Leeward Islands, which are the northern part of the Lesser Antilles, which form the border between the Caribbean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean...
because of their age and deteriorating health. Dr. Hagen, a woman of considerable means , had previously cut short a medical career in urology
Urology
Urology is the medical and surgical specialty that focuses on the urinary tracts of males and females, and on the reproductive system of males. Medical professionals specializing in the field of urology are called urologists and are trained to diagnose, treat, and manage patients with urological...
in 1987 to move to the Virgin Islands to operate an inn with her second husband.
A 1973 graduate of the Harvard Medical School
Harvard Medical School
Harvard Medical School is the graduate medical school of Harvard University. It is located in the Longwood Medical Area of the Mission Hill neighborhood of Boston, Massachusetts....
, she became the first woman appointed a resident in urology
Urology
Urology is the medical and surgical specialty that focuses on the urinary tracts of males and females, and on the reproductive system of males. Medical professionals specializing in the field of urology are called urologists and are trained to diagnose, treat, and manage patients with urological...
at the Massachusetts General Hospital
Massachusetts General Hospital
Massachusetts General Hospital is a teaching hospital and biomedical research facility in the West End neighborhood of Boston, Massachusetts...
in Boston. She was appointed chief of urology at the Rutgers Medical School in New Jersey in 1982.
The trial
The defense argued for an insanity pleaInsanity defence
In criminal trials, the insanity defense is where the defendant claims that he or she was not responsible for his or her actions due to mental health problems . The exemption of the insane from full criminal punishment dates back to at least the Code of Hammurabi. There are different views of the...
. A defense psychiatrist
Psychiatrist
A psychiatrist is a physician who specializes in the diagnosis and treatment of mental disorders. All psychiatrists are trained in diagnostic evaluation and in psychotherapy...
, Robert L. Sadoff, stated that soon after Dr. Hagen returned to New Jersey, her chronic depression deepened because of the two failed marriages, the loss of her medical career, her fears about her parents' health, and her own fears that her depression would lead to institutionalization.
Both Dr. Sadoff and Dr. Steven Simring, who testified for the prosecution, said Dr. Hagen's depression deepened significantly in August 2000, to the point where she thought she was receiving messages from televisions ads, traffic lights and playing cards. They both also said she also heard a male voice she took to be her father's commanding her to commit the murders, because once they occurred, she and her parents would go to what Dr. Simring called a childlike, magical sphere where they'd regain their happiness.
Deborah Factor, an assistant Morris County
Morris County, New Jersey
Morris County is a county located in the U.S. state of New Jersey, about west of New York City. According to the United States 2010 Census, the population was 492,276. It is part of the New York Metropolitan Area. Its county seat is Morristown....
prosecutor, asked the psychiatrists if they considered the patricide
Patricide
Patricide is the act of killing one's father, or a person who kills his or her father. The word patricide derives from the Latin word pater and the Latin suffix -cida...
-matricide
Matricide
Matricide is the act of killing one's mother. As for any type of killing, motives can vary significantly.- Known or suspected matricides :* Amastris, queen of Heraclea, was drowned by her two sons in 284 BC....
acts of vindictiveness or mercy killings
Coup de grâce
The expression coup de grâce means a death blow intended to end the suffering of a wounded creature. The phrase can refer to the killing of civilians or soldiers, friends or enemies, with or without the consent of the sufferer...
, and they both answered no.
The acquittal and confinement
A New Jersey judge acquitted Dr. Hagen of charges after two psychiatrists testified that the doctor was psychoticPsychosis
Psychosis means abnormal condition of the mind, and is a generic psychiatric term for a mental state often described as involving a "loss of contact with reality"...
at the time.
After the psychiatrists agreed that Dr. Hagen had been depressed for years, was delusional during the murders and was now suicidal, Judge B. Theodore Bozonelis found her not guilty on grounds of insanity and committed her to a state mental health institution.
Judge Bozonelis did not order a specific term of confinement, but said he believed that she required long-term treatment in an institution because she is prone to unpredictable bouts of psychosis and is a danger to herself and society. Under the law, he said, Dr. Hagen is entitled to periodic hearings and reviews about her recovery and continued confinement.