Joseph Whitman Research Paper

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Born Charles Joseph Whitman on June24, 1941, in Lake Worth Florida (A+E Networks 2012 )was a former Marine sniper who was attending the University of Texas when he went on a killing spree in Aug,1 1966 that ended in him being shot to death by law enforcement officials. During this killing spree ,he killed 15 people and wounded 30 more he also killed his mother and wife leaving typed notes with both. Whitman was a model student and Eagle scout who left home early to escape a violent father. (A+E Networks, 2012) He was , discharged on December ,1964 from the Marine corps, one year later he returned to school . By 1966, he was suffering from severe…show more content…
His request was granted in the form of a police autopsy, which showed that he had a brain tumor(A+E Networks, 2012). This has been debated on whether the tumor caused Whitman to act out in this killing spree, Others say that by the way he planned and carried out the actions of his crime that the tumor did not affect his mental abilities. When we look at the fact, that prior to the shooting spree , Whitman reported severe headaches, and consulted a therapist concerned with his own mental health. Then it may be reasonable, to assume that the tumor later found could have contributed to his killing spree. Medical experts , disagree over whether the brain tumor found in his autopsy had any effect on his actions (A+E Networks, 2012). The actions taken Whitman should be studied even further, his mental state could reveal whether serial killers do in fact suffer from some form of mental illness. This could also be a new defense for criminals who commit violent acts in the future, by claiming that they committed these crimes due to a mental illness and were not responsible for their own actions. Whitman’s actions may have been

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