this is really good.. give a little more information on Richard.. pretty scary that he was able to just walk out just like that
Insanity was his defense. And the verdict was not guilty by reason of insanity for the murder of his 25‐year‐old wife and his 17‐month‐old son.
It was more than a momentary flash of violence. He stabbed her 60 times with a kitchen knife. Then he went into the baby's room, taped his mouth shut, and strangled him with an electric cord. In court testimony, Richard Reisenberg said he killed the child because he was the only witness to his wife's murder.
Following the normal route of all defendants acquitted because of insanity, Mr. Reisenberg received a year of treatment at a secure, closely guarded psychiatric facility. Then he was transferred to Creedmoor Psychiatric Center in Queens, a non‐secure civil hospital.
After settling in at Creedmoor, Mr. Reisenberg availed himself of these privileges and enjoyed a number of months of coming and going at will. He was supposed to be under light security, always accompanied while on the grounds, but in reality he left on his own dozens of times.
T aste for Gourmet Foods
His taste for gourmet foods, weekend entertainment such as movies and bailgames and other activities were supported in part at least, by a settlement on his late wife's life insurance policy. Anyone found guilty of a crime cannot collect on such policies, but since Mr. Reisenberg was found not guilty (because of insanity), by law he could collect. His share was $11,362, or two‐thirds of the $17,042 settlement. The remaining one‐third or $5,680, went to the parents of his deceased wife.
Finally, last April, a new ward supervisor learned of the excursions and wrote a recommendation that he be transferred back to a locked hospital where his freedom would be kept in check. It was not to be.
People close to the case say Mr. Reisenberg somehow found out about the letter and that day he walked out the gates of Creedmoor for the last time. He has not been seen since. Police have an all‐points arrest warrant out, but thus far, for six months, he has eluded them.
According to interviews with people who knew him and official documents, Richard Reisenberg's problems started surfacing in the Brooklyn school system when he was 13. Several of his teachers noticed an unusual paranoid behavior and recommended psychotherapy. His condition in those early years was described ??y psychiatrists as a “schizoid personal??ty with a possible onset of schizophrenic discrder,” By age 15 he had made two ??uicide attempts.
College precipitated more trouble because of the pressure to succeed. Although he had an IQ of 141, he could riot finish his second year. According to psychiatric testimony in the trial, he always pushed himself with a desire to pe No. 1, but the more he pushed, the more troubled he became.
Marriage raised the pressure to the preaking point. He was Jewish and Di??nne, his wife, was Roman Catholic. They tarried against his parent's wishes. She suffered from cataracts and would probaply have gone blind. Their son, Andrew, lad been born with apparent brain damage and there was the possibility he night grow up retarded.
Psychiatrists testified that the combination of his relationships with other women, an intensely desired promotion hat fell through, and a short‐lived drinking problem were the catalysts that led ??o the killings in the Glen Oaks section of Queens in early 1971.
Thus began his acquaintance with the coute many before him had taken through the state psychiatric facilities. He was initially found unfit to proceed to trial and sent to Matteawan Psychiatric Cencer, then the secure facility in New York. In early 1972, he was transferred to Creedmoor, where three months later he attempted suicide again by slashing his wrists, requiring 37 stitches. Later he ried to hang himself.
His att??nding physicians said his guilt feelings, Mars of amnesia, fears of another breakdown, and the Approach of his late son's birthday pushed him to the acts. But late in the year he had calmed down and was judged fit to stand trial.
After the March 1973 trial where he was acquitted by reason of mental disease, he was readmitted to Creedmoor. Within a year he had submitted his first application for release, which all patients are entitled to do at any time.
Only the few quiet strollers watched as an observer toured the grounds and buildings—the community store where Mr. Reisenberg worked, the gym where a group of youths were playing basketball, open entrances to a vast network of underground tunnels linking Creedmoor's many and diverse buildings and wards.
Only a groaning man in a barred room with no glass watched over the open entrance to Building 4, a security building. Inside a sign on an open door reminded: “Keep Closed After 4:30 P.M.” and a sign on a second open door warned “Keep Closed At All Times.” Richard Reisenberg used to live in Building 4.
“We've had incidents before where a patient has escaped and committed another violent crime,” Detective Harold Walters of Queen said. “We are not just worried about getting Richie back, but he's got a 19‐year‐old girlfriend with him.”
Seems like he has been suicidal as well as violent but is quiet and able to hold down a job. I wish there was somewhere to find an actual photo of this guy and height weight hair color anything. Its weird how they only have a drawing of him. he must of had an ID of the hospital or booking photo with info when he was arrested for killing his wife and kid..
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