Does man accused of SLO County killings have a mental illness? Here’s what psychologist said
A 22-year-old murder case is drawing to a close as the defense for Stephen Deflaun rested its case in San Luis Obispo Superior Court on Thursday, following testimony from a forensic psychologist.
Deflaun, 64, is accused of killing San Pedro resident Stephen Wells, 37, and his 11-year-old nephew, Jerry Rios Jr., during an altercation over a camping spot at Morro Strand State Beach on July 8, 2001.
Deflaun was arrested at the scene of the shooting in 2001, but was diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia in 2004 and was thought to not be competent to stand trial. He was deemed mentally competent enough to stand trial in April 2022.
He is charged with two counts of murder with a firearm and one count of assaulting a peace officer with a firearm; he entered pleas of not guilty and not guilty by reason of insanity to the charges in June.
Deflaun took the stand Tuesday and Wednesday, recounting his history of mental illness and the events of July 8, 2001. Voices in his head, broadcast from an entity he calls “the program,” told him killing Wells and his nephew was the only way to survive an assassination attempt, Deflaun testified Wednesday.
Deflaun said Wednesday he “didn’t have a choice” in killing Wells and Rios Jr., and that doing so was “the lesser of two evils.”
Defense for man accused of murder rests after psychologist testimony
The defense began Thursday by calling Dr. Carolyn Murphy, a forensic psychologist who formerly worked for the California Department of State Hospitals, to testify on how mental illnesses such as schizophrenia can affect a person’s actions.
“It’s a disorder that affects the part of us that makes us human,” Murphy testified.
Prior to her appearance in court, Murphy met with Deflaun for a 90-minute meeting in November 2022, and reviewed the defense’s report, along with Deflaun’s previous mental health record, journal entries and prior psychological evaluations.
Murphy also produced her own report on Deflaun’s mental state, she said during cross-examination by Deputy District Attorney Ben Blumenthal.
Murphy said Deflaun’s previous diagnosis of paranoid schizophrenia was one of the more mentally stable categorizations of the disorder. People with this type of schizophrenia are more easily able to pass as mentally healthy, she said.
During her interview with Deflaun, Murphy said the defendant presented as “neatly groomed” and “pleasant,” and appeared mentally stable for the first 45 minutes of the interview.
It “took awhile” for Deflaun’s delusions to surface during their interview, Murphy said.
Murphy said though she did not test Deflaun specifically for malingering — or purposefully lying about or faking a mental illness for personal gain — she said his diagnosis of schizophrenia is accurate.
Deflaun is expected to next appear in court Tuesday at 9 a.m., when the parties will present their closing arguments to the jury.
