Insanity defense: Psychologist says Asencio talked of voices in his head

WORCESTER - Carlos Asencio on Thursday began mounting his insanity defense to the charge of murdering Amanda Dabrowski at a city restaurant in 2019, calling to the stand a psychologist who opined that he was suffering from severe mental illness at the time of the attack.

The psychologist, Dr. Paul Zeizel, testified that Asencio reported hearing voices commanding him to kill Dabrowksi in the days preceding the attack, and that he believed its public nature pointed toward a person who wasn’t thinking rationally.

Zeizel - who has also worked on the case of Lindsay Clancy, the Duxbury mother accused of killing her three children in January - listed a lengthy professional history upon taking the stand that included work with both defense lawyers and federal and local law enforcement.

But prosecutors, who began cross-examining Zeizel prior to the 1 p.m. lunch hour, immediately began to point to facts they insinuated cast doubt upon his opinion, as well as appeared to question the thoroughness of his report.

Prosecutor: Nothing said after arrest

Assistant District Attorney Edward Karcasinas pointed out that Asencio - who reported the voices telling him to kill to Zeizel well after the attack - made no such contemporary statements to a mental health professional he began seeing in April 2019.

Zeizel agreed with Karcasinas that the professional’s notes differed from what Asencio would later report in several respects, including on the point of whether he’d considered suicide.

Zeizel testified upon direct examination that Asencio told him voices in his head commanded him to kill Dabrowski and then himself - symptoms he said were consistent with a schizoaffective disorder he said a jail physician diagnosed Asencio with while in lockup.

Zeizel agreed with Karcasinas that the mental health professional Asencio sought out in April 2019 wrote that the patient did not report thoughts of suicide, did not report hallucinations, and that she did not observe any psychotic symptoms.

“Is that something you should consider (in forming your opinion)?” Karcasinas asked.

“It’s something to look at, yes,” Zeizel replied.

Zeizel’s cross-examination was to continue at 2 p.m. Thursday. Before he took the stand, prosecutors rested their case after finishing entering evidence with several law enforcement witnesses.

Among the evidence entered was GPS data location that prosecutors have argued shows Asencio traveled to Dabrowski’s Webster home days before the July 3, 2019 bar attack.

The evidence entered Thursday indicated that a device with a Google account linked to Asencio - in whose belongings authorities found binoculars - stayed near the area of the Dabrowski home for more than a day prior to the attack at the restaurant.

While prosecutors rested their case, they are allowed to call rebuttal witnesses to Asencio’s defense. Included on the list of potential witnesses are two police officers from Ayer, where Asencio allegedly broke into Dabrowski’s home and tried to kill her on April 21, 2019, before fleeing the country.

Another juror dismissed from Carlos Asencio murder trial as graphic testimony continues

'Revenge and manipulation,' says prosecutor in trial of man charged in slaying at restaurant

Homeless couple that befriended Asencio say his mood lifted prior to killing

Jurors in Carlos Asencio murder case view graphic evidence from crime scene

Father of Amanda Dabrowski testifies to finding phone taped underneath her SUV

This article originally appeared on Telegram & Gazette: Worcester trial: Psychologist says Asencio talked of voices in his head