From "Blood on Black" by Gary Meece
"I know I'm Going to Influence the world -- People will remember me"
After three trips to mental hospitals, Damien Echols again was wandering Crittenden County. He turned 18 in December 1992, still relying on his much-loathed adopted father for food and lodging.
Echols was referred back to counseling on Jan. 5, 1993.
His medication remained imipramine, the Tofranil brand.
From "Blood on Black" by Gary Meece
"I know I'm Going to Influence the world -- People will remember me"
After three trips to mental hospitals, Damien Echols again was wandering Crittenden County. He turned 18 in December 1992, still relying on his much-loathed adopted father for food and lodging.
Echols was referred back to counseling on Jan. 5, 1993.
His medication remained imipramine, the Tofranil brand.
While imipramine effectively treats depression and is sometimes prescribed for panic attacks or anxiety, the medication can cause or worsen emotional problems, such as mood, anxiety, panic attacks, insomnia, impulse control, irritability, hostility, aggression, restlessness, hyperactivity, depression and self-abuse or suicidal ideation.
The intake sheet for Jan. 5 prepared by social worker Sherry Dockins contained extensive notes, noting hospitalizations and that he was on probation.
Dockins wrote: “‘Damien reports his problems began at age 8 when his parents divorced and Pam remarried. ‘They were constantly fighting — tried to ignore it but finally started fighting back.’ …. 3 months ago mother divorced him and remarried father. Sister, mother and father currently live in Portland, Oregon. He has little contact with family. Currently lives with stepfather Jack Echols. ‘It’s the only way I could live here in Ark.’ They do not get along but rarely see each other. Damien is planning to move in with girlfriend and her mother when they get an apartment. Reports he and Domini (gf) have been together for long time?”
Six months before, Damien was threatening to kill himself if he could not be with Deanna; now he and Domini were a longtime item.
The report continued: “Damien wants to live in West Memphis because of his friends and ‘it’s where I belong.’”
Despite his subsequent disparagement of West Memphis, Damien regarded the town as home; he was willing to risk constant scrutiny to live there.
A further irony was his association with Jack Echols, listed as his parent/guardian on the intake papers, who was allowing Damien to live in his home.
Concerning Damien’s state of mind: “Describes self as feeling ‘neutral/nothing’ most of the time. Denies current suicidal/homicidal ideation.”
Dockins wrote: “Reports history of self mutilation — cutting self with knives/razors. Last time was 3 months ago. Denies symptoms of depression. ‘I usually don’t smile.’ He quit school in ninth grade (this year) because he was not allowed to return to his previous school (Marion High School). Reports sleeping most of the day and then goes to Domini’s house.”
Damien was holding down a part-time job with a roofing company. “Relates that he tends to ‘trance out’ when by himself. He has done this since the 5th grade.”
Dockins wrote: “Reports history of alcohol/drug usage — coke, acid, pot, alcohol. Denies current usage …. Reports being harassed by local authorities as ‘they think I’m a Satanic leader.’ He admits being caught with Satanic items and with handwritten books about witchcraft. Denies cult involvement. Is interested in witchcraft for past 8 years. He has tried to steal energy from someone else and influence other minds with witchcraft. States he was able to do these things.”
Echols believed he could “steal energy” from other people; he later testified that children contained more energy for magickal purposes than adults.
Dockins also reported: “Describes self as ‘pretty much hate the human race.’ Related that he feels people are in two classes — Sheep & Wolves (wolves eat the sheep).
“Dressed in black, wearing silver cross and earring studs. Intense eye contact.”
The “wolf in sheep’s clothing” is an ancient concept, cited in the Bible: “Beware of false prophets, who come to you in the clothing of sheep, but inwardly they are ravening wolves.”
Psychopaths often describe themselves in wolfish terms. For instance, the sadistic psychopath Eric Harris, one of the two Columbine High killers, described fantasies of ripping apart “weak little freshmen” like a wolf. Charles Manson referred to his followers as “slaves” or “sheep” and recorded a record album “Way of the Wolf.”
The theme is also popular in occult circles. The Church of Satan Web site, for example, maintains extensive Web pages devoted to “Lycanthropy: A Handbook of Werewolfism,” describing occult exercises for transforming the practitioner into a man-wolf, “a person who has regressed, by force of will and desire, to a feral or wolflike state.”
At turns grandiose and pitiable, Damien’s wildly fluctuating self-regard was on display throughout the records.
Dr. Woods described Echols’ return to East Arkansas Mental Health Center:
“There is an abundance of evidence to show that Mr. Echols’ serious mental illness required long term hospitalization and more aggressive treatment than he received in prior hospitalizations. In January of 1993 Mr. Echols again sought help at East Arkansas Mental Health Center where mental health professionals described Mr. Echols’ elaborate history of delusions, psychosis, and severe problems with mood and memory. His delusions often were grandiose. … His mood oscillated between euphoria and severe depression. … During his worst periods Mr. Echols became psychotic. He felt a ‘spirit [was] living within him’ that was ‘put inside him last year.’ The spirit ‘decided to become part of him’ and was the spirit of a woman who was killed by her husband. ... Though profoundly mentally ill, Mr. Echols has always responded well to the structure of a therapeutic setting. He has never been a management problem and staff members uniformly describe him as passive, compliant and likable.”
The quiet and likable version of Echols would consistently show up for TV interviews from Death Row.
In January 1993, Damien told EAMHC staff that his problems began at age 9 with Jack Echols. Damien reported self-mutilation and said he had a history of abusing drugs, though he, as usual, denied current usage.
On Jan. 13, Dockins reported: “Damien reports one of his biggest problems that he would like to work on is being able to forgive others. When questioned about this he reports that he is very angry with family members and with other people that have ‘let him down.’ He wants to be normal but feels that he has never been normal. … He discussed issues of power and control. He states that he could make things happen. He believes very much in magic. … Damien’s affect and mood was flat. He did not smile during the session.”
For the Jan. 19 session: “Damien relates that he is trying to find a way to live on his own. He does not get along with step-father. Reveals a history of abuse as he talked of how he was treated as a child. Denies that this has influenced him stating ‘I just put it all inside.’ Relates that when this happens the only solution is to ‘hurt someone.’ Damien reports being told at the hospital that he could be another ‘Charles Manson or Ted Bundy.’ When questioned on his feelings he states ‘I know I’m going to influence the world — people will remember me.’”
Gloria Shettles' “attorney work product” for Echols’ trial correctly reported that the session produced “very damaging notes.”
After Echols’ Jan. 20 session, Dr. David Erby wrote: “ … three psychiatric hospitalizations. Each has been associated with anger, thoughts of killing other and thoughts of killing himself. He’s not currently suicidal or homicidal. He’s been on Tofranil 15 mg. at bedtime for about a year. He’s found that that’s been somewhat helpful. He’s not experiencing any side effects with it, he’s tried to stop it and had some discontinuation symptoms.” Again, a mental health professional noted that Echols had suicidal or homicidal impulses. Though his medication was “somewhat helpful,” Echols was trying to discontinue Tofranil.
Shettles noted that yet another session, on Jan. 25, was “very damaging.” The “Individual Progress Notes” by Dockins stated: “Focus of today’s session is spent talking with Damien about his feelings of death. He brought with him to session a poem that he had written during the past week. The theme of this poem centered around death and power. Damien explained that he obtains his power by drinking the blood of others. He typically drinks the blood of a sexual partner or of a ruling partner. This is achieved by biting or cutting. He states ‘it makes me feel like a God.’ Damien describes drinking blood as giving him more power and strength. He remembers doing this as far back as age 10. He does not remember where he learned to do this.
“Damien believes that there is no God. He feels that society believes there is a God because society is weak. He wants very much to be all powerful. He wants very much to be in total control. We discussed how some of this is related to his experiences as a child. He acknowledges that some of this is related to his childhood abuse trauma but he feels that it is who he is now.
“Damien related that a spirit is now living with him. The spirit was put inside him last year. He indicates that a month ago the spirit decided to become part of him and he to become part of the spirit. This is reportedly a spirit of a woman who was killed by her husband. When questioned how he feels with this spirit or what the difference is, Damien is able to relate that he feels stronger and more powerful with this spirit. He has not seen this spirit but does hear the spirit. In addition, he also reports conversations with demons and other spirits. This is achieved through rituals. He denies that he is satanic, seeing himself more as being involved in demonology.
“It becomes more noticeable today in talking with Damien that he has many things from childhood that he simply does not remember. This is believed to be a dissociative response to trauma issues. Damien is agreeable to beginning to talk about what he experienced as a child that he remembers. He is also agreed to continue to discuss his issues with power and control as related to his practice of rituals. …
“… Damien’s affect and mood today continued to be bland though there was more emotion when talking about drinking blood.”
Echols livened up therapy with discussions about gaining power through drinking blood via cuts and biting.
They also could have livened up sessions by having Echols explain the difference between Satanism and invoking demons through ritual. In theory, a powerful magician would be able to control demons or other disembodied entities through proper ritual and use of the will and use them for his own purposes. Those purposes wouldn’t inherently be evil in intent, and many dabblers in bygone eras regarded themselves as Christian and by no means Satanists. Orthodox Christianity, however, has regarded trafficking with demons as evil.
Echols was almost certainly manipulating the mental health staff to qualify for Social Security Disability but his delusions, such as being inhabited by the spirit of a murdered woman, were consistent with statements made when disability wasn’t at issue.
Among other noted killers who claimed to have been possessed by some sort of spirit was Ted Bundy, who claimed a “malignant entity” had taken over his consciousness. Other serial killers, such as John Wayne Gacy and “Hillside Strangler” Kenneth Bianci, blamed murderous alter egos for their crimes.
On Feb. 5, Dockins reported that Echols “dressed completely in black and is noted to have cut on his R arm and hand.
“… Damien relates that he cut his arm & hand as a way of permanently marking his skin. The name Domini is cut into his arm. Session continues focused on Damien’s self concept and image. Relates feeling very angry yesterday when running into previous girlfriend. ‘I controlled it — I can do anything.’
“… Affect and mood —- flat.”
Despite his supposed devotion to Domini, Echols still felt the effect of his breakup with Deanna deeply.
On Feb. 11, Echols reported that he was being harassed by local authorities — “They think I’m a satanic leader.” He admitted to having Satanic items but denied involvement in Satanism. He said he had been interested in witchcraft for eight years. His diagnosis was changed to depressive disorder. He was prescribed Tofranil in a 150 mg dose.
Dr. Woods described Echols’ continued mental health problems and dealings with the Social Security Administration:
“Though he was only 18 years old, mental health professionals at East Arkansas Regional Mental Health Center concurred that Mr. Echols’ severe and enduring mental illness made him unable to function without substantial assistance from mental health and other agencies. Staff members assisted Mr. Echols in applying for Social Security Disability Benefits through the Social Security Administration (SSA). After conducting an independent evaluation, the SSA determined that Mr. Echols was 100% disabled and was awarded full disability benefits on the basis of his mental illness. The finding by the Social Security Administration of a mental disability is a significant factor that any competent mental health professional would consider in an objective determination of Mr. Echols’ mental state. At the time of arrest and trial, Mr. Echols was still considered severely mentally impaired by the SSA and was receiving full SSA disability benefits.”
Echols applied for disability in early February 1993.
In his application, he claimed he was too mentally ill to work, describing his symptoms as “Mentally Disturbed.” On another form, he wrote: “I am a sociopath.”
Asked “What is your disabling condition?” Echols answered: “I am going through treatment at the Mental Health Center and have been in several mental hospitals.” He explained how his condition kept him from working: “Because when I try to take a time out my employers don’t like it. Violent, medicine makes me sleepy, vomit & headaches.”
Asked for the reasons for his hospitalizations, on the two stays at Charter, he wrote: “Homicidal, suicidal, manic depression, schizophrenia, sociopathic”; for the hospital in Portland: “Homicidal, suicidal, manic depression, schizophrenia, drug abuse, alcohol abuse, sociopathic.”
Echols was deemed totally disabled and began receiving full Social Security Disability payments.
The rest of the Hutchisons moved back to West Memphis around March. Joe and Pam had remarried in February. Joe, 37, had been married at least four times. Pamela, 35, had been married three times.
Echols began sleeping most nights at the Teer trailer, while occasionally staying at his parents’ trailer at Broadway Trailer Park. The Hutchisons didn’t have a bedroom for him, so he had to “share” a room with his sister. Someone often slept on the sofa.
For his last appointment, on May 5, 1993, he did not talk to Dockins but to Dr. Erby. His imipramine prescription was refilled. The handwritten Physician’s Progress Report was difficult to read, having been the only photocopy in 509 pages misaligned on the copier.
Fragments are visible:
“… at time he is impulsive … things that may be harmful to … He has impulses to do strange … armful things to himself. He … es suicidal thoughts. He says … kes to read, swim, playing pool, … likes to work with animals, snakes, .. zards & spiders. He is bothered if .. nakes are killed even if they are poison. .. e has not seriously considered a vocation. … he mother seems dedicated, but insecure. He seems to enjoy people being concerned about him.”
Later that day, he oversaw the gruesome murders of Michael Moore, Christopher Byers and Stevie Branch.
https://www.facebook.com/WestMemphis3Killers/
http://www.eastofwestmemphis.com
https://www.amazon.com/Case-Against-West-Memphis-Killers-ebook/dp/B07C7C4DCH/ref=sr_1_fkmrnull_1?keywords=gary+meece&qid=1553389038&s=gateway&sr=8-1-fkmrnull
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