Opinion ID: 1130099
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Family life.

Text: Seven witnesses  aunts, uncles, a sister, and a childhood friend  described defendant's family background and personal history. By all accounts, defendant's mother was an alcoholic who became intoxicated on a daily basis, even while pregnant with defendant. Defendant was born prematurely and suffered low birth weight as a result. His mother reportedly died at age 38 of cirrhosis of the liver. The testimony was conflicting as to whether defendant's father also suffered from an alcohol problem. However, it was undisputed that the father was absent from the family home during most of defendant's childhood. When they were together, the parents almost always fought. Defendant's older sister recalled at least one violent, bloody confrontation between her parents. Defendant was raised in the Cass Quarters section of Detroit  a ghetto neighborhood apparently known for its rats, prostitutes, and illegal drugs. As a result of money problems and landlord-tenant disputes, the family lived in many different apartments in this neighborhood over the years. Some units were quite small. All were rundown and filthy. Although defendant's father was always gainfully employed in the automobile or scrap metal industries, he did not contribute to his children's financial support on a regular basis. Defendant's mother apparently received some financial support from another man, Louie, and bore a son by Louie several years after defendant and his sister were born. The mother purportedly spent any money she received from the children's fathers on herself. Defendant's sister indicated that the children often ate poorly or went hungry. On occasion, defendant's mother worked as a prostitute. She reportedly entertained customers at home, often in the same room or bed she shared with the children. The mother sometimes instructed defendant to steal money from her customers after they fell asleep or passed out. Defendant's sister testified that she became pregnant at age 13 and that her mother sold the baby shortly after it was born. From the time he first learned to talk, defendant apparently suffered from multiple speech impediments. He mispronounced certain words, [8] and spoke with a stammer or stutter. Many witnesses described defendant as a mentally slow child who complained of frequent headaches. He was teased and called retarded by his peers. Family members indicated that the children were rarely shown affection by their mother and that she discouraged their attendance at school. Defendant's mother purportedly hit him with her fists or other objects whenever she felt hungover or irritable. The mother routinely entrusted the children to the care of their Aunt Jackie, who is only a few years older than they are. At age 10, defendant began sniffing glue and other solvents, such as lighter fluid. His relatives knew that he got high on a regular basis and that he acted sullen and strange as a result. At age 16, defendant worked in a rustproofing plant. On one occasion, he was injured in a chemical explosion at the plant and remained unconscious for several days. His mother apparently discharged him early from the hospital against the advice of the medical staff. Several witnesses testified that defendant acted paranoid after the explosion and that his personality never fully recovered.