Opinion ID: 1915285
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: Ineffectiveness for Failing to Investigate and Present Life History and Mental Health Mitigation Evidence

Text: Having concluded that Appellant has not demonstrated that he was prejudiced by Attorney Tershel's penalty phase closing argument, we next address his assertions that counsel were ineffective for failing to investigate and present life history and mental health mitigation. Attorney Tershel and his investigator testified at the limited PCRA hearing regarding the scope of the investigation and presentation of mitigating evidence. Before addressing Appellant's arguments, we will review the evidence presented at the penalty phase, the evidence provided to the PCRA court, and the PCRA testimony. Counsels' penalty phase case consisted of two witnesses. As noted, Mr. Stephens testified that when he was a small child, his foot became caught in the train tracks as a train was fast approaching. Although several people were around, only Appellant risked his life to save him. Appellant's mother, Ms. Clemons, corroborated Mr. Stephens' testimony and described that as a result of his heroism, Appellant received a bronze metal and $500 from the Carnegie Hero Award Commission. Ms. Clemons further testified that although Appellant had been previously incarcerated, he had never been violent or harmed anyone, was always protective of and loving to his family, and was not the type of person to strike someone in a fit of rage. In support of his argument that trial counsel were ineffective for failing adequately to investigate, develop, and present available life history and mental-health mitigation, Appellant submitted to the PCRA court the declarations of several family members who explained that while Appellant was growing up, he was subjected to abject poverty, little supervision, and physical, mental, and emotional abuse from his parents and step-parents; he was ostracized at school because of his family's poverty; his parents were unable to support the family; because Appellant was the oldest of ten children, he was forced to take care of his siblings long before he was mature enough for such adult responsibility; Appellant witnessed his parents' verbal and physical fights and bore the brunt of their physical and emotional abuse; he was subjected to racism and discrimination; and Appellant suffered significant head injuries on two occasions, for which he did not receive any medical treatment, and which caused headaches and withdrawn behavior. [21] The family members further asserted that while Appellant was growing up, the adults in his life taught and encouraged him to steal to provide food for the family. As an adult, he continued this trend, committing numerous nonviolent burglaries, resulting in incarceration for most of his adult life. As further support for his argument that counsel ineffectively failed to investigate and present mental health mitigation, Appellant submitted to the PCRA court the May 15, 2000 declaration of Dr. George Woods, a licensed physician specializing in psychiatry and neuropsychiatry, who conducted a psychiatric evaluation of Appellant and reviewed unidentified background materials regarding Appellant and the offenses. Dr. Woods concluded that Appellant experienced a traumatic childhood and had a history of head injuries that resulted in a cognitive disorder not otherwise specified that was evident as impairments of memory, inhibition, problem solving, and executive function. Dr. Woods stated that although Appellant adjusted well to the structured prison setting, he suffered from traumatic stress, which further impaired his functioning in high tension situations. As a result of his evaluation, Dr. Woods determined that at the time of the murders in 1985, Appellant suffered from an extreme mental or emotional disturbance that impaired his ability to conform his conduct to the requirements of the law. See 42 Pa.C.S. ง 9711(e)(2), (3). Dr. Carol Armstrong, a licensed psychologist specializing in neuropsychology, stated in a May 11, 2000 declaration that Appellant suffers from frontal lobe dysfunction resulting from his accidental head injuries. [22] In Dr. Armstrong's opinion, Appellant's impairments make it difficult for him to learn from experience or to understand the consequences of his conduct. Dr. Armstrong concluded that at the time of the offenses, Appellant suffered from an extreme mental or emotional disturbance that substantially impaired his ability to conform his conduct to the requirements of the law. Dr. Henry Dee, a licensed clinical psychologist, submitted a sworn affidavit dated May 12, 2000, stating that Appellant suffered from cerebral lobe damage which has caused him to be seriously psychologically impaired since before the offenses, and this cerebral damage substantially impaired his capacity to appreciate the consequences of his actions or conform his conduct to the law. Dr. Dee further concluded that the burdens placed on Appellant throughout his childhood constituted mitigating circumstances. Finally, Appellant submitted the October 28, 1985 psychiatric evaluation of Dr. Berkey, which, as noted, was conducted in connection with the guilt phase of this case at the request of trial counsel. Dr. Berkey's evaluation stated that he had the sense that Appellant was on stage, trying to make a favorable impression. Appellant seemed to derive gratification from the attention and notoriety, although he stated the opposite. Psychiatric Evaluation of Dr. Berkey, October 28, 1985. Dr. Berkey felt that Appellant evidenced some grandiose and paranoid tendencies, but that Appellant's thinking was highly organized, with reality-testing intact. There was no indication of bizarre or frankly delusional ideation. He did not seem psychotic or in any way incompetent to stand trial. Id. Dr. Berkey's diagnosis was antisocial personality. Id. Turning to the testimony produced at the PCRA hearing, Michael Reid, who counsel hired to conduct an investigation to assist their defense of Appellant, testified that Appellant's was the first capital case he had worked on, and that counsel did not request his assistance in connection with the mitigation case until after the guilty verdict. At that time, Mr. Reid contacted Mr. Stephens, who Appellant had saved from the train, and secured his testimony for the penalty phase. Mr. Reid testified that counsel did not request that he obtain the Carnegie Hero Award file completed in connection with Appellant's award for saving Mr. Stephens' life. Attorney Tershel did, however, direct Mr. Reid to speak to Appellant's sister, Lavonne Scott, to obtain information about Appellant's family background and childhood. N.T. PCRA at 39-40. Consequently, Mr. Reid discussed Appellant's childhood with his sister at the courthouse following the guilty verdict, and learned of Appellant's general background, abject poverty, family history, and Appellant's role in committing robberies because of his family's dire economic straights. N.T. PCRA at 24-26. In the course of his investigation, Mr. Reid visited Appellant's childhood home, which he characterized as squalid. N.T. PCRA at 26. Mr. Reid conveyed this information to Attorney Tershel, who did not request that he investigate further. N.T. PCRA at 26, 41. Mr. Reid recalled that the focus of the mitigation investigation had been the Carnegie Hero Award. N.T. PCRA at 31. Attorney Tershel had difficulty recalling his preparation for the penalty phase due to the passage of time between the January, 1986 trial and the May, 2000 PCRA hearing. He could not recall the scope of his mitigation investigation. He stated that before trial, he personally, probably did nothing to prepare for the penalty phase; he could not recall. N.T. PCRA at 95. To the best of his recollection, Attorney Tershel had focused on the guilt phase and certainly wasn't planning on worrying about the sentencing, I was planning on defending him, which I think I did. N.T. PCRA at 92. With regard to the penalty phase, Attorney Tershel's mitigation strategy was to focus on Appellant's role in saving Mr. Stephens' life, and argue that society owed him one back. N.T. PCRA at 74. In furtherance of this goal, he stated that he called the two best witnesses they had: Ms. Stephens and Appellant's mother. N.T. PCRA at 116, 198 (He saved someone's life, I was hoping the jury would save his life.). He stated that although he could not remember the details of his preparation, he made a judgment call to prey on the jury's residual doubt about Appellant's guilt by focusing on Appellant's heroic act of saving Mr. Stephens' life, N.T. PCRA at 196 (I thought that was the only chance we had), and did not believe that introducing evidence of Appellant's impoverished background would help his case. Id. Attorney Tershel explained his lack of participation in the penalty phase investigation by noting that Attorney Liekar was likely involved with that aspect of the investigation, although Attorney Tershel could not recall specifically what Attorney Liekar had done to prepare for the penalty phase. N.T. PCRA at 91-92, 222-23. Attorneys Tershel and Lieker had the resources of the public defender's office at their disposal, and apparently sent some people from the office out to investigate mitigation. N.T. PCRA at 196. Attorney Tershel testified that his assignment was to try the guilt phase, N.T. PCRA at 93, 97, and that by the time he became involved, [a]ll the preliminary stuff had been finished. Id. at 85. When it was time to try the penalty phase, Attorney Tershel stated that he was given the information that we had that would be mitigating and that I felt was important to tell the truth, that's what we did, we gave the best evidence that we had.... N.T. PCRA at 93. Attorney Tershel indicated that he may have obtained the Carnegie Hero Fund Investigative Report, which indicated that Appellant grew up poor in a large family it, but he could not recall. N.T. PCRA at 62-63. When questioned about why Attorney Tershel did not ask Appellant's mother about his childhood, he responded that he did not believe it relevant that Appellant had a large family or grew up poor: A. I didn't see any reasonโwhy would I say thisโis that what you're asking me, why I didn't say he has five brothers and sisters? Q: About the poverty in his family? A: I know a lot of poor people. I didn't think that was goingโyou know, you don't want to diffuse what you have. You have a Carnegie Award. What, I'm going to ask him if he has five brothers or sisters? What is your logic there? N.T. PCRA at 67. Attorney Tershel felt it was ludicrous to present evidence that Appellant had a large family. N.T. PCRA at 73, 93. Although his recollection was poor, Attorney Tershel recalled that he discussed witnesses with Mr. Reid and Attorney Liekar many times, N.T. PCRA at 96, and he recalled talking to Ivory Wade, one of Appellant's family members, several times after the conclusion of the guilt phase. N.T. PCRA at 98-99. Further, Attorney Tershel was aware that Appellant had a long history of being incarcerated for burglaries. N.T. PCRA at 54, 186. In the course of preparing for the penalty phase, Attorney Tershel contacted Attorney Romaine, Appellant's counsel from a prior burglary, to discuss Appellant and determine what kind of witness Appellant was. N.T. PCRA at 58, 98. Attorney Romaine conveyed her belief that Appellant would make a good witness. Id. Although Attorney Tershel did not remember interviewing Appellant's family specifically about his upbringing, N.T. PCRA at 83, he testified that he was aware of the economic conditions of Appellant's childhood, and knew Appellant's parents were divorced. N.T. PCRA at 144-45. He stated that he had no reason to believe that Appellant was abused. Id. at 147. Regarding discussions with Appellant, Attorney Tershel testified that he talked to Appellant all the time and discussed the case with him every day during the trial. N.T. PCRA at 194, 222. They talked about Appellant's life and other aspects, and Appellant appeared competent and was cooperative. N.T. PCRA at 84, 128-29. Although he talked to Appellant's family numerous times, id. at 198, he could recall nothing from interviews and conversations with Appellant's family members or Appellant that would have made him aware of any mental problems from which Appellant suffered, and he had no reason to doubt Dr. Berkey's conclusion that Appellant was competent. N.T. PCRA at 127-29, 203 (agreeing that no family member had ever indicated that Appellant hasn't been right since any event ... or he had an accident.); Id. at 185-86 (stating there was nothing that indicated that Appellant was suffering from any sort of mental impediment and Appellant did not reveal that he suffered from anything); Id. at 197 (no one told Attorney Tershel that Appellant might have any mental health issues). Attorney Tershel also indicated that he was not involved in the case when Dr. Berkey's pre-trial report was written, in October, 1985, and he believed that Attorney Liekar secured the report. N.T. PCRA at 121, 129, 151. Upon consideration of Appellant's arguments and the PCRA testimony of Mr. Reid and Attorney Tershel, the PCRA court rejected Appellant's claim of ineffectiveness for failing to investigate and present life history and mental health mitigation evidence. As a preliminary matter, the PCRA court found that Attorney Lieker handled the vast majority of pretrial investigation and preparation. Further, the PCRA court found significant the time that had lapsed between trial and the PCRA hearing, which caused both the unavailability of Attorney Liekar due to his death and Attorney Tershel's lack of recollection about Appellant's trial. Finally, the PCRA court found that because Appellant had waited so long to file his PCRA petition, it was difficult for the Commonwealth to rebut Appellant's assertions, and it considered this delay as a factor weighing against the credibility of Appellant's evidence. PCRA Ct. Op. at 35 (citing Commonwealth v. Alexander, 495 Pa. 26, 432 A.2d 182 (1981) and Commonwealth v. McAndrews, 360 Pa.Super. 404, 520 A.2d 870 (1987)). [23] Examining the arguable merit prong of Appellant's claim with respect to life history mitigation, see Pierce, 527 A.2d at 975, the PCRA court found that the declarations from Appellant's family were not credible because of the timing of the completion of these [declarations], and the fact that they are from [Appellant's] family. PCRA Ct. Op. at 38. Noting Attorney Tershel's PCRA testimony that he was aware of Appellant's life history, the PCRA court concluded that trial counsel did, in fact, question either Appellant or his family about his childhood environment. [24] Consequently, the PCRA court found Appellant had not demonstrated the arguable merit prong of his contention that trial counsel failed adequately to investigate and develop potential mitigating evidence concerning Appellant's life history. Even assuming arguable merit, however, the PCRA court further found that trial counsels' decision not to introduce life history evidence was a reasonable tactical decision because Attorney Tershel testified that it would not be helpful in view of the trial strategy to portray Appellant as peaceful and heroic. PCRA Ct. Op. at 39. Addressing Appellant's claim of ineffectiveness with regard to mental health mitigation, the PCRA court found that Appellant failed to prove the arguable merit prong of his claim of trial counsel ineffectiveness. See Pierce, 527 A.2d at 975. The court found that the declarations submitted by Drs. Woods, Armstrong, and Dee were not credible for several reasons: they appeared to be based on information received from Appellant and his family, which, in the PCRA court's view, diminished their value; there was no medical report or other evidence verifying the alleged head injuries Appellant claimed to have suffered which gave rise to alleged mental impairments; and the evaluations were conducted fifteen years after the murders. See PCRA Ct. Op. at 41. Having determined that Appellant's ineffectiveness claim regarding the investigation of mental health mitigation lacked merit, the PCRA court also addressed the reasonable basis prong of the test for counsel ineffectiveness. See Commonwealth v. Malloy, 579 Pa. 425, 856 A.2d 767, 784 (2004) (we focus on whether the investigation supporting counsel's decision not to introduce mitigating evidence ... was itself reasonable.). The PCRA court concluded that trial counsel's investigation was reasonable under the circumstances. Specifically, based upon the opinion of Dr. Berkey, who evaluated Appellant prior to trial and concluded that Appellant was competent, and Attorney Tershel's testimony that Appellant was cooperative, competent, and able to communicate, the PCRA court found that trial counsel had no reason to investigate Appellant's mental health further because there was no cause to suspect that Appellant suffered from mental health problems, and that counsel, therefore, reasonably did not pursue mental health mitigation. Before this Court, Appellant argues the three prongs of his claim of counsel ineffectiveness for failing to investigate and present evidence of Appellant's life history and mental health. Regarding the arguable merit prong of these ineffectiveness claims, Appellant states that all of his family members were available to counsel before and during his trial, as was the Carnegie Hero Award file, and that counsel should have spoken to his family, become aware of the facts contained in the family's declarations, and obtained the Carnegie Hero Award file. From these sources, Appellant argues that counsel should have discovered that Appellant had a large family, lived with unemployed parents in poverty, and did poorly in school. Further, Appellant asserts that trial counsel was aware of his extensive criminal background, but failed to contact Attorney Romaine, his prior counsel, to ask about family or mental health mitigation. Had counsel made such inquiries, Appellant asserts that Attorney Romaine would have shared her opinion that Appellant had cognitive difficulties. Appellant further asserts that counsel failed to ask Dr. Berkey to conduct a forensic evaluation for the purpose of presenting mental health mitigation, and failed to provide him with unspecified background materials. Brief for Appellant at 27. Additionally, Appellant refers to Dr. Berkey's conclusion that Appellant suffered from grandiose and paranoid tendencies and from a personality disorder, which he argues should have informed trial counsel of potential mental health issues. Turning to the reasonable basis prong of his claim that counsel was ineffective for failing to investigate life history and mental health mitigation, Appellant points to Attorney Tershel's lack of recollection about the penalty phase investigation as evidence that the investigation was not reasonable. He asserts that counsel unreasonably gave no thought to the penalty phase until after the guilty verdict. If counsel had acted reasonably and discovered evidence of Appellant's poor and abusive upbringing and two head injuries, Appellant argues they would have obtained and presented mental health evaluations. Because trial counsel did not conduct a reasonable investigation, Appellant asserts he was prejudiced because the jury did not hear of Appellant's life history or mental health mitigation. See Commonwealth v. Perry, 537 Pa. 385, 644 A.2d 705, 709 (1994); Strickland, 466 U.S. at 668, 104 S.Ct. 2052. Quite unhelpfully, the Commonwealth's meager argument on this point is, simply, that Appellant was represented by competent counsel who reasonably determined that the jury was not going to spare Appellant's life if it heard that he had a hard childhood. After careful review of the record and consideration of Appellant's claims, we conclude that the PCRA court's ruling is free of legal error and supported by the record. See Washington, 927 A.2d at 593-94; Breakiron, 566 Pa. 323, 781 A.2d 94; Strong, 761 A.2d at 1170, n. 3. [25] As explained below, Appellant has not established the three prongs of counsel ineffectiveness for failing to investigate and present life history and mental health mitigation. We will examine these two categories of evidence and Appellant's arguments separately. Preliminarily, we note that Appellant's ability to meet his burden and prove that counsel was ineffective in regard to the mitigation investigation is impacted by the passage of fourteen years between counsels' alleged ineffectiveness at the 1986 trial, and the PCRA hearing in 2000. While Attorney Liekar was not available to testify, Attorney Tershel understandably had difficulty recalling the specific nature of the investigation and conversations he had with Appellant and family members. Appellant points to these failings as proof that counsel did not reasonably investigate available avenues of mitigation. We disagree with Appellant that the unavailability of Attorney Liekar and the inability of Attorney Tershel to recall details of the investigation proves that counsels' investigation of possible mitigation evidence was inadequate. It is Appellant's burden to prove the lack of a reasonable investigation. If Appellant's task is made more difficult by the passage of time and likely loss of memory, it does not follow that Appellant can meet his burden by raising an inference of ineffectiveness premised on Attorney Tershel's lack of memory. While Appellant's burden to prove counsel's ineffectiveness is made more difficult, it is not obviated or lessoned by these circumstances. See Commonwealth v. Rega, 593 Pa. 659, 933 A.2d 997, 1018-19 (2007) (The burden of proving ineffectiveness rests with Appellant). [26] We analyze first the arguable merit prong of Appellant's argument that counsel was ineffective for failing to investigate and present life history mitigation, see Pierce, 527 A.2d at 975. To establish the first prong of the test for counsel ineffectiveness, see Pierce, 527 A.2d at 975, Appellant must prove that the underlying legal claimโ i.e., that which he charges was pursued improperlyโhas arguable merit. In terms of a claim for ineffectiveness resulting from penalty phase counsel's failure to investigate and present mitigating evidence, this involves proving that there was substantial information available at the time of trial that counsel should have investigated and that would have supported statutory mitigating circumstances. See Commonwealth v. Jones, 590 Pa. 202, 912 A.2d 268, 292 (2006). With this standard in mind, we conclude that the record supports the PCRA court's finding that Appellant has not demonstrated that trial counsel failed to investigate life history mitigation. Rather, as described in the PCRA court testimony, counsel and their investigator did, in fact, investigate Appellant's life history. Attorney Tershel, who was aware that Appellant grew up in a large, poor family, and that Appellant's parents were divorced, N.T. PCRA at 145, directed Mr. Reid to look into Appellant's background, believing this information would be helpful. Id. at 39-40. In carrying out this assignment, Mr. Reid talked to Appellant's sister, Ms. Scott, who described Appellant's background and family history and that Appellant helped raise and feed the family. N.T. PCRA at 24-26. Mr. Reid visited Appellant's squalid childhood home, and conveyed his impressions of it to Attorney Tershel. Id. at 26. Additionally, Attorney Tershel recalled personally talking to Ms. Wade several times. Id. at 99. This testimony supports the PCRA court's conclusions that trial counsel did, in fact, conduct a reasonable investigation of Appellant's family background. We will not find counsel ineffective for failing to uncover background evidence where the evidence shows that counsel did, in fact, investigate and discover such evidence. Appellant, therefore, has not carried his burden with regard to the arguable merit prong of his claim regarding life history mitigation. Even if we were to assume the arguable merit of Appellant's argument regarding counsel ineffectiveness for failing to investigate life history mitigation, we also find that the evidence credited by the PCRA court supports its finding that Attorney Tershel's decision not to introduce life history evidence was a reasonable, tactical decision. Information about Appellant's childhood environment did not fit into counsels' mitigation strategy to portray Appellant as heroic and nonviolent. See N.T. PCRA at 67 (I didn't think that [evidence of Appellant's poverty] was going, you know, you don't want to diffuse what you have.); Id. at 73 (describing as ludicrous the idea that counsel should have presented evidence of Appellant's poverty and large family); Id. at 93 (indicating that evidence of a large, poor family did not fit into counsel's mitigation strategy). Based on his investigation, counsel concluded that the mitigation case would be stronger if he limited the evidence to testimony concerning Appellant's receipt of the Carnegie Award and testimony about his history of nonviolence as related by Appellant's mother. As a result, counsels' decision not to present evidence concerning Appellant's austere background was grounded in a reasonable strategy designed to effectuate Appellant's interest. [27] Similarly, regarding Appellant's assertions that counsel should have uncovered evidence that he was abused as a child, such evidence would not have fit into counsel's strategy of portraying Appellant as a heroic, nonviolent individual. [28] Appellant, therefore, has not proven the lack of a reasonable basis prong of the test for ineffectiveness with regard to life history mitigation. See Pierce, 527 A.2d at 975. See also Bracey, 568 Pa. 264, 795 A.2d 935; Commonwealth v. Basemore, 744 A.2d at 735 (holding that counsel cannot be found ineffective for failing to pursue a particular mitigating factor where, despite a reasonable investigation by counsel, counsel was not put on notice of any such mitigating evidence); Commonwealth v. Peterkin, 511 Pa. 299, 513 A.2d 373, 383 (1986) (judging the reasonableness of counsel's investigation based on the information supplied by the defendant). [29] Having concluded that Appellant has not met his burden of proving counsel ineffectiveness with regard to the investigation of life history mitigation, we now turn to his claim that counsel was ineffective for failing to investigate and present mental health mitigation. The PCRA court concluded that this claim fails the arguable merit and reasonable basis prongs of the test for counsel ineffectiveness. See Pierce, 527 A.2d at 975. After a careful review, we find that the PCRA court's conclusions in this regard are supported by the record, and agree that Appellant's claim fails because he has not proven the arguable merit or reasonable basis prongs of his claim of ineffectiveness. Addressing the arguable merit prong first, we note that, as with all claims of ineffectiveness, Appellant has the burden of proving the arguable merit of his claim that counsel were ineffective for failing to investigate and present mental health mitigation has. Washington, 927 A.2d at 594. Specifically, Appellant must prove there was discoverable evidence that he was, in fact, mentally impaired before his trial in 1986 and that counsel failed to discover this evidence. Commonwealth v. Brown, 582 Pa. 461, 872 A.2d 1139, 1149 (2005) (where there was no discoverable evidence of mental illness, the appellant field to prove the arguable merit of trial counsel's ineffectiveness). If he cannot prove that he actually had mental impairments that counsel failed to discover, he has not carried his burden to prove that his claim of trial counsel ineffectiveness has arguable merit. We find that Appellant has failed to meet his burden regarding the arguable merit prong for several reasons: Appellant presented is no evidence of head injuries; he did not provide the mental health providers' reports, which they purported to attach to their declarations; each of Appellant's mental health providers purported to rely on unidentified background materials; and each provider failed to link their conclusions in 2000 to Appellant's mental status fifteen years before. First, the only evidence we have that Appellant actually sustained head injuries, which allegedly lead to a deterioration in his mental health, is the unsworn declaration of his sister, Ms. Scott, who stated that when Appellant was thirteen, he hit his head after crashing a bicycle, and was once hit in the head by another individual. Declaration of Ms. Scott, January 1, 2000. There are no medical records reflecting these alleged injuries. Similarly, although Dr. Armstrong refers to ten years of pugilistic sports related head injuries in prison, there is no medical evidence regarding these alleged injuries. Further, as the PCRA court found, the declarations of Drs. Armstrong, Woods, and Dee are not persuasive. Preliminarily, although Appellant refers to each of his mental health providers' declarations as affidavits, the declarations of Drs. Armstrong and Woods cannot properly be characterized as such, because they have not been sworn to by the declarant before an officer authorized to administer oaths. See 1 Pa.C.S. ง 1991 (Affidavit is defined as [a] statement in writing of a fact or facts signed by the party making it, sworn to or affirmed before an officer authorized by the laws of this Commonwealth to take acknowledgments of deeds, or authorized to administer oaths, or before the particular officer or individual designated by law as the one before whom it is to or may be taken, and officially certified to in the case of an officer under his seal of office.). See Hall, 872 A.2d at 1188 (Pa.2005) (declining to characterize as affidavits documents that have not been sworn to by the declarant in accord with 1 Pa.C.S. ง 1991). It is questionable whether such unsworn declarations are sufficient to sustain Appellant's burden. See Commonwealth v. Dennis, 950 A.2d 945, 975 (Pa.2008) (it appears that such a document [an unsworn declaration] standing alone would be insufficient to prove ineffectiveness). In contrast, the letter by Dr. Henry Dee appears to qualify as an affidavit because it was signed and notarized by a Pennsylvania public notary. Putting these concerns aside and assuming the truth of the assertions contained in the declarations and Dr. Dee's affidavit, the assertions are substantively flawed. Although each mental health provider referred to their reliance on numerous background materials regarding Appellant, they did not identify or list these materials. Additionally, Dr. Armstrong asserts that she conducted a forensic neuropsychological assessment of Appellant at the request of PCRA counsel, and attached the results of this neuropsychological evaluation to her declaration. Appellant, however, does not set forth the contents of that report nor does he offer a copy thereof. [30] We are left with Dr. Armstrong's conclusions, which appear to be based solely on Appellant's family's unsworn declarations and unidentified background materials. Further, although Dr. Armstrong's 2000 declaration is in the present tense when describing Appellant's inability to engage in multiple cognitive processes simultaneously and the impairment to his judgment and reasoning, which she ties to head trauma resulting from pugilistic sports activity in prison, she does not reference when these injuries occurred in relation to the 1985 murders. Dr. Woods' declaration suffers from similar concerns. He asserts that he conducted a psychiatric evaluation of Appellant following two interviews of him, a review of numerous [unidentified] background materials, and after consulting with Dr. Armstrong. Dr. Woods' statement tracks the factual assertions regarding Appellant's childhood found in the unsworn assertions provided by Appellant's family members. He likewise concluded that at the time of the offense Appellant suffered from an extreme mental or emotional disturbance, and had an impaired ability to conform his conduct to the law, without explaining how he was able to reach this conclusion in 2000 about Appellant's 1985 mental status. Similarly, Dr. Dee performed a psychological and neuropsychological test battery on Appellant, reviewed numerous, unspecified documents regarding him generally, his background, and the trial proceedings. In Dr. Dee's opinion, Appellant is a seriously psychologically impaired individual and has been so for many years, since well before the offense at issue. Affidavit of Dr. Dee, May 12, 2000. As with the other mental health providers, Dr. Dee does not explain how his 2000 evaluation informed his conclusions of Appellant's mental condition in 1985. Because of the lack of evidence of head injuries, Appellant's failure to include or set forth the contents of the mental health providers' reports, their reliance on unidentified background materials, and their failure to link their conclusions in 2000 to Appellant's mental condition in 1985, the evidence supports the PCRA court's conclusion that Appellant has failed to prove the arguable merit prong of his ineffectiveness claim with regard to mental health mitigation. See Washington, 927 A.2d at 615 (noting that a psychological evaluation conducted seven years following the murder for which the appellant was on trial was unavailable to trial counsel and was based on information not known to counsel at the time of trial); Blystone, 725 A.2d at 1207, n. 22 (discounting the opinion of doctors who examined the appellant eleven years after the murder in close proximity to the PCRA hearing because they did not know appellant at the time of the murder or at any time prior to trial). Appellant has offered no other evidence in support of the arguable merit prong of his ineffectiveness claim that counsel should have discovered and presented mental health mitigation to the jury. He does not assert that there was any evidence of his alleged mental impairments in the form of medical, school, or prison records, or any other documentation of his mental health in 1985 that counsel failed to uncover. This case is not one in which there was a wealth of material available at the time of sentencing that could have led to persuasive evidence of mitigation. Commonwealth v. Jones, 590 Pa. 202, 912 A.2d 268, 293 (2006) (affirming the PCRA court's grant of a new penalty phase where trial counsel failed to investigate and uncover a substantial amount of mitigation evidence, including juvenile court, school, and incarceration records that detailed a history of mood swings, auditory and visual hallucinations, and difficulty staying in touch with reality.) Unlike Jones, Appellant does not assert that counsel failed to obtain certain records that would have revealed evidence of Appellant's mental impairments. We conclude, therefore, that Appellant has failed to prove the arguable merit of his claim of counsel ineffectiveness with regard to the investigation of mental health mitigation. Even assuming the arguable merit of this argument, however, we conclude that the record further supports the PCRA court's conclusions with regard to the second prong of ineffectiveness. With regard to this prong, it is well established that trial counsel has an obligation to conduct a thorough investigation of the defendant's background. Commonwealth v. Gorby, 567 Pa. 370, 787 A.2d 367 at 371-72 (2001); Williams v. Taylor, 529 U.S. 362, 120 S.Ct. 1495, 146 L.Ed.2d 389 (2000). This obligation includes the duty to discover all reasonably available mitigating evidence and evidence to rebut any aggravating evidence that may be introduced by the prosecutor. Commonwealth v. Hughes, 581 Pa. 274, 865 A.2d 761, 813 (2004) (quoting Wiggins v. Smith, 539 U.S. 510, 524, 123 S.Ct. 2527, 156 L.Ed.2d 471 (2003)). [O]ur principal concern in deciding whether [counsel] exercised `reasonable professional judgmen[t]' is not whether counsel should have presented a mitigation case. Rather, we focus on whether the investigation supporting counsel's decision not to introduce mitigating evidence of [appellant's] background was itself reasonable.  Commonwealth v. Malloy, 579 Pa. 425, 856 A.2d 767, 784 (2004) (quoting Wiggins v. Smith, 539 U.S. at 522-23, 123 S.Ct. 2527). The reasonableness of a particular investigation depends upon evidence known to counsel, as well as evidence that would cause a reasonable attorney to conduct a further investigation. See Wiggins, 539 U.S. at 527, 123 S.Ct. 2527; Commonwealth v. Rainey, 593 Pa. 67, 928 A.2d 215, 239 (2007); Hughes, 865 A.2d at 813-14. Specifically, counsel's investigation is dependent, in part, upon the information given to counsel by the appellant in the course of his investigation. Malloy, 856 A.2d at 788. Counsel's obligations do not require an investigation into every conceivable line of mitigating evidence no matter how unlikely the effort would be to assist the defendant at sentencing. Id. at 533, 856 A.2d 767. Appellant has failed to demonstrate that counsels' investigation of mental health mitigation was unreasonable. See Malloy, 856 A.2d at 784 (explaining that our focus is on whether the investigation supporting counsel's decision not to introduce mitigating evidence was itself reasonable). Before Appellant's trial, counsel hired Dr. Berkey to conduct a psychiatric evaluation of Appellant in connection with the guilt phase. Dr. Berkey concluded that Appellant had antisocial personality and derived gratification from attention and notoriety and evidenced some grandiose and paranoid tendencies. However, the doctor opined that Appellant's thinking was organized, and he did not seem psychotic or in any way incompetent. Based on Dr. Berkey's opinion, counsel reasonably could have concluded that there was no basis to investigate Appellant's mental health as a possible source of mitigation. Although Appellant claims that counsel was ineffective for failing to provide Dr. Berkey with certain background materials and for failing to request an evaluation specifically for purposes of mitigation, the only evidence Appellant points to in support of this proposition is that Attorney Tershel could not recall hiring or consulting with Dr. Berkey. As the PCRA court found, however, Attorney Lieker conducted much of the investigation into Appellant's mental health, and hired Dr. Berkey for the purpose of having Appellant psychologically evaluated. Further, although Appellant asserts that counsel failed to provide Dr. Berkey with certain background materials, Appellant does not identify these materials or indicate what they would have revealed. Moreover, looking past Dr. Berkey's report, there is nothing in the record or Appellant's argument that indicates that counsel's investigation was unreasonable. There is no evidence that counsel knew or should have known about Appellant's cognitive difficulties, or that Appellant or anyone else indicated to counsel that Appellant had mental impairments or head injuries that could have led to cognitive difficulties. Additionally, we have Attorney Tershel's own observations and interactions with Appellant and his family. Attorney Tershel testified that he spoke to Appellant frequently, N.T. PCRA 84, 194, and had no reason to suspect that he had any potential mental health problems. Id. at 127-29. Rather, Appellant appeared competent, coherent, cooperative, was able to communicate effectively, understood what was happening with his case, and gave no indication of mental health issues. Id. at 129, 185, 197. [31] We have been clear that the reasonableness of counsel's mitigation investigation depends in part upon the information supplied by the appellant. Malloy, 856 A.2d at 788; Commonwealth v. Peterkin, 511 Pa. 299, 513 A.2d 373 (1986). Here, at the time of trial, Appellant did not give any indication to counsel that he had a history of mental illness or head injuries. Where the record at the time of trial indicated that the appellant did not suffer from any mental illness, we have held that the information available to trial counsel did not alert counsel to investigate such issues further. Commonwealth v. Brown, 582 Pa. 461, 872 A.2d 1139, 1150 (2005). See also Bracey, 795 A.2d at 944 (finding trial counsel was not ineffective for failing to present evidence of alleged abuse where neither defendant nor his family informed counsel of the abuse); Commonwealth v. Miller, 560 Pa. 500, 746 A.2d 592, 601 (2000) (same); Commonwealth v. Uderra, 550 Pa. 389, 706 A.2d 334, 339-40 (1998) (holding that trial counsel was not ineffective for declining to present mitigation evidence regarding appellant's psychological problems and drug use when appellant failed to disclose any information about those problems prior to trial). Based on this record, Appellant has not demonstrated that trial counsel should have conducted further investigation because the information available to trial counsel did not alert them to investigate further. We will not find counsel ineffective for failing to produce mitigating evidence relative to an alleged mental infirmity when counsel had no reason to suspect that the defendant might have such an infirmity. Washington, 927 A.2d at 616; Rollins, 738 A.2d at 448; Commonwealth v. Howard, 553 Pa. 266, 719 A.2d 233, 238 (1998); Uderra, 706 A.2d at 339-40. Because counsels' investigation was reasonable, Appellant has not met the second prong of proving ineffectiveness. See Pierce, 567 Pa. 186, 786 A.2d 203, 213.