Opinion ID: 2404261
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Evidence Establishing The Existence of Mental Illness Prior to March 28, 1978.

Text: The undisputed facts clearly demonstrate a long history of mental illness prior to Easter Sunday, March 28, 1978, when this incident occurred. At that time, Nakia, appellee's daughter, was three years of age. Nakia's father, Bobby Little, maintained an unsteady relationship with appellee during the period in question. The first indication of mental illness reflected in the record occurred in May of 1976. On that occasion Ms. Bracey informed her sister that people were chasing her and trying to kill her. As a result of this behavior, appellee's family took her to the Crisis Center of Temple University Hospital. The hospital records indicate that appellee was then experiencing auditory hallucinations and was diagnosed as schizophrenic, paranoid type. Appellee was given medication and released. Later in 1976, Bobby Little and another friend again took appellee to the hospital because of mental problems. On that occasion, appellee refused to stay, giving as a reason that people on motorcycles were waiting outside to harm her. Bobby Little testified from that time appellee would occasionally get depressed or paranoid requiring medication. For example, during this period she on one occasion expressed the belief that people on the street were trying to kill her. Appellee continued to periodically receive medication and to experience acute episodes. Medical records reflect that both in May and July, 1977 appellee required emergency treatment (including in-patient care) at the Crisis Center. During February of 1978, appellee again began to manifest paranoia. She stated to her sister that Nakia was acting in a strange manner and looked as though she had been transformed into a wolf. She also stated to a cousin that Nakia's father and his family were attempting to turn Nakia against her. In March 1978 her conduct became increasingly bizarre. She stated to people that her name was Eve and that she was the Lord's messenger. In the early part of March, Bobby Little went to appellee's home where he observed appellee conducting a pseudo-religious ceremony in which she claimed to be a nude Christ. During this time appellee also kept a sunlamp in her home and told a number of people that if that lamp ever went out, the world would end. She was again taken to the Crisis Center on March 11, 1978. The records of that visit indicate that appellee complained of auditory and visual hallucinations and that she was experiencing feelings of paranoia. Appellee was provided with medication and again sent home. On March 13, 1978 appellee refused to consent to any further treatment at the Crisis Center. On that date she stated to her sister that Nakia had taken knives and forks and hidden them throughout the house. Because of the alarming increase in the intensity of her bizarre behavior and her resistance to medical help, appellee's family had unsuccessfully attempted to have her committed to Friends Hospital. The commitment petition included a statement that appellee had started a fire in a pan which she placed in the middle of the floor in order to drive evil spirits from her home, and then climbed out on the roof of the dwelling wearing neither coat nor shoes. The petition also recited appellee's claims of hearing voices and of her refusal to receive treatment or to take medication. After confinement for a period of seventy-two (72) hours at the Crisis Center of North Central Philadelphia Community Mental Health/Mental Retardation Center, she was discharged by court order on March 16, 1978. During that commitment, the hospital records reflect that appellee claimed various articles of furniture had been flying around in her room. Following her release from the involuntary commitment, appellee continued to exhibit bizarre conduct. During a visit to appellee's home between March 16, 1978 and the date of the killing, appellee's sister observed that appellee had arranged a Bible, a photograph album, a cross, a crystal ball, a scorpio and a witchcraft book on the floor of her living room. Ms. Bracey explained that she was employing the objects in her prayers to save her baby, Nakia. On the Sunday one week before the date of the killing, appellee stated to Bobby Little that Nakia had grown bigger and had attempted to kill her. She also stated that Nakia had turned into an animal. During the week immediately preceding March 28, Ms. Bracey stated to her cousin that her daughter, Nakia, was possessed and that whenever Nakia had in her possession a knife or a fork, she would attempt to stab appellee. During this same time span appellee's brother observed Ms. Bracey carrying a shopping bag containing a crystal ball, a Bible and a witchcraft book. Her brother further testified that during the days immediately preceding March 28, it was necessary for him personally to take Ms. Bracey to receive psychiatric treatment on three separate occasions.