Cristian Loga-Negru, a Romanian national, admitted to killing his wife Roxana Abrudan in 2014 with a hatchet, but Racine County Felony Court Judge Eugene Gasiorkiewicz rejected his assertion Wednesday that he was criminally insane when he did it.
Stone-faced and slumped down in a chair, Loga-Negru stared down towards the floor as Gasiorkiewicz gave the rationale behind his decision. Gasiorkiewicz explained that Loga-Negru acted with intention when he knowingly violated an Illinois’ judges restraining order that barred him from living with or speaking to Abrudan and was aware that his actions violated the law.
The Arlington Heights, Ill couple has been married for about a month before she had a restraining order served on Loga-Negru for domestic abuse.
Three psychologists agreed that Cristian Loga-Negru, a Romanian national, suffered from a mental illness when he killed his estranged wife in 2014 with a hatchet, but Gasiorkiewicz sided with Deborah Collins, a forensic psychologist for the prosecution, assessment of Loga-Negru, because he found her assessment more credible than Dr. Glassman’s, a neuropsychologist who does forensic evaluations, hired by the defense.
“Dr. Glassman spends no time, and renders no opinion on other explanations that do not support an NGI (not guilty by reason of mental disease or defect) determination in this case,” Gasiorkiewicz said. “Anger, rage and emotional turmoil resulted in his perception of abandonment and betrayal by Roxana. This rage — born of external circumstances — does not qualify as a mental disease or defect and cannot support the contention that he lacked the substantial capacity to conform his conduct to the requirements of law.”
Glassman asserted that Loga-Negru could not have stopped assaulting Abrudan because he suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder, but this claim lacked evidence to support the assertion and he did not consider any other explanations for Loga-Negru’s behavior, Gasiorkiewicz said.
“Dr. Collins offers a credible explanation — albeit one that does not support an NGI determination — about why the defendant acted as he did towards Roxana,” Gasiorkiewicz said.
If Gasiorkiewicz would have accepted the not guilty by reason of mental disease or defect plea, it would have resulted in the county establishing a treatment plan for Loga-Negru and not court-ordered prison time. But because Gasiorkiewicz rejected the plea, he will now be sentenced for the crime.
A sentence hearing has been set for 3 p.m. Oct. 5.
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http://racinecountyeye.com/newsdesk/hatchet-murder-insanity-trial-pits-psychologists-one-another/
http://racinecountyeye.com/newsdesk/hatchet-murderers-mental-illness-diagnosed-weeks-before-death/
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