Minassian had no coherent motive, trial told
A forensic psychiatrist testifying in Alek Minassian’s defence believes Minassian had no coherent motive for committing mass murder, leaving the doctor with no choice but to conclude Minassian did not understand the impact his actions would have on other people.
But over almost four days of cross-examination, Crown prosecutor Joe Callaghan sought to shake the foundations of Dr. Alexander Westphal’s conclusion, suggesting Minassian’s desire for notoriety was rational, including trying to increase his “eternal fame” and media attention by attaching himself to the incel movement.
Minassian had no simmering rage or desire for revenge and he was not a genuine misogynist incel, Westphal testified. And Minassian’s desire for notoriety online makes no sense because even the dark, toxic corners he frequented would not give him the adulation, the “pat on the back” he wanted, Westphal said. By attaching his actions to misogynist mass killer Elliot Rodger, Westphal said, Minassian was simply making Rodger more famous and, in any case, Minassian had intended to be shot dead by police.
“By taking on the mantle of Rodger, he’d generate more notoriety ... but then what is the notoriety?” said Westphal, a Yale professor who specializes in autism spectrum disorder.
Callaghan, however, asserted Minassian’s motivation was entirely logical.
“If I went out and killed people without any reason, then I’m just an average mass killer, but if I say something on a large social network platform then I tie myself into some other bigtime names … increase my name and infamy regarding the killing,” Minassian told a psychiatrist.
Minassian also told another psychiatrist about hearing in court that he had “revered” status in certain internet groups, which Callaghan suggested showed he cares about his notoriety.
Westphal agreed.
The Crown also challenged Westphal on his assumption that Minassian’s rejection of media interview requests in jail showed an inconsistency with his desire for notoriety. Jail records show Minassian rejected the requests because he had not yet gone to trial, and he could have had other logical reasons such as legal advice or that he’d already achieved his goal of notoriety, Callaghan said, noting Westphal never directly asked Minassian about this. Westphal agreed it was just an assumption on his part.
The exchange was one of several ways the Crown sought to undermine Westphal’s credibility and establish that Minassian knew what he was doing was morally wrong by society’s standards — the key question in Minassian’s bid to be found not criminally responsible for killing 10 people and seriously injuring 16 when he drove a rented van into pedestrians on the sidewalk of Yonge Street on April 23, 2018.
In a legal first in Canada, he is arguing that his autism spectrum disorder rendered him unable to know what he was doing was morally wrong. His defence lawyer, Boris Bytensky, has said he will argue Minassian was unable to make rational decisions.
Callaghan repeatedly took Westphal through statements made by Minassian where Minassian explicitly said he knew what he was doing was morally wrong and that mainstream society would see it as “unjustifiable.” He also noted Minassian deliberately hid his long obsession with mass killers and the planning of the attack from his family and friends. Callaghan also sought to show Minassian was capable of empathy and seeing the perspectives of others, including his victims.
When asked by Westphal how he’d feel if he were the child of one of the people he killed, Minassian said probably “extremely grief-stricken.”
Minassian also said his parents would be devastated by what he did, though he also said their daily lives would likely continue much the same.
Westphal maintained that Minassian’s spoken statements cannot be taken at face value, saying his understanding of what it means to be “devastated” is not the same as a typical person.
Westphal has testified he does not believe Minassian is capable of moral reasoning because he lacks empathy and sees other people as “objects.”
The Crown, however, sought to show Minassian “wrestled with his conscience” right up to the moment he started the attack, and that he was making moral decisions.
Minassian told various doctors he was hoping his plan would fall through in some way, and instead of renting the van and going on a killing spree, he’d have started his new job. That would have been the “best-case scenario” and going through with the attack was a “backup plan,” he said.
Prior to the attack, Minassian said he was thinking about the incel ideology to “rev” himself up and was “thinking negatively on purpose” to force himself to do it and not chicken out.
Though he’d initially planned to start the attack downtown, he saw a group of people waiting at a light at Yonge and Finch and he thought: “I am going to do it now, I might as well.” Once he hit the first group of people, his doubts dissipated, he said, because he knew he could do it.
Minassian told multiple doctors he wanted to kill couples and more women more than men.
The trial continues Tuesday when the Crown is expected to start calling its expert witnesses.
Prior to the attack, Alek Minassian said he was thinking about the incel ideology to ‘rev’ himself up