Insanity On Death Row

Mentally Ill Prisoner Who Murdered Woman In 1985 In Tennessee Could Be Executed

(CBS)  This segment was originally broadcast on Nov. 11, 2007. It was updated on Aug. 8, 2008

When it comes to prisoners on death row who are insane, the law is very clear: you cannot execute them. The Supreme Court has ruled it unconstitutional and deemed it "cruel and unusual punishment."

But can medication make a prisoner sane enough to be executed? As we first reported last year, that question is being asked in the case of convicted killer Greg Thompson.

As correspondent Lara Logan reports, Thompson was originally found competent to stand trial, but prison doctors have concluded he is mentally ill and they give him medication every day.

Thompson's lawyers are going back to court this fall and will argue that he is still insane on the medication, which he was taking the day 60 Minutes met with him.

---

Thompson told Logan he had to stab his food to eat it. "Especially eggs. They be popping up," he said. "Hit me in the face. You got to stab it. And then you gotta eat it quick. Real quick."

60 Minutes met Thompson inside a maximum security prison in Nashville.

He has been diagnosed as schizophrenic and psychotic by both prison doctors and those hired by his lawyers. And he has been medicated by the state for most of his 23 years on death row. Thompson receives a daily cocktail of anti-psychotic mood-stabilizing pills, and injections twice a month.

Asked if he knows why he's getting medication, Thompson told Logan, "Yeah, I’m nuts."

He says he only takes 10 pills a day now.

"What happens if you don’t take them?" Logan asked.

"I go lulu," Thompson replied.

"Tell me what going lulu is for you," Logan asked.

"In a few days I would like lose my mind and it would be trying to explode on me," he replied. "I got in a fight with the guards a lot of times, you know. Tried to kill a few."

"Did you kill any of them?" Logan asked.

"No," Thompson said. "But at the time they was turning into insects. And I wanted to kill them."

"The guards were turning into insects?" Logan asked.

"Yeah, they were giant insects," Thompson said. "They was acting just like the guards, but they were aliens. And I had to kill the aliens. They were attacking the world."

A psychologist who has been evaluating Thompson for nine years says he sees, hears and smells things that aren’t there, and suffers from extreme paranoid delusions and hallucinations.

But when Thompson was put on trial in 1985, his lawyers did not raise insanity as a defense. He confessed, was convicted and sentenced to death for killing Brenda Lane. She was 28 years old, well-liked in her community and she had been married just a few months.

The facts of what happened on New Year's Day in 1985 have never been in dispute. Thompson and his girlfriend, a juvenile, wanted to get from Tennessee to Georgia, so they kidnapped Brenda Lane, stole her car and then drove around for an hour and a half on remote country roads, as Thompson searched for a place to kill her.

They stopped along a rural country road near a field. Thompson then stabbed Brenda four times in the back and drove off, leaving her to die alone in the cold and the dark.

[denn034]

That''s just wrong.

[columbiabro]

"I''''m a Christian, I''''m a Christian, really I am, but we must, we must kill him!" Spectrum108 ---- You would probably kill Christ.

[enriquecaliente]

Jeez, they kill mad dogs don''t they.? Whats the difference.? Put him out of his misery.

[mitywhity]

Let''s see who is on here. America-haters, Atheist Christ-haters and the apathetics plus one reasonable person not counting myself. That''s about the proportionate ratio that is usually on here. Pathetic.

[imnho]

If you have to drug him to make him sane enought to kill says something very bad about the process.

[feelfree1]

Executing the mentally ill is something that we Americans excel at- not unlike Nazis.

[juwboy]

FeelFree1 said:

"Executing the mentally ill is something we Americans excel at- not unlike Nazis."

Let''s also not forget the medical experiments that were carried out on unsuspecting members of an ethnic minority, just as the Nazis did.

In the 1930s, many Southern African-Americans were intentionally infected with syphilis so that the progress of the disease over the decades could be studied.

[mitywhity]

I submit that anyone who kills another person for whatever motivation aside from self-preservation or defense of family or country is insane. So, what are we to do? Excuse reprehensible behaviour just because a person had amomentary failure of reason? No, there should be the protection of the public from such persons rather than the protection of such persons from the justice they rightly deserve. This man adducted and butchered a woman and has survived her whole family except for one and you sit there and listen to these two well rehearsed, moody, shaken and soft-spoken women opine for his perpetual care like he was an orphaned puppy? Are you insane as well?

[pensacola88]

America created the system that allows her people to become disestablished. Her people can quit school legally. Without education, crime becomes the answer for survival and criminal behavior is often employed when resolving problems. A series of poor choices will guarantee anyone a trip to court, prison and an execution chamber.

If we didn''t allow people to quit school and live and express theirselves so under-educated, fewer people would be disestablished and entering the criminal justice system.

I would rather use my taxes to pay for schools and keep people there rather than pay for courts, prisons and execution chambers.

How many times will we fail to see how depriving a person from education leads to increased crime and mental disease?

I do favor FCC mandates to impose censorships of broadcasts that glamorize, patronize, or encourage a person to accept under-educated lifestyles.

I also favor abolishing a students legal right to quit school. Even the most expensive Alternative School is cheaper than a prison and staff used to house convicts scheduled for executions.

I can''t understand why fundamentalists want to cut taxes and deprive people of education and build more prisons. What''s wrong with this picture?

[linfinster]

If a murder was committed why would you want the murderer, weather insane or not, to live? What possible justification can you give? (I''m not talking about those that are trying to protect themselves from being killed themselves or if it was due to a mistake.) If you take a life, then you pay for that debased monstrous action with your own life. Period! It isn''t inhuman to think that. IMHO

[ericmichael1]

I am sorry, Lara, but there was a similar case with Victor Alvarez, who, in 1996 was sentenced with co-conspirators in the plot to bomb New York landmarks.

His attorney, Wesley Serra, told Judge Mukasey that Alvarez was a man of limited perception who was "predisposed to join anything that made him feel important."

Judge Mukasey observed, "People who are killed by people with limited capacity are just as dead."

Mukasey is now the Attorney General. And I agree fully with his assessment.

Just because an inmate is being given psychotropics does not mean he is insane now (nor does it mean he was insane at the time of the crime). Perhaps the doctors are prescribing these medications to avoid further assaults by this man on prison staff.

"People who are killed by people with limited capacity are just as dead."

Eric

[ladyephesus1]

I say "If people are considering themselves Christians, then what is she saying by wanting to see him executed. Thats a hypocrite right there.
I do not like when people claim to be Christians , then sit and watch someone murdered. The sister is psychotic too. Her sister has been dead 22 years now. let the higher power handle this and move on.
If doctors are prescribing meds like this, then obviously the man needs them. Im not ruling out that he was insane at the time of the murder, but let the courts and doctors rule that out.

All you Christians got that???

[fibonacci_]

Lame.

[feelfree1]

Pensacola88,

Re: "I can''t understand why fundamentalists want to cut taxes and deprive people of education and build more prisons."

Well, they can''t legally lynch people anymore. I think that they view these methods as the next best thing.

[feelfree1]

Who would Jesus execute?

[mitywhity]

Who would Jesus execute?...Posted by FeelFree1---------Stay tuned until Judgement Day and you will find out. Jesus is not a peace sign flashing hippy that this ME generation make Him out to be. Don''t get to far out of balance with the "...ye who are without sin cast the first stone..." reference. That would do an injustice to the context. Careful reading in the Gospel of John will reveal to you Jesus pronouncing death and a sentence of condemnation to a pharisee when He said "...you will die in your sins..." Jesus is not our little idol that we can fashion to suit our personal opinion. He is Truth and aside from Him there is no other Truth. He is the final judge of me and you and all who ever lived and will live.

All you Christians got that???...Posted by ladyephesus1---------------Yeah, we should all just let you atheists, agnostics and wiccans become our spiritual advisors. Where do I sign up?

Pensacola88-------------What are you mixing with your Metamucil?

[mtwt-dallas]

The hypocritical ruling in this case by the U.S. Supreme Court simply drags the entire american judiciary into further disrepute. Either you can or you can''t execute the mentally ill. We all know thatb Texas leads the nation in executions, so it should surprise noone that Texas is eager to carry another state-sanctioned murder and maintain it''s reprehensible title as murder capitol of the world.


Lakeith Amir-Sharif ("Sharif")
Making The Walls Transparent
Texas Chapter (MTWT-Texas)

www.angelfire.com/crazy4/texas

[kaykayb824]

Ok well first of all i would like to say that I think it is very pitiful that all you people, mainly columbiabro, ladyephesus, usmcvn, and Spectrum108 have nothing better to do than stick your nose in something in which obviously you know nothing about and run your mouth. Ok, how many of you have had a brother or sister brutally murdered for no reason at all? Probly none because if you had i''ll guarantee that you wouldn''t say that. You don''t know how it feels and you don''t know Barbara Brown so why in the world would you call her a hypocrite or psychotic?

Columbiabro--- she never said "I''m a christian I''m a Christian, really I am, but we must, we must kill him!" So quit putting words in her mouth, ok thanks:) get your facts straight and find something better to do with your time.

ladyephesus--- The sister is not psychotic and how is somebody suppose to move on when people like you talk about it like you know what happened and you know something about it.

usmcvn---- Don''t you think you might be mentally ill if you killed an innocent person for no reason at all and sat in jail for 22 years and had time to think about it? It''s not her fault he''s crazy or anyones fault but his own. Why should we pay to keep him alive and pay for all his medicine and food when he took the life of another.

[kaykayb824]

Continued, I ran out of space.

Spectrum108--- Well it really is beside the point that he is mentally ill now he was fine when he commited the crime and it didn''t really seem to bother him that he was killing someone innocently. So just because he is crazy now does not mean we should pay to keep him alive. It''s not like we set out to have him killed because he is now mentally ill it has nothing to do with that in my eyes. It has to do with the fact that he is a murderer and he deserves to be punished and thats that. exceptions aren''t made for something like this if he did it he has to pay for it reguardless of his mental state at this PRESENT time.

[bennyblack1]

Well, I''m going to add my two cents, as usual. Understand something, that committing murder is a planned action. This man was not found insane until after he was convicted because it was the act of the murder he committed that drove him crazy. I''m a firm believer in the Old Testament law that states that a murderer should not be defended or allowed to live. This is to prevent their ideologies from spreading to other people. If their ideologies spread to other people, then other people begin to take on those ideologies and act the same way, therefore, upsetting the delicate balance in society. He is crazy now because of the lies he''s told himself to comfort himself from the guilt of committing the act of murder on someone that he supposedly loved. As the program stated, he was a Christian, went to church, and had many good Christian friends, but his powerful self-talk and self-imposed dillusions caused him to turn away from God and murder his girlfriend. He talked himself into it. And he''s still talking himself around it. Was he sane before he was convicted? I''m sure of it. Should the death penalty be withheld because he is insane now? No. He is insane now because of what he did, and it would be an act of mercy to execute him, not cruel and unusual punishment.

[oberon42-2009]

Please, don''t let Lara Logan play a correspondent ever again. She is truly terrible. Please.

[flotown4]

He knows he committed the crime and how he done it. I think he is just trying to fool all of us by faking that he''s crazy. The people that are trying to stop his sentence from being carried out would change their mind if the victim was in their family.

[ntmdtr56]

Let me preface these comments with this statement. I am against the death penalty in general.

This is one of the lamest excuses for a 60 minutes segment I have ever seen. The producer that allowed this segment on air should be fired. Of all of the unjustified death penalty cases out there. This seems to be one of the weakest I have heard of. But then I don''t think insanity as a defense, is resonable either. I think anyone who kills another person, is by definition insane.

[bennyblack1]

Furthermore, as with all churches who teach correct doctrine, his church in particular probably taught the Ten Commandments, and Jesus'' added command. Among these commands are "Thou shalt do no murder," and "Love thy neighbor as thou love thyself." Therefore, he knows better. Though his insanity may have BEGUN as an act, the play-acting has become a reality in his own mind, and it keeps his mind from replaying in his mind that awful act of murder that he committed. That is the reality he is running from. And there is no amount of medication that can change it. If he remains in captivity without due punishment, it teaches other criminals to just go to jail, act a fool, and get free hots and a cot. This isn''t the image you want to promote. Yet, there is no real punishment for the crimes, and people who just want to "Get away," commit them just to be taken care of.

[jdennert]

This segment was of absolutely no value whatsoever. Not one person who has any expertise in psychiatry was interviewed. As a psychiatrist who has examined murder defendants, and testified in court regarding sanity/insanity, I have to say that it was not at all clear that Mr. Thompson is currently psychotic. The qeustion of malingering is obviously pertinent. No history of Mr. Thompson was provided; there was no indication that he had sought or been treated for psychiatric illness before the murder. Such information is vitally important in determining the likelihood that he currently suffers a psychiatric illness.

All in all, the piece as presented was totally devoid of any informational or news value. Cannot CBS afford to have some psychiatric consultation about such a piece, so they could at least provide some reasonable information instead of the nonsense that this piece is? Such "news" goes a long way to maintaining the stigma and lack of understanding that continues to pervade questions of psychiatric illness. I would think CBS could do better.

But then again, maybe not.

[bennyblack1]

feelfree;
Being that Jesus is also God, and God created the universe and the laws that run it, created human beings and laws for their existence, and He also was the one that made it a law to execute all killers with the intent to murder in cold blood, then, yes, Jesus would execute him. Just because we live in the 21st Century doesn''t mean that the Laws of God have changed. People change, not God.

[call2134]

Logan must think that she is an actress - in her presentation. Horrible at best! This story is not worth reporting. The lawyers taking this case had better be doing it for free - not worth tax dollars.
Putrid!

[dewheeler77]

It makes sense that the victim''s sister, Ms. Brown, feels she should forgive Thompson, but she still wants the punishment to be carried out. This man committed a horrific crime, brutally murdering an innocent young woman. Because of this man, her sister''s life was extinguished. It is not unchristianlike to expect the punishment to fit the crime.
As to whether or not he was insane, if that was a viable defense, it is difficult to believe the original attorneys would not have argued it.
Thompson knows what he did, he was found to be sane at the time of the murder and throughout the trial, so the punishment should be carried out. As Christians, our God is a God of love, but he is also a God of justice.

[call2134]

Boycott CBS if this is what they think is news!

[rogers6234]

Animals like this inmate on Death Row should have been executed decades ago. I do not buy the insanity defense in capital cases. In my opinion, persons convicted of capital crimes should be dealt with swiftly - 1 year or less from conviction. Manner of execution should mirror the crime which got them there. These endless appeals cost huge amounts of money and clog up the courts. Also, in my opinion, they represent a lawyers full employment law, . What ever happened to the rights of society?

The expose on 60 minutes tonight does little to convince me, this person merits mercy.

[rogers6234]

Animals like this inmate on Death Row should have been executed decades ago. I do not buy the insanity defense in capital cases. In my opinion, persons convicted of capital crimes should be dealt with swiftly - 1 year or less from conviction. Manner of execution should mirror the crime which got them there. These endless appeals cost huge amounts of money and clog up the courts. Also, in my opinion, they represent a lawyers full employment law, . What ever happened to the rights of society?

The expose on 60 minutes tonight does little to convince me, this person merits mercy.

[rogers6234]

Animals like this inmate on Death Row should have been executed decades ago. I do not buy the insanity defense in capital cases. In my opinion, persons convicted of capital crimes should be dealt with swiftly - 1 year or less from conviction. Manner of execution should mirror the crime which got them there. These endless appeals cost huge amounts of money and clog up the courts. Also, in my opinion, they represent a lawyers full employment law, . What ever happened to the rights of society?

The expose on 60 minutes tonight does little to convince me, this person merits mercy.

[jmorog]

You must be kidding to call this news. What a terrible story and the presentation of it worse. Doesn''t CBS have more imagination than to present this trash? Watching paint dry would have been more interesting. I watch 60 Minutes almost every week and I am sorry to say that your stories are on a downward trend. GET WITH IT!!

[steve_m53]

Aren''t you already insane if you slab a person 4 times?
What is the difference now?

[bobbelive]

Greg Thompson knew what he was doing when he killed, or should I say stabbed Brenda Lane four times and left her bleeding to death on a road alone to die. Is this how a sane person acts? Normal people don''t do this. WHy are we wasting time on this issue? This is the best case of BULL I''ve seen in a long time other than the war in Iraq

[rogers6234]

Animals like this inmate on Death Row should have been executed decades ago. I do not buy the insanity defense in capital cases. In my opinion, persons convicted of capital crimes should be dealt with swiftly - 1 year or less from conviction. Manner of execution should mirror the crime which got them there. These endless appeals cost huge amounts of money and clog up the courts. Also, in my opinion, they represent a lawyers full employment law, . What ever happened to the rights of society?

The expose on 60 minutes tonight does little to convince me, this person merits mercy.

[bobbelive]

Greg Thompson knew what he was doing when he stabbed Brenda Lane four times and left her bleeding to death on a road alone to die. Normal people don''t do this. WHy are we wasting time on this issue? This is the best case of BULL I''ve seen in a long time other than the war in Iraq

[bennyblack1]

And, I believe that this was a good story. And I think that if one of us were to interview Lara Logan, we would probably find out that she picked up that he was lying through his teeth. And unless someone is holding a gun to her head, she''ll say that he needs to be executed, and that she''s scared of him. Now, he''s seen her, and if he manages to get transferred to a mental hospital as a result of this, then realizes freedom, guess who he''s going to look for first? Lara Logan.

I know I picked up on his lies. He tried to keep himself from smiling. His eyes do not convey the impressions of an insane man. This is a very intelligent man trying to play the insanity card to save his life. Well, people are LETTING him play it. It is a guarantee that they all know too, from the jailers to the judge, to the governor, to the psychiatrist that treats him. They say they can''t tell that he''s lying, but they can, just like the rest of us can.

[stacydanurse]

OK, This is ridiculous: after 20+ years in jail, some lawyer who has nothing better to do than to find some stupid issues to whine about.
We need to support our judicial system. Stop wasting tax dollars!!!! It is apparent, after years he can still remember everything about this murder. Then have a conversation about writing songs, receiving payment for these song and sending that money to his victims family. Come on Lawyers--wake up...You are the insane ones. He is guilty. The tax payers have paid enough to feed, cloth, provide healthcare, even education?????.(maybe he is so good that he is making some lawyers believe he is insane)Death is his punishment and should be carried out. Lawyers stop the INSANITY. Lawyers are CRAZY!!!!. He is a killer...

[bobbelive]

Greg Thompson knew what he was doing when he killed, or should I say stabbed Brenda Lane four times and left her bleeding to death on a road alone to die. Is this how a sane person acts? Normal people don''t do this. WHy are we wasting time on this issue? This is the best case of BULL I''ve seen in a long time other than the war in Iraq

[bobbelive]

Greg Thompson knew what he was doing when he killed, or should I say stabbed Brenda Lane four times and left her bleeding to death on a road alone to die. Is this how a sane person acts? Normal people don''t do this. WHy are we wasting time on this issue? This is the best case of BULL I''ve seen in a long time other than the war in Iraq

[ces1130]

This is hardly a story worth reporting--the "Innoncence Project", it is NOT!! Let the victim''s family determine the ultimate price. After all, the victim was not asked about how SHE felt about being killed. This person does not deserve the segment you spent on reporting it!! I can only hope the lawyers are not being paid for this lunacy. But, let''s not get started on lawyers...

[athought1]

listen we all know that he may have been sane when the crime happened but after 22years in jail and on medication who would not be insane to kill him does not make it right either god is a forgiving god let him stay in jail for the rest of his life the drugs are killing his brain anyway

[jj76541]

Why are we glorifying ANOTHER deathrow inmate trying to save his pathetic skin, now that he realizes he''s milked us for all its worth for 20+ years ? He is cognitive enough to have an interview, he was cognitive when he killed her. Enough with the bleeding heart ***, gimme the needle and let me take care of it.

[stackpole83]

How can anyone try to come out and judge Mrs. Brown for her view on this? Walk a mile in her shoes. Imagine if someone close to you were brutally stabbed in the back and left to die on a back country road. How would you feel about that person? For her to say she forgives him, but believes the punishment should be carried out...His worldly life should be ended, but she doesn''t wish for him to burn in hell. What is difficult to grasp about that?

[missymoo8]

I just watched the segment on Mr. Thompson and my heart breaks for the victim and Mr. Thompson. This a tragedy for the victim and her family but also for this man.Mental illness is such a terrible illness in itself but when people in authority do not understand it can be even more heartbreaking.He suffers from a disease/illness that affects behavior. If he were Severely autistic or suffer from Downs syndrome I think people would understand better.Mental illness is heartbreaking because most people do not understand that it can make a good person do things that logical healthy thinking person would never do. Why punish this man further. I do believe he should be in a facility to protect the public but not in jail or put to death. It is not in his control nor his fault that he has an illness with horrible side effects.I am not insensitive to the victim and her family.I have seen first hand the personality change a person w/ mental illness goes through. Changing from kind gentle sensitive and friendly to glossed over mean violent etc. Not everyone w/a mental illness ever gets to feel "normal". How horrible ! Not to be able to have logical thinking and funtion like the rest of us.
How can we in good conscience put a man to death because he suffers from a disease w/ side effects. Thank you for those who are trying to keep from killing him and compounding this tragedy. Again I am so sorry for the victim and her family.

[athought1]

for godsake people if brenda''s sister has not gotten over this by now than what kind of church going person is she to want him to die i know we''ve all done things in our life that we need to be forgiving for it may not be murder but it was done

[athought1]

after 22years you dont think that he is sorry or that he does not think about what he done and he might not be insane but does killing him make it right and what justice is going to come out of that im not saying let him out of jail just off deathrow

[sherry73-2009]

the lawyers of this man say it is cruel and inhuman for this man to be on death row..how inhuman and cruel was it of him to murder a young woman who had her whole life ahead of her..i say give me the needle or let me pull the switch to an electric chair for him...you could tell he is not mentally challenged but a con man who sees that by lying through his teeth..he can fool anyone...he is sickning to the human race...i would like to see him executed this very minute then my hard earned work dollars would not be helping to keep him alive!!!!!!!!!!!

[saabtoo]

What I found so horrifying about this inmate was that he not only admitted his guilt.. but has no remorse. And yet, he stated "he felt good" (due to the medication he was presently on)
How dare he feel anything??!

"He has been medicated by the state for most of his 22 years on death row. Thompson receives a daily cocktail of anti-psychotic mood-stabilizing pills, and injections twice a month."

He receives a daily cocktail of anti-psychotic mood-stabilizing pills?

If Mr. Thompson is indeed on all that medication to modify his alleged schizophrenia and psychotic disorders than he obviously is sane enough to take responsibility for his admitted crime.
Whereby qualifying his case to supersede any Supreme Court ruling.