Privacy Laws Slow Hunt In Therapist Murder

Police Will Have To Obtain A Court Order To Examine Faughey's Appointment Book

(CBS/AP)  Police investigating the murder had been hampered by federal privacy laws that deny them access to the therapist's records, the New York Post reports.

The newspaper says police will have to obtain a court order in order to see the records, and have used Faughey's appointment book and sign-in sheets at the Manhattan building where her office is located in a bid to get a handle on her patients.

Therapist Kathryn Faughey was slashed 15 times with a meat cleaver and a 9-inch knife in her Manhattan office on Tuesday evening. A psychiatrist who worked in the building, Dr. Kent Shinbach, came to Faughey's aid and was badly injured.

On Thursday, police questioned and later released a man Faughey had offered to help with personal problems. Faughey mentioned him in her last message, sent only about a half-hour before she was killed, said a friend, Don Hurley.

Detectives interviewed the man, William Kunsman, in Pennsylvania on Thursday. He was not considered a suspect, but the development showed how determined investigators were to track down any clues into the killer. Kunsman met Faughey, 56, at a guitar camp several years ago, according to a law enforcement official.

Pennsylvania state troopers picked him up at his home around 4:30 a.m., and he was let go 8½ hours later, after he asked for a lawyer, the official said.

"The reasons they had for questioning me were valid," said Kunsman, of Coplay, Pa., adding that he was "extremely saddened" to hear of Faughey's death.

Kunsman said that when detectives arrived he hadn't even heard about Faughey's death. "It didn't become clear to me until during the questioning what had happened," he said.

The killer left behind several clues, dropping two bags near the basement door through which he escaped. The bags were filled with adult diapers, women's clothing, rope, duct tape and eight knives apparently not used in the attack, police said.

Police also recovered three knives at the scene, including a 9-inch knife and a meat cleaver that were apparently bent from the force of the attack.

Investigators initially believed the killer may be a patient of Faughey, but were also questioning other acquaintances.

Faughey, a licensed psychologist, described herself as a specialist in cognitive behavioral therapy. On her Web site, Faughey said she treated patients for relationship issues, coping with breakups, anxiety, panic attacks, stress over job changes and online intimacy, such as relationship issues arising from computer and text messaging.

Colleagues said she was unlikely to have knowingly seen a patient who had a problem with aggression or violence.

Faughey was an avid guitar player. In the past few years, she had attended several get-togethers in Pennsylvania and elsewhere with fellow Martin guitar enthusiasts and had become fast friends with some of them.

She named her six-string guitar Little Anna, which she adoringly described in one posting on the Unofficial Martin Guitar Forum as the "archetype of the trusted friend, sister, confidante."

[gronamox-2009]

I think it''s obvious. The adult diapers were a red herring. No one sells those door to door anymore. No, this was a crime of passion. It had to be someone close, like a brother or little sister, someone in whom she would confide. Yes, I see you are finally putting it all together. Indeed. The guitar did it!!! PS. I really miss the belligerent guy who always writes in: "I don''t feel one bit sorry for her." He''s my fave.

[gronamox-2009]

I think it''s obvious. The adult diapers were a red herring. No one sells those door to door anymore. No, this was a crime of passion. It had to be someone close, like a brother or little sister, someone in whom she would confide. Yes, I see you are finally putting it all together. Indeed. The guitar did it!!! PS. I really miss the belligerent guy who always writes in: "I don''t feel one bit sorry for her." He''s my fave.

[ssm9451]

THE WORLD HAS GONE INSANE!!!

[luvcomments]

smiley676

What laws? Oh, you mean the ones that protect all the perpetrators and conglomerates and bugger all to the victims and regular people? Yeah, the lawyers are great at that. By the way, you can''t even spell "constitution".

[jegibbons]

Good job, NYPD! "...identified as an emotionally disturbed person"??? Now, doesn''t that sound like you want to have him over for tea and a heart to heart chat?

I see a bona fide INSANITY defense rising out of this case.

[bb19631]

HIPPA laws are in place for a reason. A court order should help. I hope they find the killer. What a sad story. There are alot of sicko''s out there. It has gotten to the point in society, we have to be aware of our surroundings at all times.

[l8c6]

Inconvenience is a small price to pay to protect privacy.

Posted by denn034

yeah, but even the woman who initiated the HIPPA laws has regrets about the monster that was created. HIPPA hasn''t been around that many years and it has made its share of problems. It can be a pain to everyone family included.

[denn034]

Inconvenience is a small price to pay to protect privacy.

[bm6005]

And NO, I''m not afraid of terrorists except for the current ferderal administration!

[bm6005]

what does this have to do with lawyers?

Who do you think has pushed thru these overly restrictive privacy laws? Who is in the legislatures nationwide? This is a murder investigation not a warrantless search. Everytime I pick up a prescription I have to sign more releases than my first house. I can''t even find college classmates, my old GTO, guys I served with in the army... This is nonproductive, no value add BS perpetrated on us by the Frickin'' lawyers. Simple enough?

[smiley676]

what does this have to do with lawyers?

But at least the lawyer politicians have read the Constition. It''s the ones who get voted in simply because they say the right things that scare me, the ones that know nothing about the law.

[hungry1968]

Don''''t you just love lawyers?

Posted by bm6005 at 01:37 PM : Feb 15, 2008




Not at all. What makes it worse is that when lawyers grow up, they want to be politicians.

[bm6005]

Don''t you just love lawyers?

[tail_honcho]

MichelleM99 - you really have to try to read what you type before hitting the enter key (some effort please). If you have thoughts that you want to share, it would help if we could understand them. I am sure you have insightful points... but the lack of effort and care in your typing makes them very murky.

[smiley676]

MichelleM99

Actually you are wrong. The PEOPLE, not the STATE were given the right to bear arms. This was because the founders had seen what happens when a government gets too strong and they wanted the PEOPLE to have the power to overthrow the government.

The MILITIA was NOT ruled by a GOVERNMENT. It was created by the PEOPLE.

[uradufuss]

Oh yeah, well the state where I live is considering new laws that make the mental health records of all politicians no longer confidential. And anyone who refuses to submit their records upon demand, will be waterboarded.

[uradufuss]

Oh sure, and we need full background checks, registration, and waiting periods for: baseball bats, tire irons,knitting needles, and....? That''ll solve the problem.

[sandy19731]

Mercyme,
You sound like some of those people who come to see me with anger and impulsiveness problems.
So, how are your relationships going?
Play nice

[sandy19731]

The state where I live is considering new laws that make the mental health records of someone suspected or convicted of a violent crime no longer confidential.

And, for the record: mentally ill people have about the same propensity towards violence as the rest of us. The rate is not higher.

[sandy19731]

We are all vulnerable to a killer, however I am a therapist and I keep a small canister of pepper spray on my desk next to my pens (no-one has ever noticed it). It is not plausible to keep a loaded gun in a therapist''''''''s office.


Posted by sandy19731 at 01:15 PM : Feb 14, 2008


Not if you''''re gonna hang it on the wall, but why can''''t it be concealed like your pepper spray?



--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Posted by deemsnyd at 01:30 PM : Feb 14, 2008

Well, I suppose a gun could be kept in a desk drawer, but my main goal would be to disable the attacker and get away. Keeping the pepper spray within reach and seems safer to me. Also, I don''t worry so much about it being used against me.
Michelle,
Not everyone who sees a therapist is mentally ill. I have seen many people who come in for "relationship issues" when in fact they have anger and impulsiveness problems. Hence the relationship problems.