JOHN WOODS was a smart college student in a loving relationship. That was until he saw an unfamiliar footprint on his girlfriend’s carpet. The couple argued, and Woods suffocated her. He also stabbed her roommate to death when she tried to intervene.
But Woods escaped the death penalty. The court took into account a psychiatric assessment performed after the crime, which concluded that Woods had multiple personality disorder – formally known as dissociative identity disorder (DID). The crime was not the work of John, but of his insane “alter”, Ron.
Bill Greene was also diagnosed with DID following his arrest for kidnapping – but the information was considered inadmissible in court.
Two cases involving DID, two different outcomes. The reason for the contrast is simple: the scientific community has long struggled to establish whether DID is a real condition or simply the work of an overactive imagination. “Washington state [where Greene was tried] said DID wasn’t scientifically accepted enough to be considered,” says Elyn Saks, who specialises in law and mental health at the University of Southern California, Los Angeles.
A new study could be an important step towards demonstrating that the disorder is real. As such, it might persuade more judges to allow a DID diagnosis to be given as evidence.
People diagnosed with DID have two or more personalities that reveal themselves at separate times. The personalities may not even be aware of each other’s existence. “One body holds different identity states that have their own way of thinking about themselves and the environment,” says Simone Reinders at Kings College London. The personalities – which can access different ...