Radiologist testifies on behalf of defense in murder trial

A Florida radiologist recently testified on behalf of the defense as to whether a defendant is competent to stand trial for double murder. 

For his part, Dr. Geoffrey Negin—a neuroradiology specialist in Fort Meyers, Florida—offered insight into the imaging findings of Jean Macean, a 33-year-old man who is charged with two counts of premeditated first-degree murder. 

The defendant is said to have murdered two victims at random during Daytona’s Bike Week in March of 2022. His defense attorneys, along with three expert witnesses, including Dr. Negin, argue that Macean suffers from schizophrenia and psychosis. 

Negin testified that the defendant, who is said to have endured an abusive childhood, has physical abnormalities on his brain imaging that show shrinkage and scarring similar to that of a patient who has Alzheimer’s disease. 

“This person has very significant traumatic brain injury, long-standing,” Negin noted. 

Two psychology experts also testified on behalf of the defense, revealing that the defendant has heard voices in his head since childhood and had also been treated with anti-psychotic medication in the past. They concluded that, based on their interviews, the defendant was not fit to stand trial, according to reports from WESH 2. 

Recently, new research published in Schizophrenia Bulletin offered new insight into mechanisms behind the “loosening of associations” commonly observed in individuals diagnosed with schizophrenia. Experts used functional MRI scans to observe neural activity of patients with schizophrenia while they watched a colorless movie and found that their connectivity structures were very different than that of a group of healthy controls. 

“The disintegration of the semantic network of schizophrenia patients suggests that the representations of concepts become relatively indistinct in their brains,” experts involved in the study explained. “The co-occurrence of intruding knowledge may cause confusion in the understanding of context, leading to the emergence of delusional beliefs.”   

It is becoming increasingly common for radiologists to testify as expert witnesses in criminal trials when someone’s mental status is in question, highlighting a growing emphasis on gauging individuals’ mental health based on more objective measures, including interpretations of their neuroimaging. 

In this case, a judge is still considering both sides’ cases as to whether the defendant is competent to proceed with a trial. If found guilty, there is a possibility that the defendant could be subject to the death penalty.