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Komisarjevsky's Psychologist Details Childhood Sexual Abuse

Joshua Komisarjevsky was found guilty on all counts in the home invasion that escalated to a triple murder, but whether he lives or dies remains to be seen.

With Joshua Komisarjevsky facing the death penalty for his role in a triple murder and the sexual assault of a young girl, his psychologist told jurors about a history of sexual abuse he suffered as a child.

According to the Associated Press:

Clinical psychologist Leslie Lebowitz testified Monday in New Haven Superior Court that she met with Komisarjevsky more than a dozen times for a psychological evaluation of him. Lebowitz said she concluded Komisarjevsky was sexually abused "not every day, but a lot" [by his adopted brother].

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Komisarjevsky's defense says his strictly religious family never got him proper psychological treatment.

However, she said there was no excuse for the crimes Komisarjevsky was convicted of. 

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Update at 4:10 p.m. on Nov. 3

Prosecutors are fighting a move by the defense that would allowJoshua Komisarjevsky’s nine-year-old daughter to testify as jurors consider whether he should be given the death penalty.

According to ABC News, the defense has filed a subpoena for the daughter to appear, while prosecutors and others have opposed the move.

A number of studies have been done on the effects of testifying in a trial on children. "Criminal court testimony is associated with fear and anxiety for a substantial subset of children," according to a study done in the 1990's at University of California, Davis. "The adversarial, formal, and possibly even hostile court environment during a hearing and especially a trial is a source of a child witnesses' fear and distress."

Update at 4:40 p.m. on Nov. 2

When Joshua Komisarjevsky was a troubled teen in a deeply religious household, he confided in a pastor that he witnessed a demon. Bryce Whiting told jurors the story on Wednesday during the ongoing penalty phase of Komisarjevsky’s trial.

According to the Associated Press:

Bryce Whiting testified that Joshua Komisarjevsky was visibly shaken as he described "a dark spiritual being with glowing eyes and menacing in his appearance" by a TV where he had made a pipe bomb. The pastor, who belonged to the same New Hampshire church as Komisarjevsky's family at the time, said he and others led Komisarjevsky in prayers telling the devil to leave as they placed their hands on him.

Update at 5:10 p.m. on Nov. 1

Mark Middlebrooks, a music director who knew the Joshua Komisarjevsky when he was 17 years old, asked jurors to spare the convicted killer’s life on Tuesday.

According to the Associated Press:

He said Komisarjevsky was in legal trouble at the time he joined the group, called the Continentals. But Middlebrooks said he felt "compelled and burdened" to accept him for the tour, a decision he never regretted.

"He responded so well to me and my leadership," Middlebrooks said. "We developed a trust. I didn't have to worry about Josh."

The Hartford Courant reported that Middlebrooks said the main reason Komisarjevsky should be spared is because he is a father.

"He has a daughter. He wishes he could change the circumstances for the sake of his daughter, for the family, and for all people adversely affected," Middlebrooks said, adding again that Komisarjevsky should be saved.

Update at 6:04 p.m. on Oct. 31

With Joshua Komisarjevsky facing death row, his family members continued testifying to jurors about the convicted killer’s troubled childhood. On Monday, his adopted sister Naomi Komisarjevsky, shared what it was like growing up with Joshua.

Naomi recalled having fun with her brother and playing games as a child. But according to the Hartford Courant, the childhood darkened when Joshua sexually molested her when she was 12. Things worsened for Joshua as time went on.

According to the Courant:

"He was angry at God, angry at me, angry at his father, angry at the world, really," Naomi Komisarjevsky said.

She said her brother had thrived in the army but regressed afterward, lapsing into drug use.

According to the U.K. newspaper Daily Mail, his mother, Jude, suspected that Joshua was “up to no good” on the night of the 2007 murders “because he was wearing a hooded sweatshirt he used in the past to commit burglaries.”

The Daily Mail reported that when she heard of the fire and deaths, she thought her son could be involved.

Update at 9:45 p.m. on Oct. 27

Three decades before Joshua Komisarjevsky was a convicted murderer, he was a crying infant just adopted by his new mom. Jude Komisarjevsky retold the first encounter with her son to jurors on Thursday.

According to the Hartford Courant:

Defense attorney Todd Bussert showed Jude Komisarjevsky copies of journal pages she wrote in the months after the adoption. She smiled as she read the entries, including one that said, "Here was the Joshua we always wanted."

The day of the adoption, she recalled, little Joshua cried in her arms but was calm and quiet in the arms of his adopted father.

But trauma, including sexual abuse, made Joshua’s childhood an unhappy one. When the family took in another child, in addition to Joshua’s adopted younger sister, the new brother allegedly molested his siblings. Joshua also allegedly molested his sister. The Hartford Courant reported that Jude barely looked at her son sitting several feet away in the New Haven courtroom.

Update at 5:05 p.m. on Oct. 25

The penalty phase for jurors deciding the fate of convicted murder Joshua Komisarjevsky began today, and it could be weeks before a decision whether to send him to death row is reached.

At the courthouse in New Haven, the judge and the defense told jurors of the weight of their eventual decision. According to CNN:

"This grave and awesome decision will be made by you and you alone," Judge Jon Blue told the jury before giving them preliminary instructions as the trial began.

During an hourlong opening statement, the defense also reminded the jury of the heavy burden they bear.

"By your verdict, you're guaranteeing that Joshua will receive one of the two harshest penalties, life or death," Attorney Jeremiah Donovan said.

Earlier this month, Komisarjevsky was found guilty of all 17 counts from the brutal 2007 Cheshire home invasion that ended with three people dead. His accomplice, Steven Hayes, is on death row already.

Update at 12 p.m. on Oct. 24

The death penalty phase in the brutal Cheshire home invasion murders begins tomorrow. Joshua Komisarjevsky was earlier this month, and his accomplice Steven Hayes has already been sentenced to death.

According to WTNH:

When the jury returns to the courthouse it will mark the start of what will likely be weeks of testimony, as the defense tries to use Komisarjevsky's troubled childhood to keep him alive.

While the case will be made in court, those living around Cheshire seem to have their minds made up already.

For more coverage, including details of the guilt phase of the trial, .


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