The Grand Forks Herald:

There are "three Alfonsos," a nationally known psychologist told the jury here that will decide whether to sentence Alfonso Rodriguez Jr. to death for the kidnapping and killing of Dru Sjodin.

Marilyn Hutchinson is a clinical and forensic psychologist in Kansas City, Mo., who specializes in helping traumatized patients and in helping defense lawyers in violent crime cases prove mitigating evidence in defendants.

Boy the Herald really seems sold on Ms Hutchinson. I googled her and I don't think that I'd call her nationally known. In fact in a Missouri court document she was referred to as a "prominent LOCAL expert."

In that case she was testifying for a convicted murderer excusing her because she suffered from "Battered women Syndrome." I gathered from this article that the "BwS" defense didn't get very far with the judge. However her sentence was commuted to life in prison.

Another case I found was where she represented a woman who was accused of shooting her husband. In that case she testified that "

Dr. Marilyn Hutchinson, a psychologist specializing in treating trauma victims, particularly women, evaluated Mrs. Edwards through the use of interviews and psychological testing. She diagnosed Mrs. Edwards as suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder and dependent personality disorder, and testified that she exhibited battered spouse syndrome.

She testified in anther local case for another murderer who was ultimately convicted:

Dr. Marilyn Hutchinson, a psychologist who testified on defendant's behalf, believed that defendant's depression on January 6 diminished his ability to plan and diminished his ability to think about anything other than suicide. She identified defendant's sensation of being outside the action and watching Lisa be shot as a psychological defense to overwhelming emotion, which is called disassociation.

Martin listened to testimony Friday afternoon from psychologist Marilyn Hutchinson, who outlined Livingston’s troubled childhood home life and abusive relationship with Edwards.

Although she apparently holds herself out as a nationally known expert, but most of the cases I find she was working in her own backyard. She's known in Kansas City as being a "community activists."

Ms Hutchinson is listed in the attorney's directory for psychologists. There's a whole industry of psychologists that are in business to give excuses for committing murder. Fortunately in the cases I found she hasn't been very successful.

She says that there were three Rodriguez's. I say we execute the murdering one.

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