Son murders Mother, Stepdad
Women are Winning
by Tom Farmer
Friday, September 27, 2002
A troubled Dorchester man who was reportedly deemed safe to himself
and others by several mental health providers Wednesday allegedly
killed his mother and stepfather - a retired Boston police officer -
then greeted police hours later covered with blood.
Jason Potter, 21, was sent to Bridgewater State Hospital yesterday by
Dorchester District Court Judge Sydney Hanlon for a 20-day psychiatric
evaluation to determine his competency after innocent pleas were
entered on charges he murdered is mother, Marie D. Sheehan, 45, and
his stepfather, former Boston Officer Richard Sheehan, 71.
Police found the couple stabbed to death in their Jo-Anne Terrace home
in Dorchester after Potter made a 911 call shortly before midnight
Wednesday reporting, ``I found my mother dead and another person
gutted,'' according to Suffolk Assistant District Attorney John
Powers.
`` 'You solved the case. You got me,' '' Powers said Potter later told
officers after implicating himself in the double murder. ``Interviews
with the defendant and neighbors indicated hostility toward the
stepfather.''
But Potter's attorney, Bernard Grossberg, said Potter ``has been
committed to a number of hospitals in the Boston area, both
voluntarily and involuntarily. He has been prescribed a wide range of
anti-psychotic medication and has a dual diagnosis of either
schizophrenia or schizophrenia disorder plus manic depression and he
has been treated for that.''
Prosecutors said despite Potter's medical history, the motive for the
double killing was animosity between Potter and Sheehan, who retired
from the BPD in 1996 after 35 years. Sheehan was found in a hallway
with stab wounds to his abdomen and face, and had defensive wounds on
his left forearm and thumb, Powers said, adding his wife was in the
master bedroom with a single stab wound to the chest. Potter waited
hours before calling 911, a source said.
Grossberg said a number of evaluators failed to commit Potter despite
signs he was a danger. After being released from a 30-day sentence
Sept. 18 for violating a restraining order brought against him by a
former girlfriend, Grossberg said Potter went to Carney Hospital with
his mother Sunday and wanted to be committed.
The attorney said the hospital did not feel an involuntary commitment
was necessary and Potter instead admitted himself voluntarily, but
signed himself out ``against medical advice'' on Tuesday. When Potter
told his probation officer Wednesday that he was suffering mental
distress, the probation officer told him to get help.
Grossberg said his mother took him to his unidentified ``long-term
therapist,'' who also did not deem him a danger. But the therapist
referred Potter to the Boston Emergency Services Team (BEST), which
provides 24-hour psychiatric evaluation. Grossberg said BEST also
determined he was not a threat.
Potter had another appointment scheduled yesterday with his therapist
and was supposed to meet a psychiatrist today to have ``his medication
adjusted.'' The attorney said Potter, who was arrested five times on
various charges in July and August, has been taking anti-psychotic
medication since age 14.
``He was exhibiting some bizarre signs the last several days prior to
both he and his mother seeking medical (help),'' said Grossberg. ``He
was complaining about, for lack of a better term, pain in his head. He
couldn't stand the state he was in. Part of the question is why the
Carney Hospital admission this past Sunday was a voluntary commitment
rather than an involuntary commitment so he could not sign himself
out.''
Carney Hospital president Joyce A. Murphy said patient confidentiality
prohibited her from commenting on Potter. ``However, we would never
release a patient if we believed that patient to be a threat to
himself or others,'' she said in a statement. A BEST administrator did
not respond to a message for comment.
Neighbor Jonathan Corbin told WHDH-TV, ``Sometimes you would hear
yelling and one time I saw the son holding a hockey stick threatening
the father. There were problems between them.''
Virginia Buchanan, Marie Sheehan's elderly mother, told the station,
``Oh my God. I love my grandchildren. I loved my Marie,'' adding
Potter had a drug problem.
Potter, who stands 5 feet, 10 inches with a shaved head and tattoos of
the Grim Reaper, a spider and a dragon, was ``not lucid'' and ``he is,
in my view, suicidal,'' his attorney said yesterday. The judge allowed
Potter to stand mostly out of view, while his father, Barney Potter,
and his aunt sat on one side of the courtroom, with some of Richard
Sheehan's relatives, including several of his children, sitting on the
other side.
An acquaintance who grew up with Potter said, ``We used to try to
avoid him as much as we could and used to call him `Psycho Sid.' ''
The person said Potter ``did a lot of drugs,'' abused alcohol, and
resented help from his mother and stepfather.
``They told him, `We'll get you help,' but I think as he kept on
getting in trouble, they told him, `We've had enough of this and we're
not going to bail you out anymore.' ''
During July and August, Potter was arrested for making threats,
driving under the influence of liquor and leaving the scene of an
accident, causing a disturbance at Boston Bowl on Morrissey Boulevard
where he had been previously banned, and twice for violating a
restraining order. The acquaintance said another friend received a
call from Potter shortly after the alleged murders in which Potter
invited the friend to come over and ``hang out.''
``My friend said he didn't sound normal, like he wasn't all there, you
know?''
The Sheehans married several years ago. Richard Sheehan was an auto
investigator for many years before ending his career as a case
supervisor at the Dorchester court. He received the BPD's Medal of
Honor in 1979 for saving a choking woman in Mattapan and had two
letters of commendation.
``He was a quiet guy and everyone thought highly of him,'' said his
former supervisor, Capt. Robert Dunford. ``The officers here that knew
him are pretty shaken up. It's difficult enough to see some of these
things and when it's someone you know, it's doubly hard.''
Another former supervisor said Sheehan was a victim of his own
kindness. ``Dick was always there to help others,'' he said, ``but as
is often the case in this job, in the end, he couldn't help himself.''
Boston Herald
Feminism is Growing
Another man murders his family.
Let's compare figures.
How many men murder their families vs. how many women?
Prediction: 90 percent men vs. 10 percent women.
O Feminsm is Growing O
+ +
Michael Snyder
>
> Breakdown: Troubled son held in killings of mom, stepdad
Did you know that, although men (and boys) show no gender bias
in the murder of parents, women (and girls) are far more likely
to murder their father than their mother?
Parg will now say something stupid and completely unsubstantiated
about "self defense".
Solon of Athens
Sounds logical.
Solon
Lapis Lazuli Long
Quite.
LLL
perfectch...@gmail.com
> Breakdown: Troubled son held in killings of mom, stepdad lady's watch out this man is on dating sites from the hospital he told me who he was I nearly had a heart attack he has my phone number and everything scary world staying away from dating sites very scary
melpelle...@gmail.com
pottersp...@gmail.com
pottersp...@gmail.com
pottersp...@gmail.com
v.sara...@gmail.com
sn00py...@gmail.com
I love Jason and yes he's had and dealt with his demons
No one knows his heart or his pain but God
Don't judge him we all lost Marie n Dick