When she was called to the witness stand this morning, prosecutors only asked Denise Kalebu, the mother of Isaiah Kalebu, a few questions.
Things like: At some point in July of 2009, did you see an image of your son on the noon news? (Her answer: “I remember seeing him on the TV but I’m not sure of the date… I said, ‘Oh, that’s Isaiah.’ And I called the number that was on the TV.”)
The defense only asked Denise Kalebu about the country of origin of Kalebu’s father. (Answer: Uganda.)
The prosecution’s aim appeared to be related to positive identification: If Kalebu’s mother says he’s the man pictured in a video that was aired on the noon news back in July of 2009, and if the man in that video has since been linked to the South Park attacks by DNA evidence and other witnesses, then prosecutors have gone a long way toward making their case.
I’m not sure where the defense was going with its question about the country of origin of Kalebu’s father. Perhaps we’ll find out later in the trial.
But out in the courtroom hall after her brief testimony, Denise Kalebu shared a number of things with reporters about her life, her son’s life, and her feelings about this case. I’ll post more about the conversation later, but for now I want to share her assessment of Kalebu’s mental state.
“No way is he competent to stand trial,” Denise Kalebu said. “He doesn’t understand what’s going on.”
Does she think he’s guilty or innocent?
“I honestly in my heart don’t believe he did it,” she said. “And if he did do it, he had a psychotic break.”
This just in: mother of suspect is sure he’s innocent, but if he’s guilty, it was a “psychotic break” and not the culmination of his upbringing.
The Uganda thing probably has to do with his DNA. I remember reading somewhere that there was something noteworthy about his DNA.
Can’t help but feel for her. It would be hell trying to come to terms with your child being such a monster and having done something so horrific and damaging. That said, *she’s* delusional if she truly believes he didn’t do it.
Blood is thicker than… someone else’s blood.
Poor woman. She’s another of his victims.
Psychosis is not a result of “upbringing.”
the heart is not part of the brain.
It’s kind of heartbreaking how she doesn’t really understand that by saying she doesn’t believe he did it in the face of incontrovertible material evidence, she’s completely undermining any credibility she might have to offer an opinion on his mental state.
In related news, taking and publishing understandably and almost tautologically partial and inadmissible statements from the bewildered, hurting relatives of people involved in high-profile trials is exploitative and crass, not to mention the precise opposite of good journalism.
Listen, lady. After two suicide attempts, your son damned well knows and understands “what’s going on.” He knows he’s in trouble, and he knows it’s deep.
I guess I’m just a stone-cold bitch, but if any of my family members committed a crime even remotely similar to what Kalebu did, I would immediately disown them and volunteer to be the one to flip the switch. What is wrong with people that they defend the sociopaths in their midst? If anything, it makes them seem more culpable in their relative’s upbringing, that they also can’t tell the difference between right and wrong.
@6: Another successful internet diagnosis! Everyone can go home, there’s no need for a trial; random internet person has deemed the defendant psychotic and asserts that psychosis cant’ be the result of a bad childhood.
I get so tired of these animals that kill innocent people try and use the “Now I’m out of my mind” route. Put him in jail in Uganda for the rest of his life.