Jul 11, 2002 By Jennifer Harr 4 min read

Two psychiatrists – one from the Fayette County Prison and another from the state’s mental hospital – testified Wednesday that Gregory S. Kontaxes suffers from schizophrenic affective disorder. Kontaxes, 45, is charged with aggravated and simple assault, as well as harassment, for attacking his now-79-year-old father and beating him with rifles last Jan. 7 at his parents Perryopolis home.

The disorder, testified by to by Drs. James Drury and Laszlo Petrus, is characterized by paranoia, hearing voices, and in Kontaxes’ case, depression.

Petrus, who treated Kontaxes in 1998 during a stay in Mayview State Hospital unrelated to this case and again during his 2001 stay at the hospital relative to this case, testified that Kontaxes likely did not appreciate what he was doing when he attacked Steven Kontaxes.

Defense attorney Jack W. Connor presented the men to bolster Kontaxes insanity defense. During opening remarks Tuesday, Connor told jurors that there was no doubt that Kontaxes attacked his father, but that he was so mentally ill that he could not understand that what he was doing was wrong.

If jurors believe that contention, they can acquit Kontaxes of all charges by reason of insanity. Another possible defense is guilty, but mentally ill. That verdict could allow Kontaxes to be sentenced to a mental health facility.

District Attorney Nancy D. Vernon, however, is arguing that drinking brought on Kontaxes’ attack, and that mental illness was not part of the equation.

Both Drury and Petrus testified that during their treatment of Kontaxes, he acknowledged having a drinking problem.

Drury testified that alcohol withdrawal – as Kontaxes would have been undergoing in the days after his arrest – could manifest visions, shakes and general impulsiveness similar to schizophrenia. However, he also testified that depending on the person, symptoms would likely not be long term.

Currently on Prozac for depression and Zyprexa for psychosis, Kontaxes beat his father after the elder man told him he could not go out driving because he had been drinking. His mother, Mary Kontaxes, testified Tuesday that her husband called police, as their son came into their house and starting hitting him with a gun.

During the assault, Kontaxes used three different shotguns, breaking one over his father.

Mary Kontaxes testified that she lay over her husband’s fallen body at one point, and sustained bruised ribs because her son hit her with the gun as well.

In all, Steven Kontaxes spent nine months in and out of hospitals and a rehabilitation center. He now needs a walker to move around, and testified he still has “holes” in his head where he was beaten with the firearms.

When Kontaxes was brought to prison after the attack, Drury testified he was placed on suicide watch. The doctor examined him four days later and determined he needed medication for schizophrenia and depression.

Within a week’s time, Drury testified, “(Kontaxes) general level of functioning had markedly improved.”

Just as he improved quickly, Drury testified Kontaxes declined quickly if he stopped taking the medication. At one time during his stay in the prison, Drury said Kontaxes hit his head off walls, and in another instance when he stopped taking the medicine, Kontaxes tried to suffocate himself with a garbage bag, said Drury.

When Kontaxes was briefly released from prison last year because he posted bond, Drury testified it was his understanding that Kontaxes headed directly to a liquor store to get alcohol.

Both Drury and Petrus testified independently that it was common for schizophrenics to self-medicate using alcohol or street drugs. Petrus estimated about 78 percent do so, disregarding medication completely.

The doctors also acknowledged, during their respective testimonies, that diagnosis of schizophrenic affective disorder is subjective, and there are no tests to prove or disprove a claim of mental illness.

“It’s always possible that it can be faked, but it would be difficult over a long period of time,” testified Petrus.