Christopher Pittman
Encyclopedia
Christopher Frank Pittman (born April 9, 1989 in Florida) was convicted in 2005 of murdering his grandparents, Joe and Joy Pittman, at age 12, in November of 2001. The case drew national attention in part because of his age at the time of the crime and in part because his defense that the prescription drug Zoloft caused him to act.
. This depression escalated when he threatened suicide
in front of his older sister, Danielle. His father, Joe sent him away from their home in Oxford, Florida, to live with his grandparents in Chester, South Carolina
, where he frequently visited. His paternal grandparents had been a source of stability to him for years in a life with a mother who had run out on him twice and a father who was frequently abusive.
Paxil was not available in Chester, and a doctor gave him samples of Zoloft instead; although both drugs are SSRIs (selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors) with similar modes of selective action, abruptly substituting one for the other is usually not advisable. Almost immediately Pittman allegedly began to experience negative side-effects from the new medication; his sister went so far as to describe him as "manic." He purportedly experienced a burning sensation all over his body which required pain medication. When he complained about the side effects of the drug, the doctor upped his dosage from 100mg daily to 200mg daily. Zoloft does have several side-effects in children, including aggravated depression, abnormal dreams, paranoid reactions, hallucinations, aggressive behavior and delusions. Risks from overdose include potential "manic reactions."
For two days prior to the shooting, Pittman may have been suffering from too high a dose of Zoloft, as well as possibly suffering from Paxil withdrawal. While being shifted around from facility to facility for the next three years he had an incident where, still suffering from mania
, a psychiatrist claims he made several racial slurs against a prison guard very early on in his imprisonment. There is also evidence that Pittman may have had some problems before he went on Paxil; most were waved off by the defense as a boy being a boy, or simply denied outright. The prosecutors based their case on the apparent evidence that Joy and Joe were indeed murdered and upon Christopher's confession obtained by SC officials when he waived his Miranda rights
. This was his second confession.
Pittman took his grandparents' car, their guns, his dog, and $33 and left. He was picked up after getting stuck two counties away. Before confessing, he told a story of a large black male who had kidnapped him after murdering his grandparents and setting fire to their house. When he ultimately confessed he proclaimed that his grandparents deserved what they got. He later claimed that he was under the influence of an overdose of Zoloft.
began. On February 15, 2005 Pittman was convicted of murder and sentenced to 30 years in prison. There was some controversy about the verdict: two of the jurors admitted feeling coerced into their decision, and another juror openly discussed the trial with his wife and bartender during deliberations.
On October 5, 2006, the South Carolina Supreme Court heard oral arguments on his appeal. A petition
to pardon Pittman was also presented at that time. The Justices were also asked to hold off on moving Pittman to the adult penitentiary, but the delay was denied. On June 11, 2007, the Court affirmed Pittman's conviction by a vote of 4-1.
Discovery Channel
later aired an episode of 48 Hours
, which was devoted to the Pittman case.
On April 14, 2008, the Supreme Court declined to hear an appeal to reduce his 30-year sentence.
On July 27, 2010 Circuit Court Judge Young approved his post conviction relief petition due to not being offered a plea bargain
.
Medication
At age twelve Pittman was put on Paxil for mild depressionClinical depression
Major depressive disorder is a mental disorder characterized by an all-encompassing low mood accompanied by low self-esteem, and by loss of interest or pleasure in normally enjoyable activities...
. This depression escalated when he threatened suicide
Suicide
Suicide is the act of intentionally causing one's own death. Suicide is often committed out of despair or attributed to some underlying mental disorder, such as depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, alcoholism, or drug abuse...
in front of his older sister, Danielle. His father, Joe sent him away from their home in Oxford, Florida, to live with his grandparents in Chester, South Carolina
Chester, South Carolina
Chester is a small city in Chester County, South Carolina, United States. The population was 6,476 at the 2000 census and a center urban cluster population of 11,140...
, where he frequently visited. His paternal grandparents had been a source of stability to him for years in a life with a mother who had run out on him twice and a father who was frequently abusive.
Paxil was not available in Chester, and a doctor gave him samples of Zoloft instead; although both drugs are SSRIs (selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors) with similar modes of selective action, abruptly substituting one for the other is usually not advisable. Almost immediately Pittman allegedly began to experience negative side-effects from the new medication; his sister went so far as to describe him as "manic." He purportedly experienced a burning sensation all over his body which required pain medication. When he complained about the side effects of the drug, the doctor upped his dosage from 100mg daily to 200mg daily. Zoloft does have several side-effects in children, including aggravated depression, abnormal dreams, paranoid reactions, hallucinations, aggressive behavior and delusions. Risks from overdose include potential "manic reactions."
For two days prior to the shooting, Pittman may have been suffering from too high a dose of Zoloft, as well as possibly suffering from Paxil withdrawal. While being shifted around from facility to facility for the next three years he had an incident where, still suffering from mania
Mania
Mania, the presence of which is a criterion for certain psychiatric diagnoses, is a state of abnormally elevated or irritable mood, arousal, and/ or energy levels. In a sense, it is the opposite of depression...
, a psychiatrist claims he made several racial slurs against a prison guard very early on in his imprisonment. There is also evidence that Pittman may have had some problems before he went on Paxil; most were waved off by the defense as a boy being a boy, or simply denied outright. The prosecutors based their case on the apparent evidence that Joy and Joe were indeed murdered and upon Christopher's confession obtained by SC officials when he waived his Miranda rights
Miranda warning
The Miranda warning is a warning given by police in the United States to criminal suspects in police custody before they are interrogated to preserve the admissibility of their statements against them in criminal proceedings. In Miranda v...
. This was his second confession.
Events
Pittman had an argument on the school bus, choked a fellow student, and later disturbed the person playing piano in his church. That night, after receiving a belt spanking from his grandfather, Pittman went into his grandparents' bedroom and murdered them with their own shotgun which he had been taught how to use. After the murder he set fire to the house using a candle and papers.Pittman took his grandparents' car, their guns, his dog, and $33 and left. He was picked up after getting stuck two counties away. Before confessing, he told a story of a large black male who had kidnapped him after murdering his grandparents and setting fire to their house. When he ultimately confessed he proclaimed that his grandparents deserved what they got. He later claimed that he was under the influence of an overdose of Zoloft.
Trial
On Monday, January 31, 2005, three years later, his trial as an adultTrial as an adult
Trial as an adult is a term used to describe a situation when a juvenile offender is tried as if they were an adult.Where specific protections exist for juvenile offenders , these protections may be waived.Sanctions handed down are often harsher than those imposed on...
began. On February 15, 2005 Pittman was convicted of murder and sentenced to 30 years in prison. There was some controversy about the verdict: two of the jurors admitted feeling coerced into their decision, and another juror openly discussed the trial with his wife and bartender during deliberations.
On October 5, 2006, the South Carolina Supreme Court heard oral arguments on his appeal. A petition
Petition
A petition is a request to do something, most commonly addressed to a government official or public entity. Petitions to a deity are a form of prayer....
to pardon Pittman was also presented at that time. The Justices were also asked to hold off on moving Pittman to the adult penitentiary, but the delay was denied. On June 11, 2007, the Court affirmed Pittman's conviction by a vote of 4-1.
Discovery Channel
Discovery Channel
Discovery Channel is an American satellite and cable specialty channel , founded by John Hendricks and distributed by Discovery Communications. It is a publicly traded company run by CEO David Zaslav...
later aired an episode of 48 Hours
48 Hours (TV series)
48 Hours is a documentary and news program broadcast on the CBS television network since January 19, 1988. The program originally presented documentaries of various events related to a particular subject occurring within a 48-hour period, and is credited as one of the first to air a "reality show"...
, which was devoted to the Pittman case.
On April 14, 2008, the Supreme Court declined to hear an appeal to reduce his 30-year sentence.
On July 27, 2010 Circuit Court Judge Young approved his post conviction relief petition due to not being offered a plea bargain
Plea bargain
A plea bargain is an agreement in a criminal case whereby the prosecutor offers the defendant the opportunity to plead guilty, usually to a lesser charge or to the original criminal charge with a recommendation of a lighter than the maximum sentence.A plea bargain allows criminal defendants to...
.