Murder of Kathryn Faughey
Encyclopedia
Kathryn Faughey was a 56-year-old New York City
psychologist
who was murder
ed by 39-year-old David Tarloff at her upper East Side
Manhattan
office on the night of February 12, 2008.
Tarloff walked past the doorman, rolling a suitcase behind him (as seen on the building's surveillance video), saying that he was there to see Dr. Schinbach. Tarloff waited in the office reception area, chatting with a patient, while one of Dr. Faughey's evening sessions was in progress. After that session concluded, when he knew that Faughey was alone in her office, he entered the room and attacked her with a meat cleaver. Another psychiatrist
from the same practice, Dr. Kent Schinbach, attempted to help her, but was seriously wounded by slashes in the face and neck.
Tarloff was arrested and arraigned for the murder and ordered to undergo a psychiatric evaluation which found him to be mentally competent
to stand trial. There was evidence that the attack had been premeditated, but that the intended victim was Schinbach. Tarloff told police that he had planned to rob Schinbach, who he remembered being involved in diagnosing him with schizophrenia
in 1991 and arranging for his institutionalization at that time. Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act
(HIPAA) regulations to protect patient confidentiality were reported to have delayed the initial investigation. Tarloff, who was expected to plead insanity in the case, was confined to a psychiatric unit of Bellevue Hospital
while awaiting trial. His attorney said that "the evidence is clear that he (Tarloff) did it, but the reasons he did it ... are so crazy that we believe we have a very strong insanity defense." His trial was scheduled for October 2010, but during jury selection
a mistrial was declared after two psychiatrists that the court had appointed to evaluate Tarloff found him mentally unfit to stand trial.
The incident led to public discussion regarding the safety of mental health professional
s who see patients in isolated settings. In 2006 psychiatrist Wayne Fenton
, a schizophrenia
researcher who was an administrator at the National Institute of Mental Health
, was found dead in the home office in Bethesda, Maryland
where he met with private patients, apparently murdered by a 19-year-old patient.
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
psychologist
Psychologist
Psychologist is a professional or academic title used by individuals who are either:* Clinical professionals who work with patients in a variety of therapeutic contexts .* Scientists conducting psychological research or teaching psychology in a college...
who was murder
Murder
Murder is the unlawful killing, with malice aforethought, of another human being, and generally this state of mind distinguishes murder from other forms of unlawful homicide...
ed by 39-year-old David Tarloff at her upper East Side
Upper East Side
The Upper East Side is a neighborhood in the borough of Manhattan in New York City, between Central Park and the East River. The Upper East Side lies within an area bounded by 59th Street to 96th Street, and the East River to Fifth Avenue-Central Park...
Manhattan
Manhattan
Manhattan is the oldest and the most densely populated of the five boroughs of New York City. Located primarily on the island of Manhattan at the mouth of the Hudson River, the boundaries of the borough are identical to those of New York County, an original county of the state of New York...
office on the night of February 12, 2008.
Tarloff walked past the doorman, rolling a suitcase behind him (as seen on the building's surveillance video), saying that he was there to see Dr. Schinbach. Tarloff waited in the office reception area, chatting with a patient, while one of Dr. Faughey's evening sessions was in progress. After that session concluded, when he knew that Faughey was alone in her office, he entered the room and attacked her with a meat cleaver. Another psychiatrist
Psychiatrist
A psychiatrist is a physician who specializes in the diagnosis and treatment of mental disorders. All psychiatrists are trained in diagnostic evaluation and in psychotherapy...
from the same practice, Dr. Kent Schinbach, attempted to help her, but was seriously wounded by slashes in the face and neck.
Tarloff was arrested and arraigned for the murder and ordered to undergo a psychiatric evaluation which found him to be mentally competent
Competency evaluation (law)
In the United States criminal justice system, a competency evaluation is an assessment of the ability of a defendant to understand and rationally participate in a court process....
to stand trial. There was evidence that the attack had been premeditated, but that the intended victim was Schinbach. Tarloff told police that he had planned to rob Schinbach, who he remembered being involved in diagnosing him with schizophrenia
Schizophrenia
Schizophrenia is a mental disorder characterized by a disintegration of thought processes and of emotional responsiveness. It most commonly manifests itself as auditory hallucinations, paranoid or bizarre delusions, or disorganized speech and thinking, and it is accompanied by significant social...
in 1991 and arranging for his institutionalization at that time. Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act
Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act
The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 was enacted by the U.S. Congress and signed by President Bill Clinton in 1996. It was originally sponsored by Sen. Edward Kennedy and Sen. Nancy Kassebaum . Title I of HIPAA protects health insurance coverage for workers and their...
(HIPAA) regulations to protect patient confidentiality were reported to have delayed the initial investigation. Tarloff, who was expected to plead insanity in the case, was confined to a psychiatric unit of Bellevue Hospital
Bellevue Hospital Center
Bellevue Hospital Center, most often referred to as "Bellevue", was founded on March 31, 1736 and is the oldest public hospital in the United States. Located on First Avenue in the Kips Bay neighborhood of Manhattan, New York City, Bellevue is famous from many literary, film and television...
while awaiting trial. His attorney said that "the evidence is clear that he (Tarloff) did it, but the reasons he did it ... are so crazy that we believe we have a very strong insanity defense." His trial was scheduled for October 2010, but during jury selection
Jury selection
Jury selection are many methods used to choose the people who will serve on a trial jury. The jury pool is first selected from among the community using a reasonably random method. The prospective jurors are then questioned in court by the judge and/or attorneys...
a mistrial was declared after two psychiatrists that the court had appointed to evaluate Tarloff found him mentally unfit to stand trial.
The incident led to public discussion regarding the safety of mental health professional
Mental health professional
A mental health professional is a health care practitioner who offers services for the purpose of improving an individual's mental health or to treat mental illness. This broad category includes psychiatrists, clinical psychologists, clinical social workers, psychiatric nurses, mental health...
s who see patients in isolated settings. In 2006 psychiatrist Wayne Fenton
Wayne Fenton
Wayne Fenton was an American psychiatrist, well known for his academic contributions to the study of schizophrenia including key contributions to the classification of subtypes ....
, a schizophrenia
Schizophrenia
Schizophrenia is a mental disorder characterized by a disintegration of thought processes and of emotional responsiveness. It most commonly manifests itself as auditory hallucinations, paranoid or bizarre delusions, or disorganized speech and thinking, and it is accompanied by significant social...
researcher who was an administrator at the National Institute of Mental Health
National Institute of Mental Health
The National Institute of Mental Health is one of 27 institutes and centers that make up the National Institutes of Health...
, was found dead in the home office in Bethesda, Maryland
Bethesda, Maryland
Bethesda is a census designated place in southern Montgomery County, Maryland, United States, just northwest of Washington, D.C. It takes its name from a local church, the Bethesda Meeting House , which in turn took its name from Jerusalem's Pool of Bethesda...
where he met with private patients, apparently murdered by a 19-year-old patient.