RIVERHEAD, N.Y. (April 14, 1997 7:37 p.m. EDT) - An accused cannibal appeared in court on Monday to argue for his release from state psychiatric care, where he has been since allegedly castrating and eating the genitals of a teenage boy.
Authorities are seeking to keep Albert Fentress, 55, of Poughkeepsie, New York, under state care, said a spokesman for the Office of Mental Health.
His attorneys want Fentress released under certain conditions, including outpatient treatment and rehabilitation. By law, Fentress has the right to seek release every two years.
The former history and social studies teacher was accused in the 1979 killing of 17-year-old Paul Masters but found unfit to stand trial the following year by reason of insanity.
According to prosecutors, Fentress lured the teen to the basement of his home, where he tied him up, castrated him, cooked and ate his genitals, fell asleep and woke up to fatally shoot his victim out of his misery.
Dr. Abraham Halpern testified for state authorities on Monday that he did not believe Fentress should be released. He said Fentress suffered from an obsessive compulsive personality disorder and a narcissistic disorder and had not cooperated with psychiatric treatment.
Fentress' attorney Kim Darrow said he was "a model patient" who ran a computer center at the psychiatric hospital.
Suffolk County Judge John Vaughn will decide if Fentress is eligible for release from Kings Park Psychiatric Center in New York, where he has been refused release several times. The hearing is expected to last several days.
Fentress, who arrived in the courtroom wearing dark sunglasses, showed no emotion during the day's testimony.
After the court proceedings, he said to reporters: "I want to speak very much, but I'm told I can't."
Fentress' attorneys have said he was driven to insanity after teenagers stole his stamp collection and threw eggs at his house. Fentress has testified that fear of his father caused him to murder Masters and once said his father had threatened to castrate him.
Assistant State Attorney General John Stolfi said Fentress has never shown any remorse for the alleged castration, cannibalism and killing.
"He destroyed a life. He destroyed a family," said Stolfi.
Contact email address:
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