Medicine: Murder for Sanity

Ten years ago, a gentle, dark-eyed boy of 17 stabbed his mother 32 times with a bread knife. He was quite intelligent: he worked night & day, in school, in a bakery and tending his fatherless brothers and sisters. Everyone in the neighborhood liked and respected him.

Why did Gino kill his mother? This problem intrigued famed Manhattan Psychiatrist Frederic Wertham. He had examined many insane murderers*, but Gino fitted none of the classic descriptions. Besides, matricide is probably the rarest form of murder. This week, in a fascinating popular book, Dr. Wertham revealed the secret of Gino's personality (Dark Legend: A...

Want the full story?

Subscribe Now

Subscribe
Subscribe

Learn more about the benefits of being a TIME subscriber

If you are already a subscriber sign up — registration is free!