Im not sure how the contention that Smich is criminal but not psychopathic has been warped into the idea that he is an innocent dupe or special target for sympathy. Pointing out that these two different criminals are - wait for it - different criminals, is pretty self evident IMO.
It is an extremely common dynamic for criminal pairs to be made up of a psychopathic and a non-psychopathic person. Bernardo (scored 35 on the PCL-R with 30 required for diagnoses) and Homolka (scored 5, twice, 10 years apart via different assesors - a normal score) for example. Or Eric Harris (diagnosed as a psychopath) and Dylan Klebold (diagnosed differently).
This makes sense on statistics alone as psychopathy occurs at an extremely low rate of 1-3 % of the population. If youre seeing psychopaths crawling out of the woodwork in this case from two relatively small overlapping friend groups in suburban Toronto, you might need to reassess. The reality is that when psychopaths do team up its usually because they meet in prison where the population of psychopaths is much higher statistically. Think Norris/Bittaker or Lucas/Toole.
What typically happens outside of prison is exactly what we see happened in this case a psychopathic person co-opts people from the other 97-99% of the world to his or her needs and desires through efficient targeting of moral and psychological weakness and ruthless manipulation. Women like Homolka and the two teenaged accomplices in the case Inspector North mentioned yesterday dont start out with an independent and burning desire to facilitate the rape of children for their boyfriends. Theyre moved there in degrees. Its Millard here who ends up with trucks, Bobcats, cement polishers, a murdered ex lover, being the master of loot distribution, on and on and Smich who is at times literally begging for change for food(!) as he patiently waits for his music studio and rap album and to take this world with Dellen Millard.
Honestly, you couldnt have the contrast between psychopathy and non-psychopathy more gift wrapped and tied up with a bow that we have with the ability to observe and contrast these two defendants.
In contrast to Millard, Smich has a normal emotional baseline - he gets emotional talking about family and friends, according to Adam Carter he got emotional and searching looking at MM in the first trial, he has exhibited situationally appropriate fear and nervousness at various points, and the presence of his family in court demonstrates a typical familial bond. DM? An uncle angry at him to the point of irrationality, no family in court, and not a single shred of evidence of a real bond with anyone.
On impulsivity and judgement: Smich has a clear ability to control himself in court and take legal advice, sitting stone still much of time, even through DMs constant staring and goading in the first trial. DM meanwhile is waving at witnesses, spinning around to look at the gallery, making various obvious noises and faces and presumably ignoring all legal advice in choosing to represent himself in a murder trial. He is utterly clueless about what he has done when he blames Lauras parents in his closing. Clueless.
On lying and manipulation: a lot of criminals lie in an attempt to avoid prison, both on and off the stand. Thats what Smich did, and its pretty standard stuff. With DM its a whole other level of treating people in his entire life like chess pieces. Running them up to their faces and down to others to achieve emotional and psychological power over whoever was in front of him at the moment. The extreme manipulation on multiple fronts observable in his letters to Christina. Smich gave an utterly normal interview to a reporter (where he again welled up speaking about family and friends) while DM was busy taking about the moon, philosophy and the preciousness of a visit from media. Ugh level grandiosity and manipulation. Having done a ton of reading about the disorder over the years, its that early interview that had me say to myself for the first time in this case this guy is a psychopath.
In their lives before arrest Smich was a boilerplate dropout, lazy, sleep until 3 pm, drug slinging, graffiti scribbling, **** and rapper wannabe. DM on the other hand had a classic psychopath profile of multiple things started and not finished, being kicked out of school for cheating, proneness to boredom and constant need for stimulation often high risk, impulsive and careless behaviour that saw enormous amounts of money disappear - the Baha Jeep, the excavator in a swamp.
Its all THIS stuff that is the bones of psychopathy, not just the ruthless criminal behaviour shared by both defendants.
And finally, have you noticed how many people have talked about Millards eyes or gaze? That is psychopathy 101. A fixed, cold or predatory stare is a favourite tool and unwitting giveaway. It was noted in ACs excellent Wayward Son article, and recently noted here in an anecdote from a guard who talked about the disturbing nature of Millards eye contact. We know that not once, but twice, he stared down victims in this case after verdicts were delivered. And Millard himself talked about using his stare in a perceived power struggle with a prison worker in the letters. If anybody is talking about the Smich stare Ive certainly missed it.
I could probably go on for another 8 paragraphs the difference between these two is that obvious and well evidenced to me but this is already too long. The PCL-R is scored out of 40 and there is a lot of real estate between a normal score in the low single digits and 30 where psychopathy is diagnosed. Smich no doubt would have a score more elevated than most of us, but its not a matter of both of these men being psychopathic with Millard perhaps being a bit more psychopathic. Psychopathy is by definition an extreme personality structure, and a rare one. If you are a psychopath your behaviour is shocking, foreign, strange and unnerving. Dellen Millard is shocking, foreign, strange and unnerving. Mark Smich participated in horrible, ruthless crimes. There is a difference.
. The July 9, 2012 text message reads:
