ID - Zeke Best, 10-months, abducted by homicide suspect bio father Jeremy Best 41, Victor, 30 Nov 2023 *father arrested*

  • #181
I’d really like to know what caused this to happen. It’s terrifying to me. If it was just a mental break, who’s to say it couldn’t happen to any one of us at any point? Of course we’d like to think we’d never do it, but I’m sure he didn’t either. Right? Ugh I don’t know. It’s terrible and terrifying. I will hope it was drugs, because at least then there’s a concrete reason. JMO
It can happen to all of us. Clean living and good health isn't a guarantee, just like being cautious doesn't stop any of us being a victim of crime. It is frightening, but it can also be an avenue for increased compassion for others, if we know and accept this.

On the 'bolt from the blue' subject, I highly recommend My Beautiful Broken Brain on Netflix. Lotje had a stroke in her early thirties without warning, and, given her profession and artistic sensibility, she documented it all.

MOO
 
  • #182
I'll tell this little story again.
Last January my 88 year old father stood up and asked my mother who the hell she was and what was she doing in his house? A switch was flipped in his head-he became violent, more verbally and emotionally abusive than normal, and did not recognize family. 911 was called. He needed restraints.
No neurologist or his bevy of other specialist doctors could diagnose anything.
For 2 weeks he remained in restraints on and off, recognizing some family, talking nonsense or about his working years in Philadelphia. He would call out to old coworkers.
It was exhausting.
Then, the fog lifted, and he came back to his old self. Completely.
When I hear the stories of a younger person where they are not in their right mind, I think drugs, too.
But you never know. Psychosis CAN happen to anyone.

And yes, I do believe he could have killed my mother that day.
And not remembered doing it.

I'm not diagnosing your relative since I wasn't there and I didn't examine him. But speaking in generalities, if you look in any medical textbook, the symptoms you describe above are classic for delirium. Yes, delirium comes on very suddenly, yes people can have symptoms commonly attributed to psychosis, yes delirium can resolve suddenly and no, we don't always find a cause. In the elderly, it can be anything, from a UTI to a sinus infection to sepsis.

All that to say, until we know more about JB, there's no way for any of us to tell what happened, IMO.
 
  • #183
That poor baby.
 
  • #184
I'll tell this little story again.
Last January my 88 year old father stood up and asked my mother who the hell she was and what was she doing in his house? A switch was flipped in his head-he became violent, more verbally and emotionally abusive than normal, and did not recognize family. 911 was called. He needed restraints.
No neurologist or his bevy of other specialist doctors could diagnose anything.
For 2 weeks he remained in restraints on and off, recognizing some family, talking nonsense or about his working years in Philadelphia. He would call out to old coworkers.
It was exhausting.
Then, the fog lifted, and he came back to his old self. Completely.
When I hear the stories of a younger person where they are not in their right mind, I think drugs, too.
But you never know. Psychosis CAN happen to anyone.

And yes, I do believe he could have killed my mother that day.
And not remembered doing it.

It can happen to all of us. Clean living and good health isn't a guarantee, just like being cautious doesn't stop any of us being a victim of crime. It is frightening, but it can also be an avenue for increased compassion for others, if we know and accept this.

On the 'bolt from the blue' subject, I highly recommend My Beautiful Broken Brain on Netflix. Lotje had a stroke in her early thirties without warning, and, given her profession and artistic sensibility, she documented it all.

MOO
Thank you both for your response!
I wondered, and it frightens me, because I have seen people saying they have no sympathy for him now, lock him up, let him rot, etc. Which, if this was NOT drug-related, is what makes me sad - because suppose he really wasn’t in his right mind, like your father at that time, and he will come to his senses and be horrified?

I guess my reason for bringing this up is the deeper issue - where does peoples compassion “end” when it comes to mental illness and why? We have compassion - until someone hurts another person? Even if the person had no idea what they were doing? Why? These are the types of things that keep me up at night.
But, like Begginer Sleuther said, until we know more about what happened, we’re kind of at a stand still. Just pondering life’s questions is all!

JMO
 
  • #185
Thank you both for your response!
I wondered, and it frightens me, because I have seen people saying they have no sympathy for him now, lock him up, let him rot, etc. Which, if this was NOT drug-related, is what makes me sad - because suppose he really wasn’t in his right mind, like your father at that time, and he will come to his senses and be horrified?

I guess my reason for bringing this up is the deeper issue - where does peoples compassion “end” when it comes to mental illness and why? We have compassion - until someone hurts another person? Even if the person had no idea what they were doing? Why? These are the types of things that keep me up at night.
But, like Begginer Sleuther said, until we know more about what happened, we’re kind of at a stand still. Just pondering life’s questions is all!

JMO
I would have sympathy only if it is not drug-related. No sympathy for someone who willingly does drugs, knowing they're playing with fire. Absolutely none.
 
  • #186
I would have sympathy only if it is not drug-related. No sympathy for someone who willingly does drugs, knowing they're playing with fire. Absolutely none.
I completely agree.
 
  • #187
Victor, Idaho is on the Wyoming/Idaho border, a ways south of Yellowstone Park. Idaho Falls has a 74-bed behavioral health facility and is about 50 miles from Victor, as the crow flies, but he may not have been a candidate for treatment there.
 
  • #188
I’d really like to know what caused this to happen. It’s terrifying to me. If it was just a mental break, who’s to say it couldn’t happen to any one of us at any point? Of course we’d like to think we’d never do it, but I’m sure he didn’t either. Right? Ugh I don’t know. It’s terrible and terrifying. I will hope it was drugs, because at least then there’s a concrete reason. JMO

@charminglane gave a great example of a medically induced psychotic reaction (which is possible here, although something tells me that it was not a stroke).

I have proposed that this new post-COVID psychosis which is showing up in a large number of people who were diagnosed in hospital (so severe cases) with COVID pneumonia is concerning.

The data are still coming in, at the case study stage - but there are a few aggregate studies. This is a form of psychosis that is first time, sudden onset and whose primarily characteristics are other-harm and self-harm. It may not *always* present in this way, which is why there's so much more data needed. Anyway, it's being studied actively. People with previously diagnosed psychotic disorders (Bipolar in particular) may be at risk for break-through psychosis or more severe psychoses than they experienced prior.


That's an overview of the literature if anyone wishes to look at it, just dropping it here.
 
  • #189
@charminglane gave a great example of a medically induced psychotic reaction (which is possible here, although something tells me that it was not a stroke).

I have proposed that this new post-COVID psychosis which is showing up in a large number of people who were diagnosed in hospital (so severe cases) with COVID pneumonia is concerning.

The data are still coming in, at the case study stage - but there are a few aggregate studies. This is a form of psychosis that is first time, sudden onset and whose primarily characteristics are other-harm and self-harm. It may not *always* present in this way, which is why there's so much more data needed. Anyway, it's being studied actively. People with previously diagnosed psychotic disorders (Bipolar in particular) may be at risk for break-through psychosis or more severe psychoses than they experienced prior.


That's an overview of the literature if anyone wishes to look at it, just dropping it here.
I feel like my comment opened this can of worms so if I may gently shut it, my original comment about mental health issues appearing post-Covid was about people who had become radicalized online. Here is the example I was thinking of:
 
  • #190
I feel like my comment opened this can of worms so if I may gently shut it, my original comment about mental health issues appearing post-Covid was about people who had become radicalized online. Here is the example I was thinking of:
Not at all @azure, I was responding to @mewmew.
 
  • #191

VICTOR – Jeremy Best has been found competent to stand trial for the alleged murder of his wife, her unborn baby, and their 10-month-old son.

According to court documents, District Judge Dane Watkins Jr. received the results of the competency evaluation ordered for Best and he has been found “fit to proceed.”

A District Court arraignment has been scheduled for Best via Zoom on Jan. 3 at 1 p.m.

Best was placed on a conservatorship on Dec. 12 and it is unclear if that is still in place.

*******
 
  • #192

"During the hearing, the 48-year-old pleaded not guilty in front of District Judge Dane Watkins Jr. via Zoom to three counts of first-degree murder and three enhancements for the use of a firearm or other deadly weapon during the commission of a crime.

Best was joined in the hearing by his defense attorney Jim Archibald, a potential second defense attorney John Malek, and Teton County Prosecuting Attorney Bailey Smith.

Best briefly answered a few questions from the judge during the hearing, but was otherwise silent. His demeanor was significantly calmer, than during his last hearing on Dec. 4, when he appeared physically and emotionally agitated and made several verbal outbursts."


Note: If the name Jim Archibald sounds familiar, is because he was Lori Daybell Vallow's Idaho defense attorney as well.
 
  • #193
  • #194
Well, he should have been locked away long before the murders, imo.
Here's hoping the defense doesn't get him off with a short sentence due to his mental health issues.
I see no reason why he should be walking freely in society ever again !
Omo.
 
  • #195

VICTOR – Jeremy Best has been found competent to stand trial for the alleged murder of his wife, her unborn baby, and their 10-month-old son.

According to court documents, District Judge Dane Watkins Jr. received the results of the competency evaluation ordered for Best and he has been found “fit to proceed.”

A District Court arraignment has been scheduled for Best via Zoom on Jan. 3 at 1 p.m.

Best was placed on a conservatorship on Dec. 12 and it is unclear if that is still in place.

*******

holy crap - doesn't even resemble his other pictures
 
  • #196
If he did have a mental break that day (and from reports that day, he did seem mentally not healthy) like his defense says, what would cause that? How would it be determined? How do you know if he will remain a danger to others or himself in the future?

I know there are various possible answers but I feel like the defense may make headway with this argument. Just thinking about his remaining family or friends and how scary it might be if he were to be released. Imo.
 
  • #197
If he did have a mental break that day (and from reports that day, he did seem mentally not healthy) like his defense says, what would cause that? How would it be determined? How do you know if he will remain a danger to others or himself in the future?

I know there are various possible answers but I feel like the defense may make headway with this argument. Just thinking about his remaining family or friends and how scary it might be if he were to be released. Imo.

Only longterm psychiatric evaluation can really come up with the answer. Nearly all psychoses look somewhat alike in core features, and can be caused by so many different things.

It seems to me that they now have him on anti-psychotic medication, making him competent to stand trial. I doubt that all these major symptoms simply resolved themselves (although with some diagnoses - including schizophrenia - can have remissions that are unpredictable).

Determining whether someone falls under the "danger to self or others" is completely up to a diagnosing psychiatrist, many of whom are reluctant to involuntarily commit someone (as apparently happened in this case). By now, I think this man has given ample evidence to the whole world that he is and will remain a danger to others - when he's psychotic, not otherwise. A typical release program, once he's done his time, would be that he has to remain on anti-psychotics and see a psychiatrist once month (injectable, month-long doses are best in cases like this). Problem is, there are no where near enough psychiatrists to do this in most places. This is why we often say the mental health system in the US is broken.

I don't think the defense can get him off, for this, using his mental health as an excuse. He's been found competent to stand trial, he will stand trial, be convicted and hopefully get LWOP.
 
  • #198
After so many years here I can't figure out how to quote a post , so I'll do it this way :)
@10ofRods wrote towards the end of the post A typical release program, once he's done his time, would be that he has to remain on anti-psychotics and see a psychiatrist once month (injectable, month-long doses are best in cases like this). Problem is, there are no where near enough psychiatrists to do this in most places. This is why we often say the mental health system in the US is broken.
This is exactly why our system is broken !! They're let off and repeat the same thing over sometimes worse,if there's a worse in this case! He needs to pay the piper , he cold blooded murdered his wife and the 2 babies !
After he killed his wife and unborn baby, he took his baby boy on the run and killed him. He had enough time to realize what he did before he took Zeke and could have AT LEAST spared little Zeke. But , NO, he decided to wrap himself up in a sleeping bag (knew how cold it was ) and save himself . He knows what he did and was coherent and stable enough to know to try and keep himself warm. 3 LWOP !!! Consecutive ! 3 precious LIVES !! Let him get his meds in prison .
 
  • #199
  • #200
Good, if Rachel Smith can handle LVD , as she did, then sure enough she can get JB 3 consecutive life sentences. Go get em ladies !!
 

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