Q: If PTSD has to be diagnosed within two months [of event] but you did not see her until 2009, can you diagnose her with PTSD? The diagnosis of PTSD is not a get out of jail free card. [I believe he said it was Acute Stress Disorder that must be diagnosed quickly, PTSD can be later. I will need to relisten.]
Q : Can you be sure Jodi is not lying to you? Not with 100% certainty. A very consistent story may indicate lying.
DS: Would the shutting down of the hippocampus affect someones control of their actions? If someone is trained for combat, the likelihood of getting PTSD is lower. [Refers to Time magazine article again. Oy.] But even with training it may be insufficient to prevent PTSD.
Q: Referring to the events of June 4, 2008, does Jodi have suppressed memories? Based on what is known about Acute Stress Disorder, it is highly unlikely she has true memories.
DS: Hypnosis not helpful because the memories are not there. Not helpful in cases of Dissociative Amnesia. The probability of success is not high.
Q: What steps do you take to tell what is lost memory and what is lying? You have to look at the surrounding [data]. Research conducted shows that Dissociative Amnesia is a real thing. It depends on the nature of the killing. I am fairly confident she has it.
Q: Is it possible for individuals to fool professionals about Acute Stress Disorder and Dissociative Amnesia? A thorough evaluation is needed, get surrounding information, see crime scene descriptions, crime scene photos. I reinterviewed her. Once the story changed I was confident she was telling what happened. The testing is sensitive to trauma. Not 100% accurate. Based on [my] experience.
Q: Was Jodi tested more than once? Not to my knowledge.
Q: Can you tell when someone is lying or telling the truth? Unless you have corroborating information, no, you cant.
Q: You stated that she never wrote negative things in her journal, but had negative statements [several examples given]. Is that consistent? Those [negative statements in her journal] are relatively mild, theres nothing about her wanting him dead or wanting to hurt him. Little evidence that she was violent.
Q: Are there other disorders in DSM that apply to Jodi? Yes, some are similar [to PTSD]. [Missed answer.]
Q: Are there any signs to explain why some people can recall events after trauma and some cannot? Too hard to predict. We know it happens often, Jodi did suffer from Acute Stress Disorder by implication.
Q: How do you ask questions of your clients? Do you ask leading questions? Sometimes I ask leading questions, usually I just let them talk. After several meetings, I might ask leading questions.