Mt. Prospect man unfit for trial in mom's murder, psychiatrist says

Paul Castronovo comprehends the murder charges against him, a Cook County psychiatrist says. He understands courtroom procedures. He understands courtroom personnel. His attorney says he has a law degree.

But Paul Castronovo is not fit to stand trial for the December 2008 slaying of his 76-year-old mother, said Dr. Peter Lourgos during a hearing Thursday at the Criminal Courts Building in Chicago.

Castronovo cannot assist in his own defense, said Lourgos, who diagnosed the 45-year-old Mount Prospect man with a mental illness. According to Lourgos, Castronovo suffers from delusions involving the victim, who he believed was possessed by the devil and intended to kill his children. Those beliefs prevent him from cooperating with counsel, said Lourgos, assistant director of Cook County Forensic Clinical Services.

“He doesn't have a rational understanding of the case, said Lourgos in response to cross examination from Cook County Assistant State's Attorney Mike Gerber, who suggested that many defendants have unreasonable beliefs that do not result from mental illness.

In addition to finding him unfit to stand trial, Lourgos also found Castronovo “legally insane at the time of the alleged offense due to his delusional disorder and the psychotic paranoid beliefs related to the victim.

“He felt justified in the act, said Lourgos, recalling Castronovo statement to police that he killed his mother to protect his kids.

Authorities say Castronovo strangled his mother on Dec. 12, 2008, in her home. Police found her a week later in the furnace room, covered with a rug, after another son reported her missing.

Lourgos' testimony came during a discharge hearing for Castronovo, which takes place after a defendant remains unfit to stand trial after more than a year of treatment. At that time, a judge may find the defendant not guilty by reason of insanity. A judge may also rule that a defendant needs additional treatment to restore him or her to fitness for trial.

Under questioning from Cook County Assistant Public Defender Jim Mullenix, Lourgos testified that Castronovo's family reported a “distinct change in his behavior and appearance beginning the year before the murder.

He believed people were trying to hurt his children, said Lourgos. The delusions, which centered around his mother, intensified. At one point, he tried to have her admitted to Lutheran General Hospital, claiming she was dangerous and mentally ill, Lourgos said.

Doctors refused to admit Mary Castronovo, whose family reported no history of mental illness or violent behavior, Lourgos said.

Lourgos testified he examined Castronovo four times between June 2009 and August 2010, concluding each time that the defendant was unfit for trial. Castronovo has been undergoing treatment at the Elgin Mental Health Center, Lourgos said. The psychiatrist testified that during an examination earlier this year, Castronovo claimed EMHC personnel detained patients in exchange for kickbacks and reported his beliefs to the FBI, resulting in a restriction of his phone privileges, Lourgos said.

Castronovo maintains he is not mentally ill. He refused medication until EMHC officials obtained a Kane County court order to medicate him involuntarily, Lourgos said.

He currently takes anti-psychotic and anti-anxiety drugs, which have diminished some of his delusions, Lourgos said, but added those “related to the victim have not subsided.

Castronovo's discharge continues Oct. 20 in Chicago.