Judge allows confession in murder trial

Adam Christenson's confession to the 2004 murder of 16-year-old Elizabeth Willding of Ingleside will be used against him at trial.

Lake County Circuit Judge James Booras said Thursday he found no evidence police acted improperly in questioning Christenson over the three days that followed the July 14, 2004, slaying.

Booras also rejected a psychologist's theory that Christenson, who has a documented history of mental illness, confessed to the crime only because he wanted police to keep him safe from a pair of imaginary men he believed were out to get him.

Willding was stabbed more than 40 times when police say she interrupted Christenson's second burglary of her home in as many days.

Assistant Public Defender Keith Grant argued that Christenson, who was found unfit for trial in 2005 and hospitalized for a year undergoing treatment, was delusional at the time he was being questioned because he was not taking his medication.

Psychologist Antoinette Kavanaugh testified she had interviewed Christenson as many as six times since his arrest and believed he had imagined two men he believed actually killed the girl and would harm him as well.

This led Christenson to confess to the murder, Kavanaugh said, because he thought he would be safe from the men while in police custody.

Assistant State's Attorney Michael Mermel said the notion that Christenson confessed by design of mental illness was far-fetched.

"If that was the case, why did he not confess to the murder right away instead of three days later," Mermel asked during his argument against the motion to bar the confession.

"He continued to deny his involvement until he had nowhere to go but to the truth."

But Grant argued that Kavanaugh's theory was unchallenged by an expert from the state and that Christenson's mental illness could well have created the scenario she envisioned.

"His intent in talking to the police was irrational," Grant said. "What he was thinking, why he would make the statements he did, is inexplicable."

Booras said that without some evidence showing the police did something illegal in obtaining the confession, Kavanaugh's theory was insufficient to bar the confession.

"Dr. Kavanaugh's opinion is not based on any scientific evidence or testing," Booras said. "And to apply that theory to explain the defendant's cooperation would force the court to base its findings on mere speculation."

Christenson's trial is scheduled to begin Dec. 7.