ATTORNEYS FOR A doctor charged with aggravated murder may argue that their client was suffering from cough-syrup induced psychosis, which led him to kill his partner and toddler son in 2011.
The Seattle Times reports that 43-year-old Dr Louis Chen is accused of fatally stabbing 29-year-old Eric Cooper and 2-year-old Cooper Chen, whose bodies were found inside the couple’s Seattle apartment.
Chen’s defense team had previously indicated it would pursue an insanity or diminished capacity defense.
But a motion filed in October suggests Chen had a build up of dextromethorphan, a cough suppressant found in many over-the-counter cold medicines, in his system.
The motion argues that the drug metabolised slowly in Chen, who is Taiwanese, due to his genetic makeup.
Chen goes to trial in April.
To embed this post, copy the code below on your site
have your say