On May 18th, Texas plans to execute Kelsey Patterson, a mentally ill man who was first diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia more than a decade before he murdered two women in 1992. After the murder, Patterson wandered around dressed only in his socks. Although a jury found Patterson competent to stand trial, he repeatedly interrupted the proceedings to offer a rambling narrative about implanted devices and other aspects of a conspiracy against him. According to a new report from Amnesty International, Patterson’s delusions did not allow him to understand what was going on or the ability to consult with his attorneys. In 2000, a federal judge echoed the concerns that have been raised about Patterson’s case, noting, “Patterson had no motive for the killings…he claims he commits acts involuntarily and outside forces control him through implants in his brain and body. Patterson has consistently maintained he is a victim of an elaborate conspiracy, and his lawyers and his doctors are part of that conspiracy. He refuses to cooperate with either; he has refused to be examined by mental health professionals since 1984, he refuses dental treatment, and he refuses to acknowledge that his lawyers represent him.” Nevertheless, the judge upheld Patterson’s death sentence. The issue of executing the mentally ill has been raised in Texas on numerous occasions, most recently in February 2004, when another mentally ill man, Scott Panetti, received a 60-day stay of execution shortly before he was scheduled for execution. The United Nations Commission on Human Rights has repeatedly called for an end to the use of the death penalty against people with mental disorders. (Amnesty International Press Release, May 18, 2004). Read Amnesty’s Report on Kelsey Patterson. See Mental Illness and the Death Penalty.