Read A Sniper in the Tower Online

Authors: Gary M. Lavergne

Tags: #History, #United States, #General, #State & Local, #Southwest (AZ; NM; OK; TX), #True Crime, #Murder, #test

A Sniper in the Tower (66 page)

 
Page 230
Editors, Correspondents & Newscasters:
Having learned late yesterday that Mr. Charles Whitman had visited the University Health Center on March 29, 1966, and at that time had been referred to Dr. M. D. Heatly, staff psychiatrist, for private consultation, the University administration has directed the Health Center to make available to law enforcement agencies and the public the complete confidential records of this visit with Dr. Heatly, his only psychiatric appointment at the University.
Mr. Whitman was told to make an appointment for the same day next week, and was informed that if he needed to talk to the therapist, he could call on him at any time during the interval. However, he never returned and was not seen by this therapist or by any other University physician after March 29, 1966.
The University Health Center is a voluntary operation provided by the University for the benefit of students. Psychiatric, as well as medical care is available; but no student is required to take advantage of it. Each student has the right and privilege to select a physician and hospital of his own choice.
Unless a student demonstrates a behavior pattern which would legally justify involuntary commitment, the University has no alternative except to suggest that the student take advantage of its services, and it is up to the student to decide whether he wishes to do so. In this case, the attending physician saw no indication of any legal grounds for commitment, and although he suggested further consultations, the student did not take advantage of them.
Dr. Heatly's conclusion on March 29, 1966, that there was no indication at that time that Whitman was a danger to either himself or the community was consistent with
 
Page 231
the impressions of his teachers, his employer, and his associates, none of whom observed anything during the intervening 4 months which reflected unusual behavior.
Whitman completed 19 hours of engineering work in May 1966 with a B average, which indicates he was a better than average student. Since that time, he has been carrying a normal work load in the College of Engineering this summer with satisfactory results. At the same time he performed his duties as Laboratory Assistant in a way that was entirely satisfactory to his supervisors. This normal situation prevailed at least through Friday, July 29, which was the last day he attended classes and performed his regular work assignments.
In reporting to the University, Dr. Heatly explained that if a student chooses to visit the Health Center for psychiatric consultation, the alternatives following such consultation are: first, to determine that he is not a psychiatric case; second, to schedule serial visits for further observation but the visits must be voluntary on the part of the student; and third, to determine that the patient is psychotic and/or dangerous to himself or others, in which case it is necessary to separate him involuntarily from society. Where this latter situation has been indicated, that procedure has been followed. In this case, there was no psychiatric basis at the time of the interview on March 29 for pursuing this last alternative.
During the four months which have elapsed since Whitman was last seen by Dr. Heatly, no University physician has had any opportunity to observe or evaluate his condition.
14
The statement was clearly designed to prepare the correspondents for the statement of Dr. Heatly.
Under the glare of lights, before nine microphones and six television cameras, the round-faced, bespectacled psychiatrist read the

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