sorry for your loss. That's a very difficult one.

I know from experience and asking psychs and nurses that BPs are more of a danger to themselves ( ourselves) than others.

Does not matter if you are BP or not. They chose not to take their meds. He should be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. I'm sick of everyone blaming everything they do wrong on BP.

BPs will commit criminal acts in the same proportion as the general population. I'm BP, I've been angry and raging and have never killed anyone. Bp is no more a defense for murder than it is a reason to be a gifted writer or musician.

Funny to run across this post. I have always been one to do self harm. But today I just wanted to rip someones face off for no reason. I've been off meds for 10 days because my doc took me off. I was getting lamictal rash. I just started a new med today. But I will tell you, I never felt that way before, the way I felt earlier today and it scared me. Would I kill? NO, I would know better and lock myself up first. Every bp is different in their illness, but to be excuses because of being bp, not a chance. This guy was just a killer who happen to be bp. I'm so sorry for your loss.

I dont think BP should be blamed for anything. It changes our lives, it changes who we thought we were and it changes our view of the world.
But as beepers we still have choices. We can seek help, we can take our meds, we can stillbe people rather than BP with an excuse to mess things up.
Murder is not excusable just because you dont take your meds. I am more of a danger to myself than I am to anyone else. Beepers or not I still know right from wrong.

I am so sorry about your brother. It is very awful that some people will use anything to get around the law. That isn't right; and even if it did affect him, he should know when to go into a clinic. Managing the illness is part of personal responsibility. Mood swings are a lot different than murder. It disgusts me when people work the system like that.

I am so sorry for your loss, words will not console you now..
BP cannot be an excuse for murder, - in built in all of us are morals, part of our genetic code, some dont know finer points,or never been taught-but everybody knows even if is by way of TV - murder is wrong.
BP sufferers are probably more moralistic than most!
Bad people do bad things..BP is irrelivent..

I am so sorry for your loss...there is never an excuse for murder! It's not right to blame it on bp, that person is a sicko cause he doesn't care about others, is selfish, and chose to do what he did so yes he should be prosecuted to the fullest...The bp did not make him do it, he just had bp and was irresponsible by not taking care of himself...God gave us free will no matter what disease or condition we get.

Hi, swank!!!
I am so deeply sorry for your loss!!!
BP can be the cause of many horrible things, perhaps even murder, but if and when it does lead to something that extreme, it cannot be used as an excuse.
Where I live, a woman recently went on trial for murder. (I can't remember exactly what degree of murder.) She wanted to commit suicide and tried to do so by driving her vehicle into another vehicle which had 3 people in it. She lived; they didn't. She has since been diagnosed as BP, whether because she really is or as a ploy by the defense lawyer, I don't know. But even if she is and even if that's what made her do it, I think she must be held responsible for her actions.
It's very sad if someone did something horrible through no direct fault of their own, but society has a greater right to be protected from such actions. Sometimes, life is not fair. As you know all too well.

First please accept my condolences on the loss of your brother. I lost my big brother when ye was 42 from a coronary and losing a sib is hard, really hard, so my heard is with you.

BP as an excuse...no way...But, Since the bp person was not medicated, was he in a severely psychotic state? Unless he was over the top psychotic, he would still have enough connection with reality to know right from wrong.

Truth is, even genuine cases of truly psychotic crimes, seldom get off on an insanity defense. They make it look otherwise on tv, but in real life, it doesn't hapen often at all.

I believe in punishing for the crime regardless of mental illness, but punish the mentally ill in a forensic psych unit so they will get the needed medical and psychiatric/psychological help.

I have never allowed this disorder to be an excuse for my wrong doing. I am BP and If I was in your shoes I would put myself on the stand to say that he should be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. We can not give up the security of our community because of this disorder. I am BP and I approve of this message.

thank you every one for all the hugs and prayers.

People who blame BP for something like that give us BPs a bad name. This guy commited murder. I think either there was something else going on in that head of his, or he is just a plain murderer who should be charged as a murderer. I have had terrible rages, but it was always myself I would harm, never anyone else.

First I am sorry for the loss of your brother.

My answer is much like others. This guy knew he had BP and knew he was supoosed to be on medication. He made a choice to disregard both of those facts and it resulted in the tragic death of your brother.

If I choose to drink booze, get drunk, then knowingly go out and drive my car and kill someone I would expect to be held accountable.

There is no difference here.

I do not however thnk this raises to 1st degree murder as they must prove he had forsight, planning and intention to prove 1st degree murder. Being BP and off his medication it can not be proven beyond a shadow of a doubt that this is the case any more than you could porve a drunk driver who kills someone intended to do it.