Testimony heard about condemned killer

Associated Press

CLEVELAND

Two psychiatrists testifying for the state said Thursday that a condemned Ohio inmate is mentally ill but understands he’s facing execution because of his double murder conviction.

“It is our opinion with reasonable medical certainty that Mr. Abdul Awkal currently has the mental capacity to understand the nature of the death penalty and the mental capacity to understand why the death penalty was imposed on him,” the psychiatrists said in a report to a judge and detailed in their court testimony.

Drs. Jennifer Piel and Phillip Resnick examined Awkal two days after he had been scheduled to be put to death last week for killing his estranged wife and brother-in-law in a Cleveland courthouse in 1992. Gov. John Kasich issued a last-minute reprieve to allow a judge to consider whether the 53-year-old is mentally competent for execution.

The judge has heard conflicting testimony on the issue this week. The defense argues Awkal is too psychotic to be executed and says he thinks the CIA is plotting against him. The state says the execution should proceed.

Piel testified that Awkal’s delusions of alleged CIA harassment were related to his appeals, not to his understanding of why he’s facing execution.

She was one of the final witnesses speaking before Cuyahoga County Common Pleas Judge Stuart Friedman.

Resnick testified that he and Piel questioned Awkal closely about his understanding of the death penalty and why he faces execution — a key factor in determining if Awkal is mentally competent to be executed.

In an April interview, Awkal was blunt about his understanding of his legal situation, Resnick testified. Asked why he was facing the death penalty, Awkal responded, “For killing my wife and her brother.”