Mental health professionals testify in day 6 of trial in cleaver murder case

BURLINGTON, Vt. (WCAX) - Mental health professionals who treated a Burlington man accused of killing his wife with a meat cleaver testified in court on Monday.

Aita Gurung is accused of killing his wife, Yogeswari Khadka, with a meat cleaver in October 2017.

The focal point at the trial on Monday-- defense witnesses from when Gurung was admitted to the Vermont Psychiatric Care Hospital.

A demonstration of internal stimuli teed up a day of defense of Gurung’s mental state, specifically the day he was admitted to the Vermont Psychiatric Care Hospital, four days after killing his wife.

“I felt at the time and continue having reviewed my documentation to believe that Mr. Gurung was psychotic at the time that I completed his admission,” Dr. Steven Runyan said.

Runyan testified that though Gurung denied it, he was hallucinating or hearing voices.

“Notably appeared to be responding to what we call internal stimuli,” Runyan said.

Internal stimuli are cues that the person experiencing them can feel, but that wouldn’t be apparent to others. The defense also attempted to rule out malingering, an exaggeration of symptoms to avoid consequences.

“To be so-called quietly psychotic is common,” Runyan said.

On cross-examination, the prosecution pushed back, calling into question Runyan’s notes from his first interaction with Gurung.

But like most doctors would recommend, the defense went for a second opinion.

“He perceived that his brain was not working right, that part of his brain was telling him to do things,” Dr. John Malloy said.

Malloy was Gurung’s attending psychiatrist. He took over Gurung’s file five years ago Monday, four days after Gurung was admitted to the Vermont Psychiatric Care Hospital. He gave Gurung his mental status exam.

“He appeared very depressed, his affect, his emotional range was very flat,” Malloy said.

Over time, Malloy says treatment worked to relieve some of the psychosis allowing Gurung to be competent to stand trial. But Malloy noted that as Gurung appeared to return to reality, he was weighed down heavier by the killing of his wife.

“He did that with me on the first meeting, ‘I am a criminal,’ but also his brain was not working and that’s also what he said,” Malloy testified.

The state again pushed back, introducing nursing notes from Gurung’s early time in the hospital, saying when Gurung was alone, he didn’t make involuntary motions or talk to himself and slept regularly.

When it came down to the day Gurung’s wife died, the state pushed Malloy on what Gurung comprehended. Malloy said it depended.

“That varied. There were times he appeared to have a recollection, and then at times not,” Malloy said.

The trial will continue Tuesday with more expert testimony from defense witnesses. The trial is expected to wrap up next week.

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