Thursday, May 1, 2008

PTSD on trial of Cody Morris


Lawyer Says Shooting Suspect Suffers From Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder
He's accused of shooting his friend while they played video games. Now his lawyer says his traumatic experience in Iraq is to blame.
When Casey Lee Hall died of a gunshot wound to the head last fall, many wondered what happened. When his friends were arrested, they asked why.
Now, just days before his trial is scheduled to begin in Carlisle County, lawyers for Cody Morris are suggesting his service in Iraq changed him. They say he suffers from post traumatic stress disorder. "He came back different," says Mark Bryant, Cody Morris's attorney.
Before Iraq, Cody Morris's family told Bryant he was outgoing and knew nothing of guns. They say he changed after a year in Iraq. "He was in combat on a daily basis. He was killing people, really, really often. He saw horrible things. He saw little kids get blown up," says Bryant. And while in Iraq, Bryant says his client was diagnosed with the illness known as post-traumatic stress disorder. Symptoms of PTSD include: re-living the event, avoiding situations that remind you of the event, feeling keyed up and on alert for danger, and feeling emotionally numb.
"Everything's pretty much monotone, and that's not the way he was before," said Bryant of Morris's personality.
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