Kipngetich, 1
Name: Kipngetich Erick
Instructor. Mrs. Davis. J
Coarse: Abnormal Psychology Final Exams
Date: July 26, 2019
Final Exam Case Study
The New York Times article titled "Nanny Faces Tough Insanity Test: Did She Know Killing Was
Wrong? By James C. McKinley Jr. and Jan Ransom gives an account of a murder trial of Nanny
named Yoselyn Ortega’s who stabbed to death two small children under her care. In this case, the
Jury was trying to determine Ortega's innocent base on her mental health status at the time of the
crime. It was a case of the insanity defense for her lawyers. Her lawyer claims that "insanity was
the only possible explanation for the grisly killings.” Her lawyer further claimed that her mental
illness might have prevented her from understanding the consequence of her action.
According to the psychiatrist for the defense interview of Ms. Ortega states that
 She was being possessed by the devil more and more
 She heard voices that “told her to kill people, to kill herself and, eventually, to kill the
children.”
According to the prosecutors, Ms. Ortega suffers
 Mild depression and anxiety before the murder.
According to Ortega’s lawyer. Ms. Ortega had suffered from
 Depression, psychotic thinking and hallucinations since her teens that she never received
treatment for.
Two of Ms. Ortega’s sisters testify that
 She experiences deep depression twice after the death of her two siblings
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 She became paranoid and hide under the bed whenever a dog barked
 She started throwing pots and pans around the kitchen on the night before killing and she
had no recollection of it
 She also bangs on pots and pans to dispel her hallucinations about the devil possessing her.
My Diagnosis
According to testimonies presented in this case, Ms. Yoselyn Ortega seems to suffer from
Schizophrenia
DSM 5: Schizophrenia Disorder Diagnosis Criteria.
 According to DSM-5.one is diagnosed with two or more of the following symptoms, each
present for a significant portion of time during one month (Or less if successfully treated).
At least of these must be present 1, 2, or 3.
1) Delusions,
2) Hallucinations,
3) Disorganized speech (e.g., frequent derailment or incoherence),
4) Grossly disorganized or catatonic behavior,
5) Negative symptoms (i.e., diminished emotional expression or avolition).
 Only one criterion needed if delusions bizarre or hallucinations consist of a voice keeping
a running commentary or two voices talking to each other
 Must cause significant social/occupational dysfunction
 Schizoaffective disorder and depressive or bipolar disorder with psychotic features have
been ruled out.
In conclusion, Yoselyn Ortega's could be suffering from Schizophrenia because she displayed the
above mention symptoms. She needs to be referred to a psychiatrist for further diagnosis.
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Reference
American Psychiatric Association. (2013). Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders
(5th Ed.). Washington, DC.
McKinley, J, and Jan Ransom. “Nanny Faces Tough Insanity Test: Did She Know Killing Was
Wrong?” The New York Times, 27 Mar. 2018, www.nytimes.com/2018/03/27/nyregion/nannymurder-trial-insanity-defense.html?action=click&module=RelatedLinks&pgtype=Artic