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Over time, he became confused, conflicted, scared and enraged. Years of abuse took its toll. The juvenile center gang rape incident traumatized him further.
He suffered nightmares about being raped or attempts to do it. He awoke in "utter terror." He became increasingly broken, withdrawn, and angry.
Lisak said "the violence and abuse (he) suffered was so severe, and so sustained, that I would not expect any child subjected to such unrelenting trauma to emerge without severe and long-lasting psychological damage."
He suffered from PTSD, borderline personality disorder, and major depression. At age 44, he still has secondary PTSD symptoms, constant anxiety, uneasy sleep, and nightmares.
As a high school senior, his behavior was erratic. He'd scream and yell for no reason. He was paranoid. He thought everyone was out to get him. At night, he'd cry himself to sleep. He thought he was someone no one could love or respect.
On the day he killed Norwood, he was three and a half months past his 18th birthday. Legally he was an adult subject to the death penalty if convicted and so ordered.
Lisak said the killing was caused by his acutely traumatized state. Fear, terror and rage built up for years. Norwood's death resulted. So did Hamilton's months earlier.
On September 17, Williams' clemency plea was denied. His lawyers re-petitioned. On September 27, his second hearing was held. On September 28, the Pennsylvania Board of Pardons took his plea under advisement. It didn't say when it would rule.
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