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By Marc Klaas The defense team hired clinical psychologist Lorelei Sontag to create a portrait of little Ricky Davis’ early life. Her personal social history describes a troubled environment of abuse and neglect that resulted in the brutal kidnap, molestation and murder of my daughter Polly. The analysis of the Davis family background is a three-step process that includes interviews, documentation and the comparing of this information with the minimal needs of a child. Dr. Sontag based the development and interpretation of the family background and attachments on twenty-seven hours of interviews with relatives and neighbors and thirteen hours of interviews with the killer. The paper trail included; school records, juvenile probation reports and Davis’ parents divorce papers. Dr. Sontag states that severe psychological and physical maltreatment of the Davis children based on multi-generational patterns of abandonment, parental detachment and poor parenting skills left them confused and traumatized. Examples included incidence of hair pulling, hitting and a forty-year old eyewitness account of Ricky’s mother holding his hand over a flame to discipline the boy. Prosecutor Cliff Harris challenged Dr. Sontag’s conclusion that his failure to react to the burn proved that there is something developmentally askew by suggesting that Mrs. Davis simply placed the child’s hand over the flame to teach him that fire is hot and dangerous. Dr. Sontag admitted that the eyewitness did not indicate blistering or even reddening of his hand and that perhaps Harris suggested a more realistic account of the incident. The killer’s parents tried to do more for their children than was done for them. She gardened, went to school functions, maintained a clean house and kept the children clean and tidy. Davis admired the hard working father who coached little league, and ensured the financial security of his children throughout their adolescence. A turning point in the killer’s development occurred in 1965, when his choice to live with his father resulted in broken ties with his mother after the divorce. Dr. Sontag contends that court's consideration of children’s feelings put them in a difficult position by drawing them into the bitter conflict between fighting parents. The quiet little boy felt responsible for the abandonment and may have abdicated responsibility forevermore. The risk factors that predetermined the course of Davis’ life are multi-faceted. A psychologically destructive parent-child relationship that included too many fights and not enough affection. Multiple forms of victimization including: psychological maltreatment, rejection, isolation, exploiting and corrupting. He suffered physical abuse and emotional neglect, recurrent abandonments.and losses. His mother left, his sister died and a series of caring, loving women came and left his life. The killer experienced chaotic family living situations and a lack of appropriate intervention. I am not impressed by risk factors that we all encounter and overcome. We have all faced rejection and isolation. Who does not feel alone at one time or another? My daughter moved on an average of every eight-months, and I could not intervene when she needed me most. Dr. Sontag is not an anti-death penalty advocate, yet she only works for the defense. She keynotes defense attorney conventions and refused to talk to prosecutors on this case. Her resume includes prison seminars on how to control environment. She discounts free choice and responsibility. Only under cross examination did she admit that Davis’ told her that “Many people have had worse childhood’s than mine.” Only under cross examination did she admit that Davis has some sweet memories of childhood. What is so different? One area not addressed by the defense is the pattern of cruelty and viciousness established by Davis as an adolescent. Somebody, please tell me why his brothers and sister obey the law and lead productive lives and he killed my daughter? Somebody, please tell me why we give a psychological spin doctor $45,000 over a two month period to explain the obvious? Somebody, please tell me why we invest millions of dollars into a defense industry that exploits and endangers the innocent among us?
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