Idella Kathleen Hagen (November 15, 1945 – April 18, 2015) was a former
medical doctor who gained notoriety for being accused of
murder by
asphyxia
Asphyxia or asphyxiation is a condition of deficient supply of oxygen to the body which arises from abnormal breathing. Asphyxia causes generalized hypoxia, which affects primarily the tissues and organs. There are many circumstances that ca ...
of her parents, Idella Hagen, aged 92, and James Hagen, aged 86, with a plastic bag and a pillow as they slept in their home in
Chatham Township, New Jersey
Chatham Township is a suburban township located in Morris County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States census, the township's population was 10,452, reflecting an increase of 366 (+3.6%) from the 10,086 counted in the 2000 ...
, in August 2000. A month earlier, she had returned to her parents' house from her home in the
Virgin Islands
The Virgin Islands ( es, Islas Vírgenes) are an archipelago in the Caribbean Sea. They are geologically and biogeographically the easternmost part of the Greater Antilles, the northern islands belonging to the Puerto Rico Trench and St. Cro ...
because of their age and deteriorating health. Hagen, a woman of considerable means,
had previously cut short a medical career in
urology
Urology (from Greek οὖρον ''ouron'' "urine" and '' -logia'' "study of"), also known as genitourinary surgery, is the branch of medicine that focuses on surgical and medical diseases of the urinary-tract system and the reproductive org ...
in 1987 to move to the Virgin Islands to operate an inn with her second husband.
Education and professional career
Raised in Chatham Township, Hagen graduated from
Chatham High School in 1963.
[Kleinfeld, N. R.; and Peterson, Iver]
"An Achiever's Unraveling; Fall of Doctor Accused of Killing Her Parents"
''The New York Times
''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid d ...
'', September 4, 2000. Accessed July 23, 2018. "Dr. Idella Kathleen Hagen liked to be at the center of things, and now she was at the center of an entirely unbidden world.... She graduated from Chatham High School in 1963."
A 1973 graduate of the
Harvard Medical School
Harvard Medical School (HMS) is the graduate medical school of Harvard University and is located in the Longwood Medical Area of Boston, Massachusetts. Founded in 1782, HMS is one of the oldest medical schools in the United States and is consi ...
, she became the first woman appointed a resident in
urology
Urology (from Greek οὖρον ''ouron'' "urine" and '' -logia'' "study of"), also known as genitourinary surgery, is the branch of medicine that focuses on surgical and medical diseases of the urinary-tract system and the reproductive org ...
at the
Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston. She was appointed chief of urology at the
Rutgers
Rutgers University (; RU), officially Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, is a public land-grant research university consisting of four campuses in New Jersey. Chartered in 1766, Rutgers was originally called Queen's College, and w ...
Medical School in New Jersey in 1982.
Trial
The defense argued for an
insanity plea
The insanity defense, also known as the mental disorder defense, is an affirmative defense by excuse in a criminal case, arguing that the defendant is not responsible for their actions due to an episodic psychiatric disease at the time of the cr ...
. A defense
psychiatrist, Robert L. Sadoff, stated that soon after Hagen returned to her home on Fairmount Avenue, Chatham New Jersey. Her chronic
depression deepened because of her two failed marriages, the loss of her medical career, her fears about her parents' health, and her own fears that her depression would lead to institutionalization.
Both Sadoff and Dr.
Steven Simring, who testified for the prosecution, said Hagen's depression deepened significantly in August 2000, to the point where she thought she was receiving messages from televisions ads, traffic lights and playing cards. They said she also heard a male voice she took to be her father's commanding her to commit the murders because, once they occurred, she and her parents would go to what Simring called a "childlike, magical sphere where they'd regain their happiness."
Deborah Factor, an assistant
Morris County prosecutor, asked the psychiatrists if they considered the
patricide
Patricide is (i) the act of killing one's own father, or (ii) a person who kills their own father or stepfather. The word ''patricide'' derives from the Greek word ''pater'' (father) and the Latin suffix ''-cida'' (cutter or killer). Patricid ...
-
matricide
Matricide is the act of killing one's own mother.
Known or suspected matricides
* Amastrine, Amastris, queen of Heraclea, was drowned by her two sons in 284 BC.
* Cleopatra III of Egypt was assassinated in 101 BC by order of her son, Pto ...
acts of vindictiveness or
mercy killings, and they both answered no.
Acquittal and confinement
A New Jersey judge acquitted Hagen of charges after two psychiatrists testified that she was
psychotic
Psychosis is a condition of the mind that results in difficulties determining what is real and what is not real. Symptoms may include delusions and hallucinations, among other features. Additional symptoms are incoherent speech and behavior t ...
at the time.
After the psychiatrists agreed that Hagen had been depressed for years, was delusional during the murders and was now suicidal, Judge B. Theodore Bozonelis found her not guilty on grounds of insanity and committed her to a state mental health institution.
Judge Bozonelis did not order a specific term of confinement, but said he believed that she required long-term treatment in an institution because she is prone to unpredictable bouts of psychosis and is a danger to herself and society. Under the law, he said, Hagen was entitled to periodic hearings and reviews about her recovery and continued confinement.
Hagen was nearly released to one-time friend Charlotte Carosh, but this was blocked by the hospital when it was revealed that Charlotte Carosh had a track record of acquiring real estate from the elderly. This led to the creation of New Jersey's Kean's law that requires the police to notify residents when psychotic patients are released.
Death
Hagen died, aged 69, on April 18, 2015, at her home. She was cremated.
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Hagen, I. Kathleen
1945 births
2015 deaths
American urologists
Harvard Medical School alumni
American female murderers
Chatham High School (New Jersey) alumni
Massachusetts General Hospital residents
Rutgers University faculty
People from Chatham Township, New Jersey
People from Monmouth Beach, New Jersey
People acquitted by reason of insanity
American people acquitted of murder
Parricides