Criminal proceedings in the Czech Republic Harok family murder

1 criminal proceedings in czech republic

1.1 charges
1.2 indictment
1.3 trial

criminal proceedings in czech republic

charges

after learning prime suspect has left country, on 23 may 2013 czech authorities charged kevin dahlgren in absentia committing quadruple murder. if convicted, may sentenced life imprisonment. court appointed attorney richard Špíšek represent dahlgren in czech murder proceedings.

dahlgren extradited czech republic on 31 august 2015. on same day, district court in brno held hearing concerning dahlgren s custody. court refused dahlgren s plea released on bail , ordered remand. dahlgren appealed decision original ruling upheld.

indictment

after lengthy psychiatric , psychological assessments of dahlgren s mental state, concluded sane, police officially closed investigation on 21 march 2016 , recommended state attorney indict dahlgren. investigators claimed there no doubt dahlgren committing murders; however, failed establish motive. state attorney ludmila doležalová subsequently indicted dahlgren in april 2016. case fell hands of judge michal zámečník, presiding panel consisting of himself , 2 lay judges. dahlgren chose remain silent during investigation during of court hearings.

according indictment, combination of dahlgren s personal attributes , situational motives led him commit murders: emotionally unstable , narcissistic, , became aggressive when found himself unable fulfill expectations of relatives.

trial

the first day of trial consisted of personal testimonies of number of witnesses, included 1 of victim s girlfriend had left house in morning before murders, mail carrier, house cleaner, neighbors had entered house in evening after registering smoke, , other people text messaging either victims or dahlgren on day of killings. on second day, more testimonies were, after state attorney s , dahlgren s consent, read judge. followed questioning of expert witnesses. according toxicology report, there no drugs nor alcohol in blood of victims. according sexologist testimony, danhlgren not sadist, despite being interested in sadomasochism. sexual orientation not determined due sexual immaturity.

state attorney presented dahlgren s testimony before fbi given after arrest in in claimed got conflict random group of russians or romanians night before murders. after jogging next morning, dahlgren claimed have found note saying find , kill you, american , after found bodies in house. fearing own safety, left vienna , flew us. dahlgren s attorney declared testimony inadmissible under czech law due fact there no attorney present during interrogation. dahglren himself, through interpreter, chose remain silent on issue, had been doing when given chance cross-examine previous witnesses.

afternoon hearing on second day started testimonies of pathologists. youngest of victims incapacitated hit head blunt object, stone found police, , subsequently stabbed multiple times, dying due cut throat. father suffered 29 stab , slash wounds, including conducted ax. neither of 2 victims have been saved if provided immediate aid , both died within minute. older son murdered while lying in bed, suffering numerous stab , slash wounds head , neck. mother suffered 29 stab wounds , died after several minutes due stab wound neck; 1 of stab wounds hit brain instantly incapacitating her.

a psychiatrist testimony followed. while dahlgren remained silent when questioned police, had cooperated psychiatrist commented had spent several times more time analyzing dahlgren other person before. according her, dahlgren suffered mixed personality disorder, not extent declared mentally ill during murders. had had sexual relationship male classmate during time @ high school, sexual relationships women afterwards. dahlgren had claimed animals more people. before going brno, dahlgren contemplating going africa instead in order kill poachers there. in brno, first felt fine, later mr. harok sr. started asking him find meaningful occupation, meant in same position in us. during repeated interviews psychiatrist, dahlgren had spoken internal voice tells him in order become hero . this, however, did not reach state of psychosis: according psychiatrist person in state of psychosis not able conduct murders manner happened (over several hours, bodies being dragged garage, covered, , attempt burn house). defense attorney attacked psychiatrist claiming american specialists found suffering bipolar-type schizoaffective disorder. psychiatrist refused saying had spent more time dahlgren, collected more data, , dahlgren had shown no symptoms of such disorder during long-term pre-trial custody.

the psychiatrist claims dahlgren considered harok family source of stress, while indifferent other persons including girlfriend of 1 of victims, mail carrier, , house cleaner made contact dahlgren either prior or in between killings. psychiatrist first witness asked additional questions dahlgren; dahlgren claimed had been hearing voices in head 2 years every ten or fifteen seconds. following expert testimony, defense attorney announced defense order expert witness testimony, while judge adjourned hearing until june 19.

dahlgren sentenced life in prison on july 20, 2016, appealed verdict. in december 2016, court asked medical opinion on dahlgren s sanity. in march 2017, original ruling upheld.