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Dr. Dorothy Lewis is going to be the subject of a documentary on HBO about her fascinating career. She researches murderers and has spent her career trying to determine why people kill. Her philosophy seems to be killers are created not born. “Crazy, Not Insane” is the documentary where viewers will get to learn a bit more about what makes her tick.
She said she’s always not only been fascinated with murder but had thought a lot about why she never wanted to kill someone. She stated that wasn’t her plan when she went to school. Lewis started her career working with children.
Dr. Dorothy Lewis Had A Fascination With The Macabre
Dr. Dorothy Lewis continued to be intrigued by the human psyche when it came to violence. She worked with some youths that had been put into the correctional facility. She found they dealt with abuse throughout their lives. This got her thinking how childhood trauma might make someone a murderer.
Lewis said, “gradually I was gathering clues. I was discovering why one person cried in pain while another lashed out in response to it.” According to Oxygen she was given a grant to study killers at Bellevue forensic ward in NYC. This included Mark David Chapman, the man who killed John Lennon.
She found those who had homicidal tendencies were often abuse sufferers and victims of trauma. Lewis doesn’t believe in the death penalty because she thinks a lot of killers are sick, not evil.
The Psychiatrist Has Been An Expert Witness On High-Profile Cases
Dr. Dorothy Lewis has been an expert witness for many high-profile cases. One of those included the Ted Bundy trial. Lewis also studied people who had dissociative identity disorder. She thought there were personalities that made Bundy kill as well as other killers. Not everyone agrees with her and some think she has controversial theories on murderers.
In the case of killer Arthur Shawcross, Lewis thought he took on a different personality named Bessie when he killed. Peter Vronsky, another expert on serial killers, disagreed with her. He included her testimony in an upcoming book and stated he felt she coaxed the killer to play different roles. He went so far to call the multiple personality angle a hoax. Arthur stated Lewis can use an interview style to convince people they have different personalities.
The Documentary Will Show Some Of Her Recorded Interviews
Dr. Dorothy Lewis does have a lot of experts disagreeing with her. The documentary’s director, Alex Gibney, said, “what she discovers is never intended to excuse horrific acts of violence. Rather, as a psychiatric detective, she seeks to explain why killers kill, so we might take steps to stop the killing.”
He also noted Lewis had a very bubbly personality even at the age of eighty-two. He said, “like emergency room doctors, her dark humor is an occupational gift that comes from her constant exposure to our deepest wounds.” Viewers can draw their own conclusions. “Crazy, Not Insane” is on HBO now.