A group of humans sifting through every facet of my personal identity to find something wrong with me is the closest thing to rape I’ve ever experienced. I do understand why they were so thorough though, and going through all that shit has ultimately made me comfortable sharing myself with just about anyone. So here is my entire life and character, condensed to eighteen pages described by professional knower of people.

Dear Mr. Baraza:

            Pursuant to your request, I have evaluated Mr. Wright, reviewed case materials, and interviewed collateral informants with respect to his history, and the alleged offense. This report is prepared to address risk management issues for consideration at sentencing.

            I interviewed Mr. Wright on September 5, 2017 for three and one-half hours, on September 20, 2017 for two hours, and he completed the Personality Assessment Inventory on November 19, 2017, after which he was interviewed for an additional three-quarter hours. Each interview was conducted in a contact room at the Matheson Courthouse.

            Prior to each interview, Mr. Wright was provided a standard forensic warning. He was told that the purpose of the evaluation was to determine his mental state at he time of the alleged offense, and provide an understanding of factors that may have been relevant to his father’s death. He was informed that our conversation was confidential, protected by attorney-client work product privilege, and that my report would be provided to you, and to members of his defense team. He was informed that, while you had retained me, my role was that of an independent examiner, that I was not a part of his defense team, and that my opinion would not necessarily be favorable to his case. He was informed that I would provide a verbal or written report to you, and that if you believed my opinion could potentially be helpful to his case, you could provide my report to the District Attorney, the judge, probation officers, or others involved in his case, and that there was potentially no confidentiality regarding his conversations with me. He was further told that information provided to me would not be used to determine his guilt or innocence, but only his mental state at the time of the alleged offense. He was made aware that no Client-Therapist privilege applied to our meeting. Mr. Wright clearly understood the limits of confidentiality.

Page 3 Skipped due to protecting the identity of others.

Start of Page 4: The police report indicates that Mr. Wright was “secured with handcuffs and was emotional”. He reported that he had driven from his home in Oregon to his father’s home the night prior. He spoke with the police officer, described his family, and gave some history about his father, who he described as “very religious but that he has always been suicidal. He said that his father bragged frequently about trying to suffocate himself to death when he was only five years old.”

Relevant personal history: Mr. Wright provided a personal history that was consistent with what is reflected in school, work, and medical records, and with what is reported by friends and family in various collateral interviews.

Mr. Wright was born and raised in Utah until he was 8 years old, at which time the family moved to Texas. He is the third of five children, with an older brother five years his senior, and older sister two years his senior, a younger sister and younger brother, each also separated by two years. When Mr. Wright was a child, the family belonged to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, and his father was employed as a regional facilities manager of the Church. He described that his father received numerous promotions over the years, and Mr. Wright recalled that his father “gave the kids $50 each time he got a promotion”. He indicated that, in addition to working for the Church, his father was “a modern day monk” who talked a great deal about “modern day gospel, always church-related”. It is his understanding that his parents separated when he was 10 years old because his mother had decided to leave the church. He recalled no arguing between his parents prior to that time, and described their separation as amicable. His father paid child support, and Mr. Wright recalled that he was also fairly generous with gifts. He was present for family holidays and extended family events, even after his ex-wife remarried, and Mr. Wright indicated that his father always spoke highly of his mother, backed her up, and the converse was also true.

The defendant’s mother worked outside of the home as a personal trainer, secretary, a nutritionist, and other “random stuff”. After his parents separation, she was able to provide adequately for the family with her income and child support, and she remarried about a year later. Mr. Wright spoke highly of his stepfather, Russ Klein, whom he views as “extremely smart, a ‘man’s man’ who taught me how to be a man” and had strengths in different areas than did his father. He recalled that Mr. Klein worked in the education field. He indicated, and family verified that his father and stepfather had a good relationship, and at times took the family out together when their mother was busy. There appears to have been very strong emotional connections between the defendant’s mother, father, and stepfather, and with the children. Mr. Wright indicated that the family always had “the basics and more”, never wanting for food, shelter, clothing, sports gear for school, vacations and summer camp, piano lessons and the like. He added, however, that his mother in particular required “responsible adult stuff” like chore completion, and if a child wanted money “we had to work” holding an age-appropriate job.

The defendant described that, of the five Wright siblings, he has likely been the one closest to his father. When he was a youth, he shared a paper route with his father. He indicated that they had a “strong bong”, and that from his father he developed a “strong work ethic”. While he felt close to his father throughout his life, he also recounted that they had arguments “with a lot of passion”, particularly about matters related to the Church, as the defendant left the Church when he was 13 years old. He described that, even as a young adolescent (and maybe earlier), he had been interested in other faiths, and had become “really knowledgeable” by reading various religious sources, and “talking to people of many different faiths”. He indicated that he did not ask to be formally removed from the church rolls, as “it would be really detrimental to my father—he always carried a lot of hope that his children and maybe even his ex-wife would come back to the church. I didn’t see the need to leave the Church, that would be too rebellious, I didn’t see the need to”. After he stopped attending church he continued to attend church-based youth programs so he could be involved socially and in the community.

Mr. Wright did not experience abuse within or outside the family, got along well with his parents and siblings, and indicated that he had a stable home life before and after his parents’ divorce. He has had regular contact with his mother and stepfather since his arrest.

Developmental and Educational History: Mr. Wright indicated that his mother had an unremarkable pregnancy, and he was aware of no developmental delays, or disabilities. He described that he and his younger sister were “called the calm babies, we just laugh….we were just lively”, but when he was in a nursery program prior to school age he was noted to have too much energy, and once he was in school he was noted to be “too active, hyper, and rowdy”. However, he was educated in mainstream classes in public schools in Utah and Texas during elementary school, and in Utah for junior high and high school. His mother indicated that by the third grade his teacher believed he had ADHD, as he was “all over the place, sweet, but easily overstimulated by peers”. He was the class clown, and would often test the rules, although he was not overly or directly oppositional, but, according to his mother, was “mischievous”. Mr. Wright recalled that his mother “got me diagnosed because I said I was having trouble paying attention in school, very mild, not sever or extreme. He believes, and his mother reported that he took medication for a short time, but he did not like the effects, and his family did not see a behavioral difference (although his teacher apparently did (. Records for Howard R Driggs Elementary school indicate that he had some problems in kindergarten with getting “overexcited/setting down”, but was also described with a “positive attitude-loves to learn-fun-smart”/ He learned to read and was excellent in math. In first through fourth grade, he did well in academic subjects, and had a generally satisfactory or better citizenship marks. There is no indication in his school record of problematic behaviors warranting formal intervention, and he was never suspended or held back. He attended the fifth grade in Texas, and academic testing from that year shows scores generally in an average or better range. There is no indication in any of his elementary school records of learning problems or significant conduct problems, and it does not appear that his reported difficulty with high activity level and attention substantially interfered with his elementary school performance or conduct. Available records suggest that he was well-liked by teachers, and engaged appropriately in academic endeavors without behavioral problems noted in his school records.

Mr. Wright seems to have been less attentive to school once he reached junior high. He recalled that his teachers viewed him as “behind the scenes” in riling up other students and that he stopped putting forth good effort academically. He described himself as “a pretty average student, not a great GPA, didn’t ever apply myself. That was my form of rebellion, didn’t like the way teachers taught, the homework, having these assignments. That’s why my grades are not very good. I wasn’t really organized not that I didn’t do it, but I didn’t turn it in all the time. I didn’t care about the grades, I was against the grades, didn’t like the grade system at all, what it did to people…” Transcripts from Olympus Junior High indicate that he was an average to low average student who at times earned high marks, and other times, in the same classes, failed or barley passed. He took classes through alternative education programs, and ultimately earned enough credits to graduate in 2010 with a 1.92 GPA. He indicated that the only reason he made the effort to graduate was in order to join the military.

After his graduation, Mr Wright enlisted in the United States Army. He indicated there were two reasons for this: his grandfather “did it, a really cool dude”, and “I thought it would teach me to be more manly. Lots of people my age serve their country”. He added that he viewed basic training as a challenge he could face. He indicated and military records confirm that he attended boot camp in Fort Benning Georgia, for about six weeks, and then received an entry-level separation “which should have been a medical discharge. My sternum popped out, which it did in wrestling so they said it was a pre-existing condition”. He described that there were some interactions between him and military staff that “made it look like I was trying to get out”, which he denies. He recalled that “I felt like crap” after he was unable to complete service, although he was able to obtain work relatively quickly (see below) He does not have veteran or other military benefits.

After returning to Utah from For Benning, Mr. Wright took some classes through Coursera, an online learning program He indicated that he enrolled at Salt Lake Community College in 2011, but did not attend, as he “didn’t have a future I was thinking about going to college for”. He attended the Utah School of Massage Therapy briefly in 2013, and recalled that he “applied myself and studied, worked, went to school, worked, went to bed and got up and did it again’. Other interests led him to leave the course of study.

Employment History: Mr. Wright described working in various jobs after he left the military. His mother reported that he initially moved in with his father, but mostly stayed at home playing video games. The defendant recalled that he “felt like a huge failure” and contemplated suicide, actually developing a plan to “do myself in” on his nineteenth birthday. He recalled that “I almost got a few jobs” and after his suicide attempt, moved in with his mother and stepfather. Mr. Wright worked a paper route from the ages 12 through 14, a bakery at 15, an ice cream shop at 16, and Subway at 17.

Mr. Wright was hired by The Walking Company in 2011, at their store in downtown Salt Lake City. He indicated that he soon was promoted to a managerial position, and subsequently moved to Washington to open a new store. After about six months there his former manager in Utah was fired, and he was promoted and moved back to Salt Lake City in November of 2012. He recalled that he had “good selling skills”, earned company awards, and felt very successful. His mother has verified that he did well in this position, as did his former district manager, Frank R. He indicated, however, that he gets “restless legs”, often in April, and feels a need to move, change jobs, or otherwise travel. In 2014 he decided to walk The Appalachian Trail, noting that the Walking Company “sponsored” him, as he wore their shoes (which they provided him free of charge), sent him socks and gift cards along the way. He completed approximately 900 miles, “about half the trail” (actually about 43%) because of how much fun he was having meeting local people and other hikers in towns along the way. He indicated that he returned home after talking on the telephone to his father, who was putting together a “Last Big Vacation”. Mr. Wright indicated that he intended to return to finish the Trail, but instead moved in with his father and younger brother, as his father “was a psychological mess”.

Skipping parts due to others privacy.

Resuming Page 7: Had him admitted to the University Neuropsychiatric Institute (UNI). Bryan Wright’s admission record from UNI describes that he had told the defendant “That he is feeling suicidal, and that death would be a relief for him”. He revealed to UNI staff that he had made suicide attempts as a child by placing a bag over his head, and had also felt suicidal when his marriage ended. At the time of his July 2015 hospitalization, he was very clearly experiencing manic symptoms. The defendant believes, however, that once his father was hospitalized, he never truly accepted his diagnosis of bipolar disorder, and was just “talking the talk” to get out of the hospital. His father’s medical records indicate that he indeed was somewhat resistant to the use of medication, and discontinued it several months after leaving the hospital, albeit while under the care of a psychiatrist. He also continued to participate in outpatient therapy with a social worker, whose notes indicate that Bryan Wright continued to experience periodic manic symptoms months after his hospitalization. (e.g., in 2/16 “moods were rapid cycling”, “hasn’t slept in 2 days and can only get 3 hours a night”, “coming off the meds cased him to think of seriously killing himself again”)

In September of 2016 he was feeling confused, unloved, not sleeping well at night, and was clearly reporting a depressed mood at the end of September. At a therapy appointment on September 28, three days before the instant matter, he expressed that he had been in “ a lot of emotional pain on Saturday and had an awful sense of nothingness”, “said he didn’t want to kill himself then, just disappear”, and he made an appointment for the following week. The defendant indicated to me that, in conversation with his father a day or so later, he recognized that something was wrong, and “ I felt like I was coming out here to save his life”. Mr Wright left Oregon for Utah, drove straight through for about 16 hours, and arrived at his father’s home around midnight. Other aspects of his very intense relationship with his father are discussed further, below.

Mental Health History: As noted above, the defendant’s mother described that he had Attention Deficit Disorder as a child. She noted that he was easily overstimulated, which contributed to difficulties in school. Mr Wright recalled having trouble paying attention in school, which he indicated was very mild, not severe or extreme”/ He was treated with medication only briefly, and no other interventions were sought during childhood or adolescence.

(at the bottom of this page, Dr Cohn made a little *note: Interestingly, a psychiatric aftercare note indicates that Bryan Wright reported he had been thinking “maybe it was okay to kill himself and felt that was okay that he starts planning, that is why he called his friend, Shane, and Shane helped him get to UNI to get hospitalized”. His psychiatrist apparently did not recognize that Shane was actually Bryan Wright’s son.)

When Mr. Wright was almost 16 years-old, he accidentally overdosed on what he believed was pain medication sold to him when he was on the wrestling team. He indicated, and records verify that he stated at the time the overdose was accidental; he had actually been attempting to get high, and sequentially took several pills at a time over the course of the day, resulting in loss of consciousness. He had obtained what he believed was Lortab from another student, which was actually baclofen, a muscle relaxant. While he was at the Intermountain Medical Center for medical stabilization, a psychological assessment was obtained, which confirmed that this had not been a suicide attempt. However, in addition to having symptoms of ADHD, it was thought that Mr. Wright was experiencing symptoms of depression, and a referral to therapy was made. It was also noted that his father and brother both experienced depression. Mr Wright believed he went to counseling for a short time after this incident, but recalled that he was basically said whatever he needed to in order to “get done with counseling”. Mr. Wright has maintained that the overdose was accidental and, at that time, therapy was not something that he needed, although in retrospect believes it may have helped him to better focus his life, had he been willing to participate more meaningfully at that time.

Mr. Wright indicated that about two years later there was a time when he contemplated suicide. Interestingly, he did not view himself as depressed, per se, but he had “felt like a huge failure” after his truncated experience in the military, and, at the age of 18 years, planned to kill himself when he turned 19. He recalled that he was “committed” to suicide, because he was “obsessed with what would happen in the afterlife”, and was preoccupied with his father’s ideas about the LDS church and associated beliefs about what happens after death in the present life. He recalled that his father was “so obsessed” with these ideas, and it appears that the two had many discussions about the topic. He spent a great deal of time “questioning why am I alive, why am I living’, and “when I couldn’t come up with good reasons, then I needed to know about the afterlife”.

The day after his nineteenth birthday, as planning, he made a suicide attempt. According to records from LDS Hospital, it was reported that he “wrapped an elastic band around his neck, but when unsuccessful, decided to “bleed (himself) out in the shower”. He made a number of superficial scratch marks on his face and neck, and much deeper cuts to both his thighs. The emergency room physician noted “he seems to treat this whole thing as another “day at the office”, noting what appears to have been a rather bland affect. The crisis note indicates he “says he has been suicidal for years”, and had been planning his suicide “for several months”. He was noted to have racing thoughts, decreased need for sleep, indicated he has to force himself to eat, reported “odd feelings of being a different person in the daylight than at night”. Occasional marijuana use was noted, with no other substance abuse issues. A question of bipolar disorder was raised.

During his hospitalization, other symptoms of bipolar disorder were reported, such as racing thoughts to some degree, some grandiosity, brief periods of increased energy, and self-reported times of “decreased need for sleep, increased self-confidence, increased talkativeness, difficulty concentrating, increased activity, ad increased social activity”. The treating psychiatrist described him as a “fairly intense person” who, although self-described as depressed, had “lively” affect and seemed to be ore in a “mixed state”. Changes in mood state were described as fairly rapid.

Mr. Wright completed a one-week hospitalization. The psychiatric discharge summary notes that his mood improved “quite quickly”, and his suicidal ideation remitted. He was noted to have a “fairly significant” panic attack while in the hospital, and was prescribed medication, which he took briefly. The psychiatrist indicated that, while Mr. Wrights parents offered to allow him to remain in their home, he instead was intrigued by the idea of homelessness, as he had spoken to some of the other patients who were homeless, and “the patient thinks that he wants to become ‘street smart’”. At the time of his hospital discharge, it was not clear whether his depression was part of a bipolar disorder, but he was not prescribed mood-stabilizing medication, nor was he prescribed antidepressant medication, but was given Seroquel for sleep, and a month’s supply of Klonopin, a mild tranquilizer. He was referred for both therapy and medication aftercare, but he did not see the need for further intervention.

Mr Wright did not believe that he has had other episodes of depression per se, or psychiatric instability. However, his mother and stepfather added that in the several months prior to the instant matter, they, and everyone in the family was concerned about Mr Wright. His Mother, Mr. Klein, described her son as something of a “hippie” who had lived a “vagabond, gypsy lifestyle” after he moved to Oregon in 2015. Her contact with him decreased, and she viewed him as “completely different than he had ever been”, although her husband did not see this similarly. Ms Klein saw her son as troubled, and indicated that his siblings also “kept asking what’s up with Shane”, although he was insist that “everything is great” when they spoke. She indicated that Mr Wright has done a great deal of reading about spiritual things and reincarnation, and in mid-August of 2016 had sent her texts that had religious or spiritual overtones. They did not have further contact through the time of the alleged matter, but Ms. Klein also recalled that Mr Wright’s father had contacted her and was “worried about Shane”, as he seemed different to the whole family. She also recalled that the defendant’s father, the victim of the instant matter, was in a depressive state in the two or three months prior to his death, and had told her that he had stopped his medication (see below).

After the instant offense, Mr Wright was seen by jail mental health staff. He initially was experiencing a great deal of anxiety, reported racing thoughts, but overall, he fells that depression is by far his biggest problem”. He has been open about his life history, and mental health providers have questioned whether he has bipolar disorder. At one point he was prescribed a mood stabilizing medication, Depakote, but did not like the side effects, and has primarily been prescribed Effexor, and antidepressant medication, and Zyprexa, an antipsychotic prescribed to him to “help him with his mind racing”, and with sleep. In January of 2017 he reported that the Effexor had decreased his anxiety and depression, and he has continued to take medication, which his mother believes has made a difference, and she perceives him as more emotionally stable than was the case in the years prior to the instant matter. He as not been housed in the mental health section of the jail, and has not been a problem at Salt Lake County Jail, or Oxbow where he is currently in custody.

Substance Use: The defendant denied a history of substance abuse. He acknowledged drinking beer, at times to excess, according to collateral contacts, but not typically on a daily basis. He acknowledged the more frequent use of marijuana (which was legal in Oregon, where he had been living, and in Washington when he lived there). He also used marijuana to help him sleep, as this has been a problem for him off and on throughout his life, and a prescription for medical marijuana was found in his car after his arrest. His former district manager indicated he never had concerns about Mr Wrights use of alcohol or drugs.

Legal History: Mr. Wright has no prior criminal history.

Mental State: Mr. Wright was interviewed three times during the course of this evaluation, primarily with respect to his mental state at the time of the alleged matter, but a mental status exam, and psychological testing for diagnostic purposes were also completed. Each interview took place in a contact interview room at the Matheson Courthouse, which was a quiet space without external distraction. On all occasions, Mr Wright was neat and clean with well-groomed hair, mustache and goatee, clean fingernails, and he gave a general sense that he has been engaging in self-care adequately. He was interpersonally very pleasant, is quite verbally articulate, made good eye contact, and was able to engage in conversational exchange. There was no pressure to his speech, but as has been noted by others, he can talk a lot, provide excessive details, but is easily redirected if he continues on a topic for too long. There were no observations of rapid topic shift, and he did not lose hi train of thought, even when making reflective asides. His affect was appropriately variable, and associated with the topic discussed. At times his affect seemed brighter than might be expected, given his circumstances, and he can be verbally quite animated, although neither of these features were of a degree to suggest manic, or hypomanic elevation. There were no observations of irritability, nor did Mr Wright express aggressive thoughts or intent. He was able to express clearly, and was not agitated, distracted, or restless during each lengthy interview.

At all interviews, Mr Wright knew who and where he was, the day, month, and year. His memory was fully intact for both recent and remote events. He denied past or current experiences of auditory hallucinations, and did not seem to be responding to internal stimuli during any of our contacts. He did not express frankly delusional ideas, but did describe some of his experiences, accomplishments and relationships in a manner that seemed mildly grandiose. This has also been noted by others, but collateral information from family and friends suggests that Mr Wright has indeed had an interesting and somewhat colorful life, and has applied his talents in ways that have, at times, brought him personal success.

Mr Wright denied all symptoms that would be indicative of a diagnosable mood disorder, although the mild grandiosity noted could certainly be associated with a bipolar-spectrum disorder, given what is detailed about his prior history. So, too, could an overly bright affect, which was demonstrated at times during the present evaluation, and has been noted by some jail treatment providers.

To clarify diagnosis, Mr Wright was administered the Personality Assessment Inventory, a paper and pencil measure that addresses both what was formerly referred to as personality characteristics.

There are several validity indicators on the PAI that assess response styles that could affect the results of the testing. Mr Wright appears to have attended and responded consistently to the content of test items. There was no indication that he attempted to present himself in either an unrealistically positive light, or an exaggerated or more negative manner than is actually the case, but there was some suggestion that he may not have acknowledged the extent to which substance use may be problematic.

Mr Wright’s PAI profile did not indicate current mood disorder per se, but did suggest that he as had problems associated with an elevated and variable mood. While he is likely to view himself as outgoing, self-confident, and ambitious, others may perceive him as impatient or demanding. While he tents generally to feel satisfied with himself, his current circumstances are likely contributing to some fluctuations in self-esteem, and it is likely that, under stress, he will be self-critical and less decisive. He is, nonetheless someone who presents himself as friendly, extraverted, cheerful, and positive. His PAI profile is characteristic of someone who prefers interpersonal contact to solitude, and who tends to offer hep to others in times of need. He sees himself as someone who has many friends and is socially comfortable. His social support system is likely to mitigate the negative effects of stress, when present.

Although Mr Wright is not currently reporting symptoms of a major psychiatric disorder, he does report experiencing thought about suicide and this indicates that suicidal thinking, and associated behaviors should periodically be investigated.

The available history, records, collateral interviews with significant others, and interviews for the present matter indicate that MR Wright is an individual who has had at least one episode of depression when he was 19 years old, and episodes of mood elevation, coupled with decreased sleep and increased productivity that strongly suggest a history of hypomania, if not frankly manic behavior. It is noted that he has a vulnerability to mood disorder in light of his own history and his father’s well-documented bipolar disorder. In my opinion, he meets the criteria for a diagnosis of Bipolar II in remission. He also demonstrates some narcissistic features, although at this point, I would not consider that they rise to the level of a diagnosable personality disorder.  

            Issues Related to Reoffence: By all accounts, Mr Wright was involved in a deeply intense and emotionally tangled relationship with his father. The instant matter occurred against a backdrop of his father’s decompensation, and the defendant’s long-standing pattern of providing a listening ear and source of support. At the time of the offense, he had driven for about 16 hours, had stayed up all night with his father, and engaged in dark conversation that included his father’s entreaty for assistance with suicide, which had occurred in times past as well. At one point earlier in the night, Mr Wright smoked marijuana from a vape pen, which may or may not have been further disinhibiting, but for the purpose of treatment recommendation, is considered at least a potential focus for intervention.

Historical factors were considered when assessing Mr Wrights risk. He was young at the time of the offense, under the age of 26 years-old, which Is an age cohort associated with a higher risk of violence than is the case for an older age cohort.

            Positive historical factors considered for this young man are his relatively good adjustment during elementary school, a minor history of alcohol and drug use prior to the age of 18 years, and NO history of either violent or non-violent juvenile or adult offending prior to the instant offense. He has not experienced major life traumas and the absence of such life experiences is associated with lower risk for violent recidivism.

            There are several risk factors associated with aggressive recidivism which may be present for this gentleman, although these are not clear-cut. Together, they may be conceptualized as stability issues. First and foremost, Mr Wright had an extraordinarily intense relationship with his father, and his personal boundaries, and he has some limits in his ability to distance himself under stressful relationship conditions. This was, in my opinion, contributory to the instant matter, and could be a “red flag” in the future, similarly intense relationships Mr Wright has described himself, and others have described him as someone who gets close quickly, and deeply, and this seems to have been a challenge for him with his father, and with others. This risk factor that is amenable to intervention, and Mr Wright may benefit from psychotherapy to address his family experiences, and relationship dynamics, and thus reduce the risk for engaging in the kind of enmeshed relationship that was a factor in the instant matter.

            Finally, while the defendant has by all accounts, easily been able to get jobs and perform well, he has not kept jobs, and thinks of himself as something of a “free spirit”. While such a lifestyle has not resulted in problems for him (such as contact with the criminal justice system, financial stress, homelessness and the like), the lack of future plans and stability are risk factors that can be managed in a community setting.

In summary, I would not consider Mr Wright to have a moderate or high risk for future aggression, whether in a correctional or supervised setting or if considered for community release. It will be important to monitor Mr Wrights mood states, treat mood fluctuations when appropriate, and address suicidal ideation, if present.

            (at the bottom of this page, Dr Cohn made a little *note: It is also a consideration that Mr Wrights self-described need to have yearly shifts in life, such as quitting work and walking the Appalachian trail, or moving to the Oregon Coast, is related to a previously untreated bipolar disorder. I do not wish to pathologize alternative lifestyles, and note that, prior to the instant matter, Mr Wright was described by family and friends alike as engaging, enthusiastic, fun, and interesting. Nonetheless, a more stable lifestyle is associated with lower violence risk, and is thus noted here. I would also note that he has always had good family support, which is a protective factor.