Psycho Helen Kirk Strangles Her 3 yo Son Thought He Was The Devil

**Silvahalo** · October 26th, 2010, 12:51 PM

BOSTON-The state’s highest court will hear arguments Nov. 1 about whether a Carver woman who strangled her 3-year-old son can block the public from attending a lower court hearing to determine if she can be released from a mental hospital.

An attorney for Helen Kirk, 39, wants the Supreme Judicial Court to reverse the decision of a Taunton District Court judge who ruled earlier this year that there was no reason to have a closed session.

Kirk has been held at Taunton State Hospital since a judge found her not guilty by reason of insanity following a highly publicized murder trial in 2007.

In 2005, Kirk was arrested for strangling her 3-year-old son, Justin, in his bed. She told police she thought he was the devil.

Although she was found competent to stand trial, doctors testified she was psychotic when she killed her son and was not responsible for her actions.

[...]
Prosecutors have filed a petition for a civil commitment to prevent her release.

Kirk’s attorney has argued that what she disclosed during individual psychotherapy sessions and conversations with other professionals involved in her care should not be held up to public scrutiny.

During a hearing in March, Plymouth County prosecutor Donna Riordan said a hearing behind closed doors would violate the First Amendment of the Constitution regarding the public’s right to know.

The Patriot Ledger is also seeking to have the hearing open so a reporter can attend.

Kirk has the support of the state Department of Mental Health.

She was found competent to stand trail but psycho when she killed her son. Well then, how convenient. I say she can stand to have public scrutinize whether she should be released form the psycho hospital. I vote she stay locked away 'till she rots. Little Justin hardly had a choice about his life taken from him. She thought he was the devil, just wait woman you'll get a front row seat.

**CiaraLuna** · October 26th, 2010, 01:45 PM

Children look so peaceful while they sleep. So snuggly and innocent...how could she look at him and strangle the life out of him? Poor little guy. I know 3 is a very tough age, I'm going through it right now. They're testing their boundries and trying to establish a little of their own independence. It is frustrating, but geez, you don't kill them. =(

**brokenandtwisted** · October 26th, 2010, 01:48 PM

Although she was found competent to stand trial, doctors testified she was psychotic when she killed her son and was not responsible for her actions.

Well, talk about horribly convenient!

**TwiztidAngel** · October 26th, 2010, 01:51 PM

In 2005, Kirk was arrested for strangling her 3-year-old son, Justin, in his bed. She told police she thought he was the devil.

she shoulda just jumped out the window like those idiots in the other story did...and DIED

**Silvahalo** · October 26th, 2010, 02:03 PM

Looks like little Justin was 3 going on 4. What a waste of precious life.
So sorry Justin, you deserved to be loved by a real mother.

**AngelFire** · October 26th, 2010, 03:05 PM

She needs to stay the fuck away from society, unless someone on the outside wants to remove her from this Earth, I want her to remain there. Look at Little Justin, full of life, gorgeous wide, and bright smile, and now we are left with this horrible bitch and he is gone??? Fuck it, lock her up and let's forget she exist.

**carolinablue** · October 26th, 2010, 05:26 PM

Well, I know nothing about this case or it's history, but I do know (and very well) a woman who had psychotic breaks as a young teenager. She said she would "snap to"; it was like ice water thrown on her. She had no memory of where she had been or what she had done or said while she wass "away". She said she knew she had been acting normal, she would be in the middle of a conversation or doing something like reading or folding clothes.. so she knew she had been acting appropriately, but had no memory of anything that had transpired. It scared the living hell out of her. She didn't do anything violent or "crazy'; it took one of her many shrinks to explain to her what had happened.
She suffers from severe PTSD arising from profound abuse, and will be in therapy for the rest of her life; the first therapy group she was put in was for survivors of tortue...her, 4 POWs from 'Nam and one from Korea. She felt right at home! She grew up to be a decent person, a productive citizen and is smart as a whip and one of the gentlest women I know. Soooo, breaks can occur with no warning, and even the person who has them may not know that she's having them.
Like I said, I know nothing about this particular case, but I wanted to let y'all know that breaks don't just occur in batshit crazy people who eat their own shit and receive messages from the mothership thru their dental fillings. Sorry for the long post.

**VXIII** · October 27th, 2010, 01:47 AM

She was found competent to stand trail but psycho when she killed her son.

Is it just me or does this sound like a contradiction? Competent to stand trial but psycho? If anyone know, can you explain that to me? Regardless if you are psycho or what, when you are killing babies because you think they are "the devil: you need to be locked away just in case someone else looks like "the devil" again and you decide to kill them in cold blood, why dont phychos ever think that a 6 foot 3 250 lbs big motherfucker looks like "the devil" and try to strangle them? Its always someone smaller than them they can overpower and kill...

**rothase** · October 27th, 2010, 01:21 PM

Well, you can be competent to stand trial if you are not having a psychotic break at the time of the trial and can assist in your own defense. Whether or not she was crazy at the time she committed the murder is a whole different issue. Still, I don't want her wandering around loose, either. And please tell me she is on Nor-plant?

**crimsonsorrow** · October 27th, 2010, 01:38 PM

she was competent enough to find the logic that he was the devil and needed to be killed. but she wasn't competent WHEN she killed him?!!

and it's interesting that it took 3 years to "figure out" that he was the devil.

i feel she's just an idiot who couldn't handle her son.

**Bohring** · October 27th, 2010, 05:55 PM

Originally Posted by TwiztidAngel

she shoulda just jumped out the window like those idiots in the other story did...and DIED

Jinx.

**viableconspicuisioum** · July 29th, 2011, 12:23 PM

Originally Posted by silvahalo68

Looks like little Jason was 3 going on 4. What a waste of precious life.
So sorry Jason, you deserved to be loved by a real mother.

...his name wasn't jason..it was JUSTiN..I should know I am related to him

**MC30** · July 29th, 2011, 12:34 PM

Originally Posted by viableconspicuisioum

...his name wasn't jason..it was JUSTiN..I should know I am related to him

sorry that silva got the name wrong. she does her best to memorialize the little ones that have been killed, but everyone makes a mistake now and then. so what are your thoughts on this? do you believe that Helen just lost it? how is your family dealing with this?

**viableconspicuisioum** · July 29th, 2011, 12:36 PM

First of all what I think happened was f**d because I think she should rot in jail for the rest of her life, yet u don't know this woman at all she is crazy 100%..u don't know what happened in her life that made her like this she ISN'T all there and had been institutionalised before! She is infact crazy so its not all of a sudden she's crazy this is a life long thing..I am in noooooo way defending herbut u know nothing to say anything! By thinking a 3 yro is the devil is the indication of crazy, not logic how is it logical to think a toddler is the devil?..she wasn't competent when she killed him because of the reason she did it but she was competent to listen to the brutality and the devistating ending of his life...did anyone ever think. That in some way this could have been prevented? The sister of helen heared him choking..yet didn't check to see if he .was okay because she saw the light on and figured helen was tending to the chocking child yettt he could have simply turned the light on played with a toy put a small toy peice in his mouth and started chocking neone with logic would have checked on a chocking child she would have then caught helen in the act.she puts shame on the kirk name and should be electricuted for what she did but its better to let someone suffer with the thought and image of what they did till the day they meet their maker

**walkingeagle** · July 29th, 2011, 12:36 PM

Originally Posted by viableconspicuisioum

...his name wasn't jason..it was JUSTiN..I should know I am related to him

Silva has a heart of GOLD! Don't fault her for that part! Sorry for you and your family are going through this!

**MC30** · July 29th, 2011, 12:45 PM

Originally Posted by viableconspicuisioum

First of all what I think happened was f**d because I think she should rot in jail for the rest of her life, yet u don't know this woman at all she is crazy 100%..u don't know what happened in her life that made her like this she ISN'T all there and had been institutionalised before! She is infact crazy so its not all of a sudden she's crazy this is a life long thing..I am in noooooo way defending herbut u know nothing to say anything! By thinking a 3 yro is the devil is the indication of crazy, not logic how is it logical to think a toddler is the devil?..she wasn't competent when she killed him because of the reason she did it but she was competent to listen to the brutality and the devistating ending of his life...did anyone ever think. That in some way this could have been prevented? The sister of helen heared him choking..yet didn't check to see if he .was okay because she saw the light on and figured helen was tending to the chocking child yettt he could have simply turned the light on played with a toy put a small toy peice in his mouth and started chocking neone with logic would have checked on a chocking child she would have then caught helen in the act.she puts shame on the kirk name and should be electricuted for what she did but its better to let someone suffer with the thought and image of what they did till the day they meet their maker

i am sorry your family had to go through this...and, its ok to say fuck here. i can tell that you're angry about the whole thing and it is ok to let it all hang out so to speak.

**Silvahalo** · July 29th, 2011, 01:12 PM

Originally Posted by viableconspicuisioum

...his name wasn't jason..it was JUSTiN..I should know I am related to him

You are right. So sorry! I will correct it immediately. My sincere apologies....don't know how I over looked this. Trust me when I say getting the childs name is so very important to me.

**Silvahalo** · July 29th, 2011, 01:43 PM

You will be missed little Justin by those who will remember your smile and the memories you gave them. I'll think of you as I hold close my own son. Justin Kirk, your name will not be forgotten.....Light the heaven's with your light.

**Dakota Valkyrie** · July 29th, 2011, 02:48 PM

You can be psychotic AND competent to stand trial. A psychosis can manifest as a delusion such as "I am Barack Obama" but still leave you able to understand how courts work and assist in your defense (the definition of "competency" for legal matters). You just think you are Obama on trial. It all depends on how the delusion effects one's other thought processes. Many here can attest to the fact that mental illness DOES NOT always fuck up your ability to function at all levels.

As we all know, a declaration of "crazy" does not make anyone innocent. A "Not Guilty By Reason of Insanity" defense is very hard to prove, rarely used (despite how often it's alluded to before trial), and even more rarely successful.

What IS the shame is that the truly sick and in need of help, get sent to prison without help. If they ever get out, they're turned back into the community... as brain-broken as the day they went in.

I support the "Guilty But Insane" determination offered in some states. They are treated and if "fixed", sent to prison to serve out their sentence - the same sentence as anyone for whatever crime they were found guilty of... even if it's a life sentence.

**princessgrandma** · July 29th, 2011, 08:32 PM

I am so sorry that Justin's family has had to deal with this. I cannot imagine the loss of a child, nor do I ever want to. I wouldn't wish that on my worst enemy.

What happens now to Justin's mother is between her and the law, and hopefully the right kind of justice will be served and she can get the help she needs without being released back into society EVER again.

It hurts me to think that the last thing that little Justin saw was his mommy as she did this to him. That poor baby.