Prior to Joyce Ostling taking the stand this morning, Judge Leighton made a significant, though not unexpected ruling on the admissibility of some of Douglas Ostling’s records. He agreed to admit several medical records, with certain redactions, offered by the defense for the purpose of showing that Douglas Ostling had a history of violence and homicidal feelings.
Richard Jolley’s cross examination of Joyce Ostling resumed. He produced records from Kitsap Mental Health, and read from a 2001 report, when she had contacted that agency seeking help for Douglas. The report said that Douglas was “allegedly delusional and has threatened to kill…his father” and that he was a “possible threat to others.” Joyce said she hadn’t seen the record and didn’t remember the statements it documented.
Next, Jolley read that a mental health professional had visited the Ostling home “per his mother”, because KMH had been alerted that Douglas had a gun, “in addition to being assaultive and threatening at at times.” A mental health worker came to the house with a police escort, who took his gun away. The report further noted that “per mom she fears he may be a danger to others.” Joyce explained that she called KMH for help because he was having delusions, talking about going to California and she was afraid she’d never see him again. Jolley said that Douglas had gone into the kitchen and grabbed a large butcher knife, to which Joyce responded that he’d been in the kitchen cutting up a chicken.
Jolley then asked about an incident that occurred when Douglas worked for an Ostling family member at a septic systems installation business. She confirmed that he’d been let go after he beat up a co-worker.
Producing another document, Jolley described a notation about people toward whom Douglas felt “homicidal” because he believed were harassing him. Joyce said she’d never seen the document. “No one ever told me that my son said this,” she said. “I didn’t know that.”
Jolley showed the jury a copy of the complaint that initiated the Ostling’s lawsuit, prepared by the family’s lawyers. In that complaint it was alleged that Douglas was not violent toward others, and that he had “no known history of physical violence or violent crime.”
“That’s what it says,” she answered. “I was not present in the cases you brought forth and don’t know one way or the other” whether they occurred.
On re-direct, attorney Julie Kays asked Joyce whether she’d gotten any solace when she and several family members attended grief counseling after Doug’s death. Joyce replied, “Not really. No one will take away the agony of that night.” It has even been difficult for her to go to church and sing praise and hymns, she added. Tearfully, she said she’d “wanted so desperately to help him. He didn’t want to help himself. I couldn’t make him.”
“He was my son,” she said. With that, she was excused from the witness stand.
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