A religion expert who interviewed the family of Joshua Komisarjevsky, said his family believes that demons battle angels for people's souls and that Komisarjevsky was afraid as a child that a demon would make him hurt his family.
The jury is hearing evidence on whether Komisarjevsky should get the death penalty after being convicted last month for killing Jennifer Hawke-Petit and her daughters, Hayley, 17, and Michaela, 11, in their Cheshire home. His co-defendant, Steven Hayes, is already on death row.
Julie Ingersoll, a religious studies professor at the University of North Florida, testified that Komisarjevsky's parents home-schooled Komisarjevsky and his sister because he was being bullied by teachers and his sister was being bullied by other students. Ingersoll said home-schooled children, while they can score just as well or better on standardized tests, are isolated from the outside world and differing viewpoints.
Ingersoll also testified that Komisarjevsky's family did not believe in treatments by psychiatrists or psychologists, because they were part of the outside, or secular, world. She also said Komisarjevsky's parents believed that if they sought treatment from psychiatrists or psychologists, they would be considered incompetent by members of their religion.
A drug counselor also testified on Tuesday that Komisarjevsky did well in a drug treatment program and that it was hard to believe that he took part in killing a woman and her two daughters during a home invasion in Cheshire in 2007.
Michael Daluz testified on Tuesday as defense lawyers present their case that Komisarjevsky should be spared the death penalty after being convicted last month of killing Jennifer Hawke-Petit and her daughters, Hayley, 17, and Michaela, 11.
Under cross-examination by State's Attorney Michael Dearington, Daluz said that he opposed the death penalty and believed that life in prison is a harsh penalty.
