The Ivy League Killer Read Online Free PDF Page A

punishment, the death penalty. If anyone deserved this, Ross did.
    Ross later claimed that while all of this activity was going on, he entertained himself in his cell by reliving the murders multiple times each day. He remained obsessed with sex and death, and he thought of himself as a “rare catch.” Detectives and reporters alike began asking Ross’ acquaintances what he was like.
    A coworker at the insurance company, who went door-to-door with Ross, told detectives about Ross’ unusually aggressive behavior whenever a woman came to the door. He seemed unable to accept rejection from a female. He’d also been disrespectful about attractive women they’d see on the street. He stared at them and made lewd comments.
    Ross would claim that his unrelenting sexual fantasies had compelled him. He was obsessed with making women love him or at least obey him. As a teenager, he’d molested several neighborhood girls; these acts had added details to his fantasy life. By the time he’d developed an adult sex drive, he was thinking constantly about rape and murder. To get aroused, he needed an element of fear and submission. He’d evolved into a psychological terrorist, a type of sexual sadist.
    Sexual sadists are almost exclusively aroused by the suffering of another person. They may use pain as a tool to elicit the suffering, but the suffering is most important. Sexual sadism counts for no more than 7-10% of sexual crimes committed. However, its rarity adds nothing to claims of losing control. On this diagnosis alone, Ross did not qualify for an insanity defense based on irresistible impulse. However, his condition would be reviewed several times over the next decade.
    Dr. Fred Berlin, a psychiatric expert on sexual disorders from the Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore, MD, diagnosed Ross as suffering from sexual sadism, a compulsive paraphilia that had influenced his obsessive fantasies. This disorder called for a specific treatment—high doses of the female hormone Depo-Provera. Ross accepted the treatment and found that it reduced the intensity of his sexual urges and allowed him some relief. However, it also produced rapid weight gain and serious liver problems, so he was forced to discontinue it. The fantasies returned full force.
    In December 1986, Ross pleaded guilty to the murders of Deborah Taylor and Tammy Williams. He received two consecutive life terms. Six months later, he went on trial for the other murders. Among the items of physical evidence against him was cloth found near one victim that matched the slipcovers on the couch in his apartment, as well as a ligature. Malchik gave powerful testimony about Ross’ confession and it took the jury just 86 minutes to find him guilty.
    During the penalty phase, the state argued that Ross had been sane when he’d committed rape and murder. He’d known what he was doing and had been able to control himself. However, the fact that he’d had a significant response to medication indicated to the psychiatrists on both sides that he might not have had full control. The prosecution’s psychiatrist, Dr. Robert Miller, had decided that he could not offer the testimony he’d been hired to give. At first, he’d believed that Ross could conform his behavior to the requirements of the law, but some time later, he changed his mind. The prosecution simply elected not to use him, relying instead on his earlier stance when they gave the impression that their expert had disagreed with the defense psychiatrists. Ross’ defenders failed to challenge the statement, so in short order, Ross received four death sentences.
    Although Ross had admitted his guilt in each case, he was annoyed that the court had failed to take his mental illness into account. He insisted that his attorneys include this issue for appeal. If he’d been unable to control his urges, as the psychiatrists believed, then he was not entirely at fault for what he’d done.

    Michael Ross
Prison Photo
    During the