Closing arguments begin in Abrams sanity phase

Deepa Bharath

SANTA ANA -- Facing the jury, Public Defender Denise Gragg insisted

that it was not drug use but mental illness that drove Steven Allen

Abrams to steer his car into a crowded playground in Costa Mesa.

In her closing argument of the trial’s sanity phase Wednesday, Gragg

attempted to convince jurors that the 39-year-old Santa Ana man was

legally insane -- and therefore ineligible for the death penalty -- when

he drove his Cadillac into the Southcoast Early Childhood Learning Center

on May 3, 1999. His actions killed two children and injured several

others.

On Aug. 24, the jury found Abrams guilty of two counts of murder and

several counts of attempted murder. If the jury finds him to be insane at

the time of the murders, he would avoid execution and probably spend the

rest of his life in a mental institution.

The prosecution, led by Deputy Dist. Atty. Deborah Lloyd, has

consistently argued that Abrams’ psychosis is drug-induced.

On Wednesday, Gragg argued that Abrams’ illness is partly genetic and

that his psychosis is deep-rooted. She pointed out that his aunt was

hospitalized for schizophrenia and that his brother is already exhibiting

symptoms of the illness.

She said there are no clinical tests that prove Abrams used

methamphetamines between 1994 and 1999.

“His past use of methamphetamines could have helped his preexisting

mental condition to surface,” she said, but argued that the drug was not

the lone cause of his condition.

While the public defender addressed the jurors, Abrams sat motionless

with his head lowered, as if he wasn’t even listening to Gragg’s

statements.

Gragg continued, noting that Abrams had talked about his delusions of

“brain wave people,” whom he believed intercepted and manipulated his

thoughts.

His life was “dysfunctional,” although he made it appear normal by

going to work and taking care of his daughter, she said.

“He was in pain,” she said. “He was tormented and consumed by his

delusion. And that affected his relationships. It affected every part of

his life.”

Gragg told the jury that what it boils down to is Abrams’ reasons for

committing his crimes.

She said he wanted to be left alone, so he drove into the playground

to make the “brain wave people” pay for tormenting him, so that he and

his family would not be bothered by “them” again.

“That’s what he wanted to accomplish when he drove into the

schoolyard,” said Gragg. “The motive was not simply anger or revenge.”

Closing arguments will continue today.