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Mother: 'My son is not evil'
By MIKE BRASSFIELD © St. Petersburg Times, published November 12, 1998 "My son is not evil," said Barbara Richardson, mother of Edward "T.J." Humphrey, 18. "Some kids are mentally ill. This is a kid who wouldn't take his medication." Humphrey and a 13-year-old boy were charged with animal cruelty Tuesday, accused of cutting a stray cat's throat with a razor blade. The cat, named Zero by neighbors who fed it, got 12 stitches and should be released from a veterinarian's office today. Richardson says her son is manic depressive. Although he's been in several juvenile justice programs, she says he's an example of how hard it is for troubled youths to get long-term psychiatric help. "I don't want to take away from people in the system who are trying to help, but their hands are tied by funding issues," Richardson said. "In terms of severe mental illness in the criminal justice system, the programs aren't widespread enough and the requirements are too stringent." Humphrey has been a regular at the Refuge, a ministry in downtown St. Petersburg where he got food, counseling and shelter. His mother volunteers there. The Refuge's pastor, the Rev. Bruce Wright, said Humphrey had been struggling between two beliefs, Christianity and self-styled Satanism. "He told me that he was dabbling in some stuff, and we talked with him and expressed our worry and concern," Wright said. "We were doing everything we could to get him help."
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T. PETERSBURG -- The mother of a teen accused of drinking a cat's blood in a ritual says her son has had mental problems since he was 12 and has been institutionalized repeatedly.
