Prosecution Psychiatrist: Baker Was Sane

Daniel Baker, a Deerfield man accused of beating Vernon Hills resident Marina Aksman to death with a baseball bat over two years ago was called sane by a prosecution expert witness after he chose not to testify in his own defense Wednesday, according to the Chicago Tribune.

Baker has asked to testify each day of his trial, now in its second week, but when he had the opportunity Wednesday he chose to invoke his right not to testify against himself under the United States Constitution, according to a report on WGN. “I have my rights in tact here,” Baker said in the WGN story.

Earlier: Psychiatrist: Baker Was Insane During Attack

Before Baker testified, Psychiatrist Alexander Obolsky told the court Baker was insane at the time police say he beat Aksman to death, according to a report in the Daily Herald. He did not realize what he was doing was wrong, according to what Obolsky said in the Daily Herald.

After Baker decided not to take the stand, the defense rested its case. The prosecution then introduced testimony from another psychiatrist, Dr. Stafford Henry, who said Baker was sane at the time of the attack, according to the Daily Herald.

“It is my opinion, to a reasonable degree of medical and scientific certainty, that Mr. Baker was legally sane,” Henry said in the WGN story. Henry gleaned no evidence of voices Obolsky said Baker heard.

“He was not and has not suffered auditory hallucinations,” Henry said in theChicago Tribune article. “He said, ‘The voices I hear are real.’ He made references to the voices we both heard outside of the contact room.”

Testimony in the trial is complete and is in recess until next week. Closing arguments are not expected until Nov. 2, according to ABC.

According to earlier reports in Patch, police accused Baker of killing Aksman and fleeing to Montana with her daughter and his then girlfriend, Kristina Aksman. They were apprehended by police a few days later.