Mark Castillo claims he was insane when he drowned his three children in a Baltimore hotel bathtub, but for two years before the fateful Saturday in March, Castillo repeatedly argued in a Montgomery County courtroom that his psychological issues were under control and the kids were safe with him.
“I feel I am OK and I’m not seeking therapy for any area of my life,” Castillo said in January 2007 as he battled against his estranged wife, Amy, for the continued right to see his kids without supervision.
At that point, the custody battle was still young, having started in late July 2006, just weeks after Castillo was put in a mental hospital for threatening to commit suicide.
However, by March 30, 2008, the day Castillo skipped town with his kids and allegedly killed them, he had been in therapy for a little more than a year. He was pushed there by his desire to be with his children and Montgomery Circuit Court Judge Joseph Dugan, who said Castillo wouldn’t be allowed near the kids if he didn’t get mental help.
Dugan was relying on testimony from psychologists such as David Misar who wrote that Castillo could become dangerous in stressful situations and that “psychological intervention is critical or certainly dysfunction will occur.”
Castillo has had what appears to be a lifelong struggle with narcissistic personality disorder. He was honorably discharged from the Air Force for it in the mid-1980s and was still receiving the same diagnosis from doctors after his suicide attempt.
The disorder is “characterized by dramatic, emotional behavior,” according to the Mayo Clinic. “[Sufferers] believe that they’re superior to others and have little regard for other people’s feelings. But behind this mask of ultraconfidence lies a fragile self-esteem, vulnerable to the slightest criticism.”
