Levi Aron Farcical Defense: Confession in Leiby Killing “Coerced”

The confession of a man charged with kidnapping and killed 8-year-old Leiby Kletzky was strong-armed by authorities who took advantage of his fragile mental state, defense attorneys claimed today.

At a brief hearing in state Supreme Court in Brooklyn, Levi Aron appeared via video from behind plated glass, barely moving or shifting his gaze. Outside, his attorneys said they intend to prove Aron, 35, was not guilty by reason of insanity in the death of Leiby Kletzky.

Greenberg said authorities told Aron what to write in his confession, and he followed their orders.

“My opinion is this guy would admit he shot Kennedy if you spent enough time with him,” said defense attorney Howard Greenberg, who joined the team pro-bono after the presiding judge questioned the experience of his attorneys.

Leiby went missing July 11 while walking home from day camp, the first time he was allowed to walk by himself. He missed his turn and got lost, and police say he approached Aron for help.

“Anyone who thirsts for blood can take solace in the fact that he will spend the rest of his life in an asylum, never to see the light of day,” Greenberg said of his client.

Aron has been found fit to stand trial, but his attorneys have not yet changed his plea to not guilty by reason of mental disease or defect. A court-ordered evaluation obtained by The Associated Press showed that a psychologist diagnosed him with an adjustment disorder and a personality disorder with schizoid features. But Aron would still need to be evaluated by doctors who would then testify at trial. Defense attorneys Monday refused to say where they were in the process.

Dov Hikind, state assemblyman from Brooklyn whose district includes Borough Park, said the idea that Aron should be found not guilty is wrong, and “stabs a knife into the family.”

“Obviously for the rest of the world, things move on,” he said. “But the family is living it every single day.”

{Statesman.com, Matzav.com Newscenter}