Defense Experts: Kozak’s troubles with rage, social disorders may have contributed to shooting

NEVADA, Iowa - A forensic psychiatrist testified Thursday that Alexander Kozak may have two mental conditions that made him react with rage to minor incidents, as well as a personality disorder that made it difficult for him to have personal relationships.

Dr. William Logan diagnosed Kozak as having 'intermittent explosive disorder,” which made him prone to explosive outbursts that are greatly out of proportion with the incident that upset him.

He cited incidents where Kozak reacted with anger when he was disciplined in high school for bringing a pocket knife to school and Kozak quickly became angry, as his mother Cyndy McComas testified about earlier in the day.

Logan said this mental defect also made it difficult for Kozak to gauge a relationship like the one he had with Farrington, which was 'casual” but he considered it a 'much larger than life.” According to all testimony up to this point, their relationship consisted of texting, they never even had physical contact, he pointed out.

Kozak, 23, of North Liberty, is charged with first-degree murder. According to testimony, Kozak, a former Coral Ridge Mall security guard, shot Farrington, 20, three times in the back as she worked at the mall's welcome center for the Iowa Children's Museum. The defense argues Kozak should be convicted of a lesser charge because of his mental condition.

Kozak admitted to investigators he 'didn't feel anything” when he shot Farrington because she dumped him, according to testimony on Wednesday.

Logan, of Logan and Peterson, a private forensic psychiatry practice in Kansas City, Mo., said Kozak also had borderline personality disorder which made it challenging for Kozak to be able to handle the 'normal give and take” in a relationship, as when Farrington would stop texting him or tell him she was no longer interested in him.

Someone with a borderline personality disorder doesn't handle break ups well, Logan said. He was a 'loner” and he couldn't 'read people very well.”

Kozak's communication with texts 'wasn't that efficient,” he pointed out. He made Farrington uncomfortable when he was sending her texts about leaving his wife for her and then another time when Farrington said he 'creeped her out,” he never followed up on her comment and asked why she felt that way, as someone normally would.

On cross examination from Johnson County Attorney Janet Lyness, Logan admitted his diagnosis was more a 'hypothesis” and this wasn't his 'conclusive” report back in January because he didn't have all the information after she questioned lack of violence in Kozak's past actions. Lyness asked Logan if he had information from family members about those incidents where he became violent, damaged property or got into physical fights.

Logan said no violence, only on June 12 when he killed Farrington.

Lyness asked if Kozak's mental issues prevented him from being able to plan during the time of June 12.

'If he had a mission, could he carry it out?” Lyness asked.

Logan said 'Apparently, yes.” He carried out his 'mission” to shot Farrington, even after Jessica German tried to calm him down but then he reacted to it in a 'bizarre” way - by asking her to run away with him.

German testified earlier this week that Kozak texted her that day and said he was going to drive home, get his Glock and shoot Farrington.

Kellie Kozak, 21, of Grandbury Texas, testified about her life with Kozak and how she became concerned about his behavior after they got married in Sept. 2014 and he became frustrated with his job as a security guard at the mall.

'At first he loved it,” Kellie said. 'It was the perfect job for him.”

Kellie said her husband started having issues with his supervisors and he called them 'idiots.” He also became obsessed that she was cheating on him and they would fight. He would yell at her and she would cry, she said.

In February 2015, she started noticing her husband texting Farrington and talking about her more. He would always let her look at his phone before but now was not letting her see it. And her husband would get these texts 'every minute of every day,” she said.

By May 2015, her husband's mood would go back and forth, Kellie said. He wouldn't pay attention to her one day but then give her attention the next. And the texts from Farrington would slow down and then start up again.

Kellie admitted she didn't know anything about Farrington and her husband, besides the texting. They went to a movie the day before the shooting because Kozak knew she was upset about the texting. She said it was a date and Kozak got dressed up in black and even wore a fedora.

It was the same outfit that he wore when he shot Farrington, according to witnesses last week.

The defense will likely rest at 9 a.m. Friday. Lyness said she will have two rebuttal witnesses. Closings could be Monday.