Witnesses testify Lasley showed no signs of mental health issues

Two medical health professionals testified Thursday they had no knowledge of Gordon Lasley Jr. having mental health issues in their limited contact with him.

Reaghan O'Toole, nurse at the Linn County Jail, testified Lasley did have a concern about HIV but said he had never been exposed. He said it was possible it was 'going around where I live.” Lasley was an inmate at the jail in March, about a month after his arrest.

Dr. Cyndy Nielsen with the Meskwaki Tribal Health Clinic testified she treated Lasley Feb. 5, when his parents were killed, but he never mentioned any mental health issues or concerns about AIDS that day. He was seen for a cough and his children had flu symptoms.

Nielsen went over his medical records from 2006 to Feb. 5, 2014 and he had mentioned a concern over a sexually transmitted disease once in 2011 and tested negative.

Lasley is charged with two counts of first-degree murder in U.S. District Court. According to testimony, Lasley used a 3-foot homemade machete to fatally stab Gordon Lasley Sr. and Kim Lasley in their home Feb. 5 on the Meskwaki Settlement in Tama.

Lasley isn't disputing he killed his parents, but is claiming insanity at the time of the offense.

The defense rested after brief redirect examination of one witness. The prosecution started its rebuttal case. Prosecutors will attempt to counter what two psychologists said about Lasley having a delusional disorder and/or paranoid schizophrenia.

O'Toole said Lasley was on precautionary status or suicide watch because of the seriousness of his charges, which is normal protocol, so she had regular contact with him. She didn't see any 'red flags” that would indicate he had mental issues. She's not an expert in the field or has psychology training, but she is trained to look for non-verbal cues -- paranoid behavior, smelling things or seeing and hearing things that don't exist.

Other rebuttal witnesses were mostly family members of Lasley. None of them saw signs of mental illness and all said Lasley never told them he was hearing voices or his concern of AIDS, HIV, or other sexually transmitted diseases.

Some of the witnesses testifed they believed in 'bad medicine” and said it was a common belief among those living on the Meskwaki Settlement.

The prosecution on cross Wednesday suggested Lasley's comments about his belief of someone putting bad medicine or a 'hex” on him may not be delusional, instead it may be a common cultural belief.

Erza Sam of Toledo, Lasley's cousin, testified some people on the settlement believe bad medicine is like a 'hex” you can put on another. There is good medicine and bad medicine, he said.

Kelly Sam of Toledo, Lasley's aunt, said 'I know it exists.” She said it's talked about on the settlement but nobody talks about it openly.

Jerald Morgan of Toledo, Lasley's cousin, said he was concerned Lasley had anxiety issues. One time Lasley talked about bad medicine with him after smoking marijuana. Lasley told him he didn't feel like himself and said there was something wrong. Lasley then went into another room and he fell over and hit a television.

Morgan on cross examination then said smoking marijuana usually calmed Lasley and didn't make him violent or aggressive.

Testimony from other family members varied: Some other family members claimed they didn't know Lasley well, some said they thought he and parents had a good relationship, and others said he was close to his mother but not his father.