By Jeremy Walsh
The city Corrections Department has returned Corona native David Tarloff to Rikers Island, his lawyer said.
Tarloff, 40, accused of murdering Manhattan psychotherapist Kathryn Faughey with a meat cleaver, believes everyone at the prison is an undercover law enforcement officer and will not speak to anyone, said Bryan Konoski, Tarloff's lawyer.
At a May 20 hearing in Manhattan Criminal Court, Judge Charles Solomon rejected Konoski's request to get Tarloff a psychiatric evaluation to determine whether he should be tried. Citing the court's previous finding that Tarloff was fit to stand trial when properly medicated, Solomon ordered Konoski and Assistant District Attorney Evan Krutoy to work with the Corrections Department to ensure Tarloff receives his medication, Konoski said.
Tarloff's next court date is June 5, the Manhattan DA's office said.
Determining whether Tarloff is being given his medication regularly or whether he is taking it is difficult, Konoski said.
“At this point, the communication is only through written notes because he's afraid someone's going to overhear, either through video cameras or hidden microphones,” Konoski said. “All I know is that he's definitely worse now than he was before he went back to Rikers. I can assume that he may be off his medication, but it could also just be the stresses of being on Rikers Island.”
At a prior hearing in Manhattan, Konoski tried to get Tarloff permanently transferred to the psychiatric ward of Bellevue Hospital because he claimed other inmates were teasing and attacking Tarloff.
Tarloff told police he had been institutionalized some 21 times in the past when he was arrested Feb. 16, court papers show.
Tarloff told detectives he had gone to the Manhattan office to rob Faughey's business partner, Dr. Ken Shinbach, in order to take his invalid mother to Hawaii, according to court papers. Tarloff harbored a grudge against Shinbach for his role in Tarloff's 1991 institutionalization, court papers show.
Tarloff had two suitcases full of adult diapers, women's clothing and knives with him during the attack, police said.
Reach reporter Jeremy Walsh by e-mail at jwalsh@timesledger.com or by phone at 718-229-0300, Ext. 154.
