By Jeremy Walsh
The Corona man accused of murdering a Manhattan psychoanalyst in her office during a robbery attempt is unfit to stand trial, a Manhattan judge ruled Tuesday.
David Tarloff, 39, who faces charges of killing Kathryn Faughey with a meat cleaver Feb. 12, was remanded to the Kirby Forensic Psychiatric Center on Wards Island for an indefinite period of time, the Manhattan district attorney’s office said.
“Right now he’s probably in the worst condition I’ve seen in the entire time that I’ve been his attorney,” said Bryan Konoski, who defended Tarloff in court. “Numerous doctors have found that he’s unfit and I completely agree with their findings.”
The ruling by Judge Charles Solomon came a week after psychiatrists released a report confirming Tarloff is not fit for trial. Prosecutors had a week to contest the report’s findings, but did not challenge them.
Tarloff was found to be capable of standing trial in June after being ordered by a civil court to take his medication. For a while, Tarloff would only communicate via written notes because he feared detectives were wiretapping him, Konoski said.
Ironically, Tarloff’s fate is similar to the incident he has claimed led to the bizarre attack in Manhattan.
In 1991, Dr. Ken Shinbach, Faughey’s business partner, testified that Tarloff should have been institutionalized, court papers show. Tarloff told police he went to the office to rob Shinbach so that he could have money to go on the run with his invalid mother, the papers said.
“I was going to take my mother out of the country,” the indictment quoted Tarloff as saying. He said he did not intend to hurt anyone, the indictment said.
The murder occurred Feb. 12. Tarloff, carrying suitcases full of dresses, adult diapers and knives, attacked Faughey and Shinbach with a meat cleaver, police said. Shinbach was seriously injured in the attack.
Reach reporter Jeremy Walsh by e−mail at jwalsh@timesledger.com or by phone at 718−229−0300, Ext. 154.
