Expressing concern for “sadistic type qualities”, forensic psychologist Dr. William Meadows testified Wednesday about his two evaluations of Logan Mott earlier this year.
Mott pleaded guilty in September to fatally shooting and stabbing his grandmother, Kristina French, in 2017 before burying her in his father’s backyard and attempting to flee to Canada.
On Wednesday, the judge announced that Mott would be sentenced on Dec. 19 at 8:30 a.m.
Because of various scheduling delays, the sentencing hearing has stretched over a period of weeks. In that time, the judge heard testimony from both of Logan Mott’s parents, his teachers, and various people who evaluated him.
Meadows was the prosecution’s final witness. He is a consulting forensic psychologist but not a therapist. His business is primarily providing assessments for criminal court cases.
He testified Mott is fearful, socially awkward and has a poor sense of self-worth. He said the teen shows little sympathy and compassion for others. “He’s a lonely adolescent, feels depressed most of the time, essentially unstable, not developing in a healthy fashion.”
Meadows testified that prior to his crime, Mott bragged to a girlfriend that he’d killed someone. “Telling a girlfriend he killed someone, to use that as a form of trying to impress her or create this identity as a killer, for me clinically – that is a concern.”
Meadows dismissed a key defense claim that Mott’s diabetes played a role in the crime because his blood sugar was out of whack.
He also called Mott an “outlier” relative to other teens he’s evaluated. Because Mott’s childhood and social history is less troubled than most violent teenagers, Meadows said the savagery of the crime was particularly shocking.
“The sadistic acts… including stabbing his grandmother three times in the head after shooing her, for me those are of significant concern,” he said. “Think of yourself doing that: You’ve shot your grandmother, she is sitting there and bleeding on floor, now you’re going to take a knife and stab her repeatedly, including three times in the head. … Most would not do that sort of behavior. That was extreme.”
Mott faces between 15 and 40 years in prison as part of his plea deal. A final sentence is expected on Dec. 19 at 8:30 a.m.