Christopher Pittman's Zoloft Murder Defense Falters

By Pamela Mortimer

Christopher Pittman was only 12 years old when he killed his grandparents and set fire to their Chester, South Carolina home. Pittman’s attorneys have claimed that their client should not be held responsible for his actions because he was unwittingly intoxicated by Zoloft, a widely used antidepressant. In connection with the use of the drug, the defense argued that the trial judge should have followed a separate set of jury guidelines to determine involuntary intoxication. The attorneys’ arguments that the drug caused Pittman to lose the ability to tell the difference between right and wrong were unsuccessful.

A spokesperson for Pfizer, Inc., the manufacturer of Zoloft, stated that the drug "didn't cause his problems, nor did the medication drive him to commit murder".

Another unsuccessful argument presented by the defense was that Pittman was denied a speedy trial before he was finally sentenced to 30 years in prison for the murders. The sentencing took place in February 2005 when Pittman was fifteen years old. In hopes of overturning the verdict, Pittman supporters brought up another point of contention regarding the initial trial: two of the jurors reported feeling coerced into making their verdict, and another juror admitted to discussing the trial openly with his wife and bartender during deliberation phase.

At age twelve, Pittman was given a prescription for Paxil to treat mild case of depression. After Pittman threatened suicide, he was sent by his parents to live with his paternal grandparents in Chester, SC. The grandparents, Joe and Joy Pittman, had always been a source of stability and support for young Christopher. After Pittman moved in with his grandparents, it was discovered that Paxil was not available in their area. Christopher was switched to Zoloft, the most widely prescribed antidepressant in the U.S. According to reports, Pittman had a reaction to the new drug, exhibiting mania and complaining of a "burning sensation" all over his body. His doctor increased the dosage on the prescription. After switching prescriptions, Pittman had also had an incident on his school bus. On the night that Pittman had caused a disturbance in his church, Joe Pittman disciplined the boy by paddling him. Pittman, who claims to have suffered from "Command Hallucinations", said that a voice told him to murder his grandparents and that he couldn’t stop it. As Joe and Joy Pittman lay sleeping, Christopher Pittman used a pump-action shotgun to murder them before setting fire to their home.

The boy stole his grandparents’ car, took their guns, his dog and $33.00 and left the house. He was eventually picked up two counties away. Initially, Pittman concocted a tale about a large black man who kidnapped him, murdered his grandparents, and set their house on fire. When Pittman finally confessed to his crime, he stated that his grandparents "deserved what they got".

Despite the defense’s failure to have the initial verdict overturned, Pittman plans to appeal.

Paul Waldner, one of Pittman’s attorneys, stated, "Obviously the decision is a setback for us, but our resolve to continue to try to obtain justice for this boy who committed the only violent act of his life only days after he was given a mind-altering drug is strong".