Whitman had a tumor in his “amygdala”, one of the critical points in his brain related to aggression and fear. This is one example of how our brain can change as a result of disease or damage, changing our behavior or personality.
After reading what kind of life Whitman had, you will be amazed at what a tumor can cause.
The life journey from a child with an IQ of 139 to a serial killer.
Charles Whitman was known as a kind boy and was quite intelligent. The fact that his IQ was 139 in an exam when he was 6 years old dragged him towards success. After graduating from high school, Whitman entered the United States Marine Corps and graduated seventh out of 72 students. Whitman even earned a sniper badge and the Marine Corps Expeditionary Medal after 18 months of service.
The reason why he won the badge and medal and became a skilled sniper was his father. His father, a firearms collector, taught his children to shoot and would regularly take them hunting. Whitman was a good enough marksman to take out a squirrel’s eye when he was 16 years old. Whitman was also a good scout.
After the Marine Corps, Whitman worked first as a bill collector and then as a bank teller. Among his other jobs were traffic investigator and biology teacher.
Charles Whitman in 1966; He met with the university psychiatrist because of his severe headaches, tensions at work and school, and his sadness about the separation of his parents at that time.
Whitman was given a series of medications, but he did not continue the therapies and did not use his medications regularly.
The day of the massacre came and Whitman first wrote letters and then began killing in turn.
The day before the massacre, Whitman clearly wrote down his actions while writing his suicide note. The suicide note read:
“I don’t quite understand what prompted me to write this letter. Maybe it’s leaving an unclear reason for my recent actions. I really can’t understand myself these days. I’m supposed to be an average, reasonable, intelligent young man. However, lately (I don’t remember when it started) I have been the victim of many unusual and irrational thoughts. “I wish for an autopsy to be performed on me after my death to determine whether there are any visible physical deformities.”
Whitman wrote in his suicide note that he would kill his mother and wife, that his mother did not enjoy life as much as she deserved, and that his wife was not a good wife for him. He also stated that he thought he would save them from the pain of this world, and that he did not want them to feel ashamed after what they would do.
And the massacre began.
On the night of August 1, Whitman first killed his mother in her bed and covered her with a sheet. He left his mother’s house, went to his own house, and killed his wife by stabbing her in the chest 5 times. He also covered his wife, whom he killed while she was sleeping in her bed, with a sheet.
He arrived at the University of Texas campus in the morning. He dressed like a worker and took his bag full of weapons and tools to the observation deck on the 28th floor of the clock tower. After killing 3 people in the tower, he started shooting at those below from the observation tower. Approximately 90 minutes after the massacre, he was killed by the police who reached the deck. Whitman injured 31 people and killed 14 people in these 90 minutes.
Everything was understood after the autopsy.
At Whitman’s request, an autopsy was performed and a small coin-sized tumor was detected in his brain. This tumor was putting pressure on the “amygdala” associated with fear and aggression. Some neurologists have concluded that even this small amount of pressure was enough to cause a series of reactions in Whitman’s brain and to exhibit many behaviors that would be considered unusual under normal circumstances. The changing region also changed Whitman’s personality.
Some neurologists, on the other hand, were more cautious about the evidence and said that the current knowledge about the brain did not allow to explain the actions. While what triggered Whitman to commit murder remains a mystery, some psychiatrists think it may have been due to Whitman’s relationship with his father and mother.
Brain changes can mess with what makes us who we are.
American Neuroscientist David Eagleman, who has many books, especially “Your Brain is Your Story”, says that people can also change with brain changes. Citing drug and alcohol intake as an example, Eagleman also states that epilepsy can make some people more religious.
Examples include people losing their faith or becoming addicted to gambling due to Parkinson’s disease and the drugs used in its treatment.
You have read Whitman’s life story. So, do you think the killer is Whitman or the tumor in his brain?
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