Defense attorneys for 15-year-old Raul Castro began by questioning a psychiatrist who evaluated Castro after he was arrested.
Wednesday morning the psychiatrist testified Castro was suicidal at the age of 12, after his mother told him he was sexually abused by his own father. The witness also described Castro as suffering from bipolar disorder and dissociative disorder, which could have caused Castro to act without being conscious of his actions.
Detectives say Castro confessed to sexually assaulting then drowning 4-year-old Alex Mercado when the boy threatened to tell on him after the assault.