Woman Sentenced in Split-Personality Case
UPDATED - Wednesday November 17, 2004 6:24pm


FREEHOLD, N.J. (AP) - Nira Nevins said only one of her many personalities robbed a bank, but they're all going to jail. Nevins, 55, woman maintains that an alternate, childlike personality came over her the day she robbed the bank.

"I am so ashamed of our actions," she told Superior Court Judge Edward M. Neafsey on Tuesday.

http://www.wjla.com/news/stories/1104/188432.html

True MPD (multiple personality disorder) is a very rare occurance. There are only something like 200 true cases in North America of it. I think that if this woman had a previous, verifiable mental health record of it she probably would have gotten off.

Indeed, anyone with severe DID would have a lifetime of events, behaviors and therapy behind them. It's not an illness that would just "turn up" suddenly at 55.

It's also overdiagnosed, including the term "co-conscious mutiplicity". Ahem, if people aren't losing time, they aren't multiple. But the number isn't 200. It's more like approximately 10,000 people in North America to include Canada and Mexico, so rare yes, but not quite that rare.

In any event, multiples are almost always held legally responsible for the actions of any alters in court.

Yes. DID is more diagnosed than MPD. Thought true MPD was only about 200 in North America, but Spab, you are always right, so therefore, I must be wrong on this number. I was under the impression that someone with years of documented mental illness would get off for just about anything because they were not in control of their actions, i.e., the insanity defense. Does this not apply to MPD also?

no and actually insanity is a last chance defense any mental illness... it almost never works. Dahmer was found 'sane', for example.

I was going by the site listed below, however, I have read that the insanity defense is used in only 1% of cases because juries tend to think the defendant is "faking" their symptoms. I think if a person has a long documented medical history of MPD or DID they should not be held accountable if one of thier personalities does something against the law that they are not aware of.
http://www.essayworld.com/essays/health/865.shtml

I think everyone who has murdered is a sociopath and probably insane, but I still think those people deserve the death penalty or life in prison.

Hey, if one of the personalities commits a crime, and none of the others confess, then they are all accomplices.

Hey, if one of the personalities commits a crime, and none of the others confess, then they are all accomplices.

Not if they don't know, hence... multiple personalities and dissociation.

Not if they don't know, hence... multiple personalities and dissociation.

I think you are correct Spab. The whole point is they don't know what the other personality or personalities did therefore, how can they be held accountable? I don't these people should be held legally accountable.

With Dahmer, (as well as other sociopaths), he was aware of what he was doing, therefore I think he should have gotten the sentence he did.

Not if they don't know, hence... multiple personalities and dissociation.

I can understand where the motivations of each personality are separate, but is there truly no master memory bank?

And wouldn't the "innocent" personalities wonder where all that money came from?

I think you are correct Spab. The whole point is they don't know what the other personality or personalities did therefore, how can they be held accountable? I don't these people should be held legally accountable.

one of the personalities is still a danger to society/broke a law and the entire person has to be held accountable to get that one personality off the streets. it's not possible to just lock up the one personality.

I can understand where the motivations of each personality are separate, but is there truly no master memory bank?

And wouldn't the "innocent" personalities wonder where all that money came from?

Well, since it is a dissociative personality disorder that splits into multiple personalities, I assume that each of the personalities are distinct and unable to tap into a master memory bank.

Perhaps some here knows the real answer.

Well, since it is a dissociative personality disorder that splits into multiple personalities, I assume that each of the personalities are distinct and unable to tap into a master memory bank.

Perhaps some here knows the real answer.

Yes, most of the time that is true, unless they've been to integration therapy and it was successful. However, if it was successful, then I can't see how the insanity defense would work in that case.

eep and anarky have it covered. :nice:

Well, since it is a dissociative personality disorder that splits into multiple personalities, I assume that each of the personalities are distinct and unable to tap into a master memory bank.

Perhaps some here knows the real answer.

As there must be memories common to all personalities for survival purposes -- how to drive a car, where home is, etc. -- then I suppose the other personalities may be able to block out certain memories that are definitive of the offending splinter's particular motivations, but they still have to deal with the evidence of those ignored actions.

As there must be memories common to all personalities for survival purposes -- how to drive a car, where home is, etc. -- then I suppose the other personalities may be able to block out certain memories that are definitive of the offending splinter's particular motivations, but they still have to deal with the evidence of those ignored actions.


I believe that the memories for certain learned tasks are stored in an area of the brain that is different from the personality-related areas. Again, I seem to recall hearing that somewhere before, but perhaps someone who knows can tell us for sure.

At any rate, the court didn't buy it.
I feel it's all the same as crimes of passion or crimes committed while intoxicated....whether it's your good side or your bad side, it's still you doing it, and you still suffer the consequences.

Shouldn't the title say "women..."??? :|


Hey, if one of the personalities commits a crime, and none of the others confess, then they are all accomplices.

Then that means she she be tried on numerous counts

The article was scarce on details but Spab has it right. There would have been a history of behaviors( if not actual diagnosis).

Depending on the degree of DIDness there MIGHT be some kernel of 'common' memory but not too likely. Driving a car, where home is would all be experiienced as which ever personality was out.

Dealing with the evidence of 'lost time' periods is one of the most bewildering, crazy making aspects of the disorder. Imagine opening up your closet and finding clothes that you wouldn't be caught dead in.

If you are ever in the presence of a DID/MPD who switches you can sometimes observe physical differences ( facial features particularly)

Back to this case _ IF she was a true DID she still should be confined at minimum in a mental institution.

A person diagnosed with DID feels as if she has within her two or more entities, or personality states, each with its own independent way of relating, perceiving, thinking, and remembering about herself and her life. If two or more of these entities take control of the person's behavior at a given time, a diagnosis of DID can be made. These entities previously were often called "personalities," even though the term did not accurately reflect the common definition of the word as the total aspect of our psychological makeup. Other terms often used by therapists and survivors to describe these entities are: "alternate personalities," "alters," "parts," "states of consciousness," "ego states," and "identities." It is important to keep in mind that although these alternate states may appear to be very different, they are all manifestations of a single person.